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Ian Nairn / January 23, 2025

Featured in Wood River Weekly: Continuous Improvement


Originally Posted On: Wood River Weekly

By Mike McKenna

It’s pretty easy to get apathetic about almost anything in life, especially things like our daily duties for work. That’s why most of us follow the simple motto: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—even if it isn’t running very smoothly or cost-efficiently.”

That’s where the continuous improvement theory comes in handy. It’s a process of regularly evaluating your business or nonprofit to find ways to improve and reduce wasted effort, resources and, most importantly, money.

“If you don’t continuously try to improve, any process will start to degrade,” John Rumasuglia said, and he should know.

John spent his career as a consultant in the manufacturing and supply-chain industry, helping improve efficiency and costs.

“I have a passion for any process-type stuff. I really enjoy making things streamlined, taking out waste in a good way,” he said.

John grew up in Boston. After serving in the Navy, he spent 30 years working in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area.

One year, John and his wife, Pauline, came to Hailey to visit a friend and instantly connected with the place. They soon came back for another visit and Idaho really got ahold of them, so they bought a cabin at Smiley Creek that they owned for nearly 20 years.

When it came time to retire, John and Pauline began traveling around the Mountain West looking for a new place to call home. But nothing they visited compared to their feelings for Idaho.

“Nothing beats Sun Valley, “ John said.

So they decided to build a home in Hailey, but retirement didn’t really sit well with John. He wanted to do more and become active in our community. That’s what led him to Schooley Mitchell.

Schooley Mitchell is the largest independent cost-reduction consulting firm in North America. It’s basically a company that helps other companies of all sizes focus on continuous improvement. It was just up John’s alley.

“I like working, but wanted to do something different, something that can help me be part of the community and make a difference,” John said.

The Schooley Mitchell system is pretty simple. Basically, they come in and assess and track all the costs of doing business (like telecom, software, waste, shipping, processing fees, etc.) and figure out where they can save money. There are no up-front costs; Schooley Mitchell only takes a percentage of the savings they find and create. And those saving can be large. Most businesses or nonprofits can reduce costs by an average of 28%, or more than $10,000 or more in benefits annually.

“People don’t even realize they’re being overcharged or that there are other options. That’s where we can help,” John said. “We can help them save money that usually goes out of our town and keep it here in our community.”

By helping locals focus on continuous improvement, John can fulfill his goal.
“I want to make a difference for small businesses and nonprofits in the Wood River Valley,” John said. When asked what the “catch” was, he simply replied, “I get to feel good about how I helped our community.”

Find out more by contacting John at (208) 266-5252 or [email protected].

Ian Nairn / January 20, 2025

Beyond Rockets Podcast Feature

Clark Dunn started the Beyond Rockets podcast in 2019 as a way to meet and interview local small business owners and share their stories.

Since August of 2023, Clark has rebranded Beyond Rockets as a Podcast Management Company. He works with a variety of industries here in Huntsville to help them launch, manage, and promote their podcast within their organization.

Ian Nairn / January 16, 2025

Blue Boxer Plumbing, Loyal as your best friend

Blue Boxer Plumbing is a family-owned business that started with founder Keith Owens’ service-industry background. Working in different contracting fields from the age of 16, Keith gravitated towards plumbing because of the joy it brings him. The company has grown to include several highly-skilled plumbers with a combined experience of over 70 years. Aside from the great workmanship and skill, what differentiates Blue Boxer from other companies, is their customer service.

In plumbing, a high-quality job doesn’t just come down to the skill of the worker, but also the quality of the materials, and Blue Boxer carefully choses the best materials and tools and for each client and job. However, as in all trades, sometimes an issue may arise, and this is where the team at Blue Boxer truly proves their commitment to their customers’ satisfaction. “When somebody calls, it’s addressed immediately,” says Keith. “Every concern is a major concern. We don’t categorize them into minor problems and larger problems. If it’s a customer’s issue, it’s going to be addressed.”
Because of this mindset, Blue Boxer often gets compliments from customers about how courteous their staff members are. From putting down drop-cloths in homes to removing shoes or wearing booties, they take pride in the way they treat their customers with respect. And no job is done until the work area has been thoroughly