Helping you see the forest for the trees
Home What is the E-P system? Other FAQs The Forest About Blog		Frequently Asked Questions about the E-P System How was the E-P System developed? How is the E-P System different? How does it work? What does it cost? Who is qualified to become a client? Do you ever invest in client companies? Are you available to speak to our group? How was the E-P System developed? My name is John, and I'm a serial-entrepreneur. Since I started my first company in 1979, I've never had a "real" job. But as I started and grew one company after the other, I was frustrated by the lack of information about how to run a small company. Business books were too time consuming, MBA courses were not geared toward what I needed, and professionals were too narrow in their scope. Once I fired three CPA's in quick succession because I knew more than each of them about what I needed! So I muddled along - learning from what materials I could find useful and mostly from the school of hard knocks. In 1994, an ex-client said, "You ought to look into coaching, because you're a natural at it." I'd never heard of coaching (other than sports) but soon learned that it was becoming a new profession. So I got involved. Really involved. I was one of the first graduates and also on the advisory board of one of the largest coach training organizations - CoachU. I helped start, and was the third President of the International Coach Federation which now has over 7,000 members world-wide. And I was among the first to earn the credential MCC (Master Certified Coach). Along the way I started coaching entrepreneurs. The Extra-Preneur concept grew from my own experiences see the home page and what I learned as a coach and from helping clients nation-wide. It's become an organized way to analyze and improve the operations (and profits) in a small company without losing the flexibility and personal touch that gives small companies an edge over larger firms. I believe there is no better vehicle to getting what you want in life than running your own company. Where else do you get to choose what you do and where you do it, pick who you work with (and for), and when you work - all that plus you get to earn a living and have a vehicle to create real wealth. Yet many business owners find the process frustrating. They work long hours, doing stuff they don't like to do, not getting the returns they know they should be seeing. I developed the Extra-Preneur program to teach others what I wish someone had taught me as I grew my companies. Back to Top How is the E-P System different? I know, every unemployed "consultant" says their stuff is different. I don't know all of them, so I'll tell you what my work is based on. You decide if it's different. Two concepts: Art & Science The Four Focuses In a nutshell - Art & Science is the idea that some parts of a successful company can be analyzed and taught - that's the science. Some things can not - that's the art. Big companies are almost all science which is why they hire MBAs and can be boring to buy from. But the science of running a company has its place. In fact it has two places. The first is it keeps you out of trouble. Certain business truths (like more money comes in than goes out) fall into this category. You'd be surprised how many business "artiste" owners don't look at their numbers often enough and OOPS too much has gone out. The other place the science comes into play is when you grow. Entrepreneurs often say they are frustrated because they can't find good help. What they usually mean is that they can't find people who do it like they do without proper training (cuz you know that takes too long). And they're right. They can't. The trick is to figure out what is it you do and how to replicate that - even if you have to split it up among more than one person. And not only you but everyone must replicate their skills in the organization if it's to grow, and do so in a way that makes it easy to train others and to monitor performance. That takes a bit of science. But it's important that the science be applied such a way as to leave room for the art. By "art" I mean the personal touch, the risk taking, the serendipity, sychronicity, and just plain luck. If you squeeze out that, you loose 80% of the reasons people should spend their money with you. And you're not big enough to survive that. My distinctions of Art & Science parallel ones I just read about in an extract of a book by Bo Peabody called Lucky or Smart? Secrets to an Entrepreneurial Life The Four Focuses came from the fact that I found reading about business skills way too focused on each individual task, and not focused enough on the outcomes. What I came to realize when I started coaching other entrepreneurs; is that every business from WalMart to the corner bagel shop has to focus on the same four things. More about this on my page on The Grid The Ownership Focus - what do you want from this business at this time in your life? This focus helps develop what the company should look like to achieve your goals. It also deals with partnership issues. The Customer Focus - what do customers want from your company? This focus deals with producing something of value and connecting with customers who value it. Traditionally these areas are called manufacturing, marketing and sales. The Company Focus - what are the internal aspects that make your company profitable? These involve managing money, people, information and decisions. The Forward Focus - how do you continue into the future? What are the changes you need to adapt to and how do you handle the strategic functions. Beneath these four areas are about 30 identifiable systems that a company can use to grow. As an Extra-Preneur you'll need to know which of those systems you'll participate in and which ones you'll delegate to others. By systemizing them appropriately, you'll know how to train and monitor the people who are performing the work. The art comes in determining the right degree of detail for each system at each level of your company's growth. Too much and you have a top heavy bureaucracy, too little and your people don't have the support they need to really be productive. It's developing the right systems at the right time for each of the four focuses that combines the art and science in the Extra-Preneurial system. Back to Top How does the E-P System work? The short answer is, I come into your company about once a month (some months more, some less) and work with you, your direct reports and at times everyone in the company. We usually work one-on-one or in small groups and I do a combination of coaching, training, facilitation, and change management to reorganize your operation. When a visit ends, we jointly determine what you'll be working on before I return. Yes, homework! Between visits I'm available for emails or phone