Entrepreneur Café-the blog of Resicom CEO John Fairclough received the 2010 Top Blog Award.

Sponsored by OnlineMBA.com and AwardingTheWeb.com, a panel of judges reviews nominees that have been submitted or sourced by the panel’s research team.  In the case of Entrepreneur Café, the award comes as a pleasant surprise as the nominating team found Entrepreneur Cafe during independent web searches.

Topics on the blog range from staff accountability to risk management and structural clarity. Fairclough uses the format to experience share personal stories of obstacles and best practices.   Often asked to present on business strategy, Fairclough began Entrepreneur Café as a means to communicate lessons learned while building Resicom, a national facility maintenance company.

At 24, John launched the first Resicom office from the basement of his future in-laws.  By age 30 Resicom had earned over $1 million in revenue and has since passed the $10 million benchmark.  Fast forward to today, Resicom has leap-frogged in size and revenue, now occupying a 15,000 square foot facility in the southwest Chicago suburbs.  The strategic vision to surpass the $35 million in revenues benchmark should be realized in under 2 years before John turns 40.

John is passionate about providing guidance, mentoring and other resources to assist first-level entrepreneurs in catapulting their business to the next level.  Helping entrepreneurs become better business leaders has been personally rewarding.

The Finesse Cuisine Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio will feature business consultant and CEO Resicom John Fairclough this Thursday morning at 11 a.m.

Weekly guests discuss entrepreneurship, arts, entertainment, food and wine with host and Finesse Catering Company founder Jon Wool.

Other guest include Deborah Hall, founder and president of hospitality executive search firm, Hall & Associates.

To set reminder & read more click

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/finessecuisinehour/2010/07/29/the-finesse-cuisine-hour

CNN Money.com recently mentioned Resicom CEO John Fairclough.

Local entrepreneur Andrea Herrera, founder of Amazing Edibles Catering, credited John Fairclough as the mentor that assisted in propelling her business over the $1 million in sales mark.

In 2006, Herrera joined the Accelerator program of the Entrepreneur’s Organization, a group that offers networking and mentoring for businesses in the 250K to 750K range to help them advance to the seven-figure sales level.  Encouraged by her mentor, John Fairclough, Herrera boosted profit margins, created metrics for accountability, and hired a marketing manager to attract new clientele.

“I enjoy giving back to the participants of the program,” says Fairclough. My real motivation is witnessing the excitement and passion other entrepreneurs have for their businesses.  One of my favorite ways to learn is through interaction and this role gives me the opportunity to interact with some great business owners.”

For the full story click

CNN Money- Amazing Edibles

R&D for a construction services company? R&D usually focuses on products and packaging.  How about R&D for challenges and choices?

It is official! The company that boldly pursues what normal should be has formalized its R&D department. It is headed by the curious Michael Fairclough, Executive VP that has yet to find a challenge he didn’t like. Most people prefer working on things they know. Michael is one of those rare people that gets energized by the things he does not know. His ideal day includes researching, testing, and discussing other people’s challenges. He believes it should be normal for our company to be a ready resource to solve our clients’ challenges.

Michael is armed with the support from every division of the company. Please send over any situation that has to have a better solution than what is currently in use.

See if your challenge can stump him. Warning! Mike may help you dream bigger.

Resicom believes in the bold pursuit of what normal should be.

It should be normal that learning drives growth, and a growing business prospers.

Our core value is to be an organization of individuals committed to development.  This mind set will drive us toward to our corporate and personal goals.  To achieve this objective, Resicom is committed to helping our employees propel their careers through individual development.  We want Resicom to be the last place that our talented professionals and technicians ever work.   As we continue to expand and increase our scope of services, we realize that we must continually refine, advance and challenge our employees.  Resicom encourages employees to evolve with the company, assuming new responsibilities and endeavors.

Resicom is rolling out an improved career development program.  Working with management, each employee will identify key targets and initiatives that comprise current roles.  Attributes that can be strengthened and areas for increased challenge will also be addressed.

The old adage, if it’s not documented it’s not done will play a key role in the new career development plan.  Tangible, streamlined strategic plans will be created for each employee as means to track metrics and keep defined goals top of mind.

Lemont, IL

Resicom has been invited by Benedictine University and Professor Jerry Pasierb to present an interactive dialogue with undergraduate students regarding strategic planning and aligning marketing initiatives with core values.

Next Thursday, Benedictine students will meet with Resicom’s marketing team at the Lemont corporate headquarters for a facility tour and presentation.  Students will be encouraged to ask Director of Marketing Laurie Ledonne, Project Coordinator Nicolette Malewski and marketing intern Carly Strama how Resicom puts applied theories into sound practice.

Reiscom structures marketing efforts to mirror purpose.  Whether offering brand and asset protection through facility maintenance or venturing into new endeavors, Resicom’s cause doesn’t change.  All decisions and actions must reflect our purpose- the bold pursuit of what normal should be.  It should be normal that the companies you hire make you better.

February 2010

Lemont, IL

Resicom CEO John Fairclough has been asked to speak as part of a peer panel for the DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center.

The event is being held Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Naperville campus.

At this event, four seasoned business owners offer their insight to company issues in a town hall-style discussion by integrating their experiences, best practices, ideas, and recommended resources.  Business owners in the audience are encouraged to share their own experiences and thoughts in this open discussion.  The objective is that participants will leave with new ideas and approaches to not only address the challenges you currently face, but also to resolve future issues that may arise.

“Beyond a consultant’s expertise, a professor’s wisdom, and a thought leader’s acumen, most entrepreneurs believe they get the greatest value learning from the experience of those who have “been there and done that”.

John is the entrepreneurial founder of Resicom, a dynamic and successful company that believes in the bold pursuit of what normal should be.  It should be normal that the companies you hire make you better.  Resicom embraces its role in client brand and asset protection through facility maintenance and repair.

John continues to evolve in his own role as CEO and company visionary for Resicom.  Since founding the company in 1996 John drives the team to continually examine and fine-tune performance, while providing insightful options and experience upon which clients have come to depend.

Lemont, IL

Known as the nationwide company that returns normalcy to the lives of facility managers through preventative and on-demand maintenance, Resicom is always looking to add great people to its team. We are pleased to announce the addition of Cindy Copeland to our Operations Maintenance Team at our corporate headquarters in Lemont.  Cindy will be responsible for providing project support to our facility partners requesting preventative maintenance work orders.    

Cindy brings proven project management and customer service experience, drawing upon her tenure in the communications industry and most recently with a national parking lot management company.   

Cindy is another example of how employees in sync with Resicom’s business structure are happy to refer employment opportunities to associates and networking colleagues.   Cindy and National Business Development new hire Marty Durkin are former co-workers who recently had an opportunity to reconnect via Linked-In web-media.  During a conversation about Resicom, Cindy expressed her interest in learning more about the company.   

“I decided to join Resicom because of the growth potential and the national goals explained to me,” says Cindy.  

“Cindy has a lot of drive and enthusiasm to learn new things and accept new challenges, which makes her a great fit for the operations team,” says Resicom Project Manager Kristine Bromberek. “Her personality and past experience will help her grow quickly in this company.”

Outside of work, Cindy is passionate about experimenting with new recipes, signing and free-style writing/blogging.

At Resicom, we are committed to delivering world class service. We embrace our role of protecting retail brands through facility maintenance and repair nationwide. Our self performance helps us provide insight and experience that our clients depend on to help solve challenges. 

CASE STUDY

To get life back to normal for our facility maintenance manager partners sometimes means not working normal hours.  Resicom often completes retail preventative maintenance overnight to limit disruption to guests and staff.  However, gaining access to a retail facility after hours needs to be thoroughly coordinated with the client and often a security third party.  Store managers are anxious to head home after a full day’s work, but Resicom is just beginning ours.    

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute the project includes:

1. Scope of preventative maintenance work is scheduled for after-hours execution. 
2. Third party security is coordinated within 48 hours of the scheduled job.
3. Resicon crew & security must be onsite 15 minutes prior to store closing to meet store manager. 
4. Security must remain on premises with Resicom crew until morning opening manager returns to facility.  

Challenges

The constraints of the project include:

1. Coordinating security to arrive on set date of project schedule. 
2. Security fails to show up prior to store closing time. 

Solution

In order to effectively execute the work order, Resicom technicians need to be assured that home support has procured necessary security and is effectively managing the project.   We can not allow our clients to be inconvenienced waiting for tardy security.  Resicom relies on our tried and true process when obstacles present themselves. 

Our solution to this project included:

1. Project Manager confirms security with client approved company via email within 48 hour window of scheduled maintenance.
2. Crews are instructed to call Resicom emergency phone by store closing time if guard has not arrived onsite.  
3. Resicom home office employee on-call status maintains master list of all after hours jobs, including pertinent information on which security company/crew is scheduled per site. 
4. On-Call Employee will call the security company to ascertain guard’s expected arrival time to coordinate prior to store manager leaving as that project does not need to be rescheduled. 

Summary

Resicom delivers normalcy, but there is nothing normal about a client who works a full day at a retail facility only to have to remain even longer waiting for security to arrive for the overnight maintenance crew.  Therefore, Resicom simply refuses to allow our clients to be inconvenienced waiting for security running late.  By having set procedures in place to account for hiccups when scheduling third party security, Resicom can rely on the necessary process to keep the project running smoothly.

CASE STUDY

Communication is a key component to company success- both internally and with clients.  After reading a thought-provoking resource book regarding why corporate America often falls short by having the wrong length and types of meetings, Resicom adopted an initiative to revamp our structure.  Resicom team members are located throughout the country, yet communication must be streamlined between all levels of the team.  We needed to ensure team members are informed, and directed toward common goals each day through these meetings.  

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute the project includes:

1. Develop a meeting outline detailing who would be included in the new meeting structure.
2. Finalize times for each meeting to avoid department conflict and overlap.   
3. Track notes for each meeting in a place with company-wide visibility.

Challenges

The constraints of the project include:

1. Create a format all company members can embrace and maintain.
2. Team members are located in 3 of the 4 US time zones.
3. Tracking the schedule and notes to provide visibility to participants while restricting access to confidential information. 
4. Ensuring that rollout of the new meeting structure is not disruptive to employees’ routine, and increases motivation and productivity. 

Solution

We understood that the rollout of the new meeting structure would benefit the company greatly, therefore, employee input was incorporated to elicit the greatest buy-in.  We alloted sufficient time to create, refine and audit the process.  We ensured that the entire meeting initiative was in alignment with our core value of “clear, courageous communication.” 

Our solution to this project included:

1. Various applications from the reference book were discussed during a company wide staff meeting with everyone in attendance. 
2. A synopsis outlining each meeting type being explored was compiled including information on why each type of meeting was needed and the benefits to the company.  
3. A chart detailing the new meeting structure, times and participants was developed and distributed to all employees.  
4. The meeting system was incorporated into a robust and dynamic computer application already utilized company-wide.  
5. Attendance was tracked to encourage contribution and build routine. 

Summary

After two months traction with the new meeting system, Resicom noticed significantly positive results.  Teams experience better company unification and clarification in daily activities.  Inter-department communication has increased resulting in positive transparency.  Obstacles are identified quickly at the beginning of the day and addressed to boost individual productivity.  Larger issues requiring more focused discussion are tackled during weekly tactical or project meetings, which frees up the day from overwhelming distractions.  Resicom possessed a solid communication structure 2 months ago, but this improved system has led to a world-class communication system.  

How can leadership structure enhance organizational clarity?

Creating the Leadership Team on the organizational chart is important in building organizational clarity. Here are specific basic disciplines of business:

• Sales/Marketing
• HR
• Operations
• Technology
• Finance/Admin

Businesses may have some of these broken out separately, or combine others as their business size and needs dictate. These roles are typically filled by people with strong organizational skills, as they are responsible for reporting verified information to the CEO. These are present in most every organization, even companies with under 5 employees.

What is the missing piece?

Most companies, however, miss the role that I call the “Creative Thinker”. This is a responsibility that goes to someone that is curious and can ponder and think outside of ordinary thought lines. They are usually the person or team that the CEO delegates R&D projects to. Here is a sample of what this role would play in a company:

• The company wants to expand its offerings by exploring different opportunities. The Creative Thinker researches the market, assesses the opportunity and provides a report to the executive team on their findings.
• The company wants to improve one of its processes. The Creative Thinker can research the dangers of keeping things as is, assess the opportunities for improvement, and provide a report to the executive team on their findings, without the bias of having to execute the changes.
• The sales team wants to present its offerings to a potential client. The Creative Thinker can demonstrate expertise in an area of focus without pushing the services offered. This unbiased expertise presented strengthens the presentation.

How do I get it?

Here are the first steps to bringing this structure into your company:

• Identify the traits and skill set needed for this role
• Create the initial project list for this role by identifying opportunities and dangers the company would like to research.
• Review your current personnel to see if anyone can fill the role. If nobody is capable, look to hire someone for the role.
• Once hired, include this person on your executive team so they can be up to speed on everything within the company, giving them insight on things that will help them be more effective in their responsibilities.
• Ensure this person lives and breathes your values, mission, and purpose. 

This structure will prove to be key in developing a world class organization. It reinforces organizational clarity, helping keep the company on its desired course.

How can internal communications enhance organizational clarity?

Internal communications keep the company’s team current on the happenings within the organization. Typical forms of this communication are newsletters, company updates, and memos from upper management. These play the role of delivering a message. The other, informal forms of communication are the ones that reinforce this message. These are the ones that are powerful. Here are a few examples:

• When the company measures something, it tells employees it is important (customer satisfaction)
• When the company rewards something, it communicates that the action is in alignment

• When the company disciplines an action, everyone learns that it conflicts with the company goals

It is similar to body language coupled with words. If they line up, things are clear. When they are not in unison, there is confusion, doubt, and angst. 

Why do I need to do this?

The way a company communicates internally needs to be just as effective as the way it communicates or markets itself publicly. There must be organizational clarity for the company to reach its potential. Growth and profits will be limited and there will be more issues arising from the team acting outside of what the company promises. 

A company risks its viability and the management risk their sanity when organizational clarity is missing. A small company may be able to endure this because the leader has a pulse on everything going on, however, as the business grows, the company has a higher likelihood of imploding.

How do I get it?

Here are the first steps to bringing this type of internal communication into your company:

• Review your discipline and reward processes to see if they are consistent with what the company goals and values.
• Mention the components of the strategic plan when rewarding or disciplining an action. This reinforces how important they are and work towards weaving this importance into the culture of the company and its employees. 

• Measure the things that line up with the values and mission. For example, if one of your core values is around customer satisfaction, figure out a way to measure it. This will reinforce that this is so important to the company that management tracks it.
• Celebrate when people act in accordance with the values and purpose.
• Make this a part of your management discussion. Ask questions related to the values. For example, when someone does something questionable, ask them “Does that line up with our core values?” or “Does that bring us closer to our goals?” 

This approach to internal communication will prove to be key in reinforcing the company strategy and deliver organizational clarity. This will help the company capture opportunities and avoid dangers.

How can approach to business enhance organizational clarity?

Our company uses the Verus Methodology of business management. One of its principles is that an organization must leverage clarity to operate optimally. There are multiple components to a business structure that can enhance this organizational clarity. They include: Business Strategy, Internal Communications, and Leadership/Executive Team Structure. When effectively leveraged, a company can enjoy a clear sense of direction and operate in great alignment.

How can strategy enhance organizational clarity?

A business needs to know its purpose, vision, goals, and core values. The purpose helps define the reason for being. The vision is what we aspire to be. The goals are intermediate points that are met during the life of the business. The core values are the boundaries that underline the behavior of people within the business, a set of constraints. 

When the business manages through its strategy, the team goals are clear, and management is able to keep the team accountable to them. It is important for the core values and purpose to come through in the way the business operates. It can become the thing that energizes employees to excel. 

This must be the central piece that unifies the company. This needs to be the common thread shared by all employees, and all things need to align with it.

How do I get it?

Here are the first steps to building a strategy for your business:

1. Examine the purpose of the business. Why does the company exist? Ask “Why?” multiple times and when you cannot ask it anymore, you are close to your purpose. This is typically the purpose of the founder of the company. This is not an easy thing to identify. There will need to be a lot of reflection by the founder and revisit the things that helped shape their perspective. The critical junctures in their life helped influence this purpose. Once identified, it will become magnetic to the people you need to attract. 
2. Identify your vision – what you are trying to become. Here is an example: Dell computer’s was “To become the IBM of the 21st Century”.
3. Identify your core values. Be careful to not focus on marketing catch phrases. These need to be things that will not change, and that you would be willing to suffer financial losses to hold true to them. You also must be willing to fire someone because of violation of them. They should be a couple of words each. Simple statements of a theme. You can support it with information, but the statement needs to be fast. Examples can include “Keep promises”. Then support that with “We keep promises to each other, to our vendors, and to our clients…”
4. Document it.
5. Preach it, teach it, post it, live it, and reinforce it. The strategy needs to be visible everywhere in the company, in the way it operates, manages, markets, etc. 
6. Hire people who have the desired skill set and align with the strategy.