calls to you and your staff as things come up. You personally might not be needed all day when I'm there, but in addition to our time together, plan on spending a few hours each week (at least) working on what we're covering. If you don't see dramatic changes in 3-6 months, either you'll fire me, or I'll fire you for not being committed to the program. Usually after 18 -24 months one of the following has happened: · You've achieved what you set out to accomplish and don't need me anymore. But you continue to refer business my way when people ask you how you became so successful so quickly [GRIN]. · You've moved to a whole new level, started a new company or something where it makes sense to start the process over with new goals, new employees etc. · We scale back our involvement and you continue to use me as a sounding board. This can be done with scheduled phone meetings as well as face-to-face. The longer answer involves a detailed look at what you and any other owners want from running your company. From this we determine what the company needs to look like to give you what you want. We also work on any partnership issues. Then we map that against a list of 25-30 systems that each company needs and determine which ones are doing well in your company, which need improvement and which are in crisis. Our game plan evolves from this mapping. In addition to my personal involvement as described above, you and your staff will have access to use my assessments, forms, templates and other tools to use in your company. These help provide: · Better communications within your company and between your company and customers, suppliers, and regulatory agencies · Actual, scaleable systems in your company · Documented work flows and job descriptions that can be used for hiring, training, and evaluation · Improved skill sets such as time management, decision making, running a meeting, delegation · The right measurements, reports and analysis that tell you what you want to know, when you need to know it without wasting time. It's too long to detail here but I'm happy to talk with you over the phone. If it sounds interesting to you and you sound like a potential client to me then I'll come out and do a presentation at your location. The presentation will be quite educational, even if we decide not to work together. I don't charge for that benefit but I do require that all the owners and decision makers be together and uninterrupted. That way I can keep it to short and get you back to work. Plan on 90 minutes. It may take less. Back to Top What does the E-P System cost? Prices start at $1,000 and range up to about 60K. Why do people pay it? Same reason they pay for your products - they get more value than it cost them. I won't take you on if I don't think there's the potential return of at least 3 times what you're spending. Obviously, you won't hire me if you don't think so too. After I've met with you and the other decision makers I'll have a better idea of how fast you want to move, how far you have to go, and how involved the work will be at your company. At that point we'll agree on a monthly fee of between $1,000 and 5,000. Your commitment is to pay that much every month for access to the system. My commitment is to give you as much time as required to apply the system in your organization. Some months you'll be seeing a lot of me, and some months less. Some clients have even requested months where I don't come it at all. But the charge is the same. You are not paying for my time. You are paying for the value of the Extra-Preneurial System. I believe if a certain development takes 5 minutes rather than 5 hours or 5 weeks, it's more valuable. I organize my visits, my forms and assessments, and the homework I give around that principle: Less time, More value. There is no long-term commitment. Either of us can fire the other with 30 days notice. I don't want clients who aren't being successful and you don't want to pay me if it's not working out. I have 2 other services: Phone coaching at $750 per month and a Devil's Advocate Session. The Devil's Advocate is a one-time session where I'll review your business ideas and spend a couple of hours with you (either in my office or on the phone). I'll put on my horns and pointy tail and play the role of guess who? I'll ask you tough questions, expose hidden assumptions and generally put your plan through it's paces. They say "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger." If you can get through my tough questions, you'll know you've got what it takes. At the end of our time together, as you go forward, you'll have a much clearer idea of what you need to do to succeed. The cost for this is $500. It's great for start-ups as well as "What If" kinds of ideas. Back to Top Who is qualified to become a client? A company that has: · Between 5 and 50 employees · Proven response to their products in the market · Potential that they haven't been able to realize · A frustrated owner I rarely work with start-ups, because there usually hasn't been a proven market response to your product and most start-ups don't have the resources of time and money to commit to the program. If you think your start-up is the exception, give me a call or email. Back to Top Do you ever invest in client companies? Sometimes. Of course, that changes our relationship. I'm no longer working just for you. So the chemistry has to be right. Being business partners is a lot like getting married - except there's less sex, and it's more costly go get out of. And I like to be an involved partner - not just a source of funds. I would need to see potential for economic return (obviously) but beyond that I'd need to see "coachability". This means I'd need to know you well enough to see that there's a fit between your personal goals and your role in the business. And that you're willing to try different actions, different roles, and different approaches to achieve different results than you've been getting. Entrepreneurs who've always done it the same way and don't want to change can be successful but won't benefit from my involvement. Back to Top Are you available to speak to our group? Yes. My favorites are half or full day small workshops with up to 20 people where we can work on specific problems or opportunities the participants are facing. I can also give keynotes ranging from 45 - 90 minutes and break-out sessions ranging from 1 - 2 hours. My topics include How to become an Extra-Preneur (what did you expect?) or any of the systems Extra-Preneurs utilize to run their companies. My fees range from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on time and location. Call or email me and we'll discuss details. Back to Top
© 1999-2004 John Seiffer. The Small Business Coach, Inc. 51 Ironworks Hill Rd. Brookfield, CT 06804 Phone: 203-775-6676   email: john@sbcoach.com