This approach to strategy will give the company a sense of direction and deliver organizational clarity. This will allow the company to look at action and structure and measure it against the strategy, helping keep the company focused on what it is trying to accomplish.

Resicom received a standard emergency work order to re-secure a door to the hinges for a retailer stock room.  However, when the technician arrived onsite, the door not only had broken hinges, it was cracked down the middle.  The entire door would need to be replaced and painted.  However, the client did not possess the original specifications for the wood nor paint.   

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute the project includes:

1. Dispatch a Resicom technician to secure the stockroom door to it’s hinges.
2. Repairs needed to be completed as quickly as possible as the door is the only barrier between customers and the stock room.
3. Before and after photos must be submitted to the client by the deadline. 

Challenges

The constraints of the project include:

1. The nature of a an emergency work order dictates that technicians must arrive at the store with all necessary tools and repair items within 24 hours.  
2. When the technician arrives onsite and examines the problem, it is discovered that the door is not just off its hinges, but is also cracked down the middle.
3. The job evolves from a simple rehang to a complete overhaul repair of the door.
4. Client does not have any spec for wood and/or paint color of the door.

Solution

The Resicom technician needed to rely upon his expertise and training to evaluate the situation and then adjust the scope of execution.  Meeting the clients needs, to repair the door regardless of the physical problem, required Resicom’s ability to improvise and react quickly to unforeseen challenges.  

Our solution to this project included:

1. Technician gathers necessary information including measurements and door chip to match paint.  
2. Technician provides a temporary repair until replacement door is ready for install, and re-hinges cracked door so stock room is blocked from customers.   
3. Client is notified that the door needs to be replaced and submits quote for door fabrication and installation.  
4. Technician takes chip of door to a local hardware and paint store to match.
5. Replacement door is cut to size and painted to match original.
6. Door is transported to the store completely intact ready for hardware install.
7. Technician arrives at the retail location before they open in the morning, re-uses the same hinges and hardware and installs new door.
8. Old, broken door is removed and disposed off-site. 
9. Before and after photos are taken and sent to the client for approval.

Summary

In a perfect world, emergency work orders proceed smoothly and everything goes according to plan.  However, in facility maintenance there are often unexpected hiccups.  Service providers must be able to react quickly, and effectively revise a project scope to overcome unforeseen obstacles.   Resicom’s operations team drew upon their expertise and experience to assess the new situation.  Our client did not have to concern themselves that the work order would not be successfully executed simply because the specifications needed to be adjusted.  Resicom helps return normalcy to our clients by providing a level of confidence that challenges are being managed smartly. 

A retail client has high-quality, expensive furniture on a storefront porch.  The chairs needed to be secured to prevent shifting that not only disrupts the overall visual display, but also scratches and damages the floor.  Securing the expensive chairs in their proper location will also deter theft.  

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute the project includes:

1. Secure the furniture to the wood flooring.
2. Design a solution that meet’s the clients needs to be both visually appealing and cost effective.  
3. Complete 30 stores in 30 days once solution is determined and approved.
4. Each store has a set budget of 850 dollars. 

Challenges

The constraints of the project include:

1. Devising a restraint system for the furniture that is neither a tripping hazard nor visible. 
2. Scheduling 30 stores in 30 consecutive days, and factoring travel timelines as stores are located throughout the country.
3. Work must be completed overnight to minimize disruption to customers and staff. 
4. Target budget of $850 per store can not be exceeded. 
5. The product determined to secure the furniture is currently backordered.

Solution

In order to make this project a success, Resicom needed to not only execute the required maintenance, but first devise the creative solution to solve the client’s fixture challenge.

Our solution to this project included:

1. Installation of metal pegs into the legs of the chair and ottoman which are then anchored into the floor to prevent the chair from sliding and scraping.  
2. Once installed inside the chair legs, pegs are no longer visible.  
3. A tether is installed to help prevent theft.
4. A two man crew is scheduled to travel to all 30 stores assembled to travel the country to complete assembly.
5. Resicom contacted the parts supplier and arranged a pre-payment agreement to expedite prompt production and delivery.

Summary

Resicom was able to draw upon our team to develop a creative solution, and then field test a series of possibilities in our training/lab center to then provide thorough information so the client could choose the option that best fit their needs.  Resicom relies upon our method of standard, process, audit to compile the necessary information, process, and then communicated that knowledge into options.  Finding innovative solutions helps return normalcy (a level of confidence that challenges are being managed smartly) to our clients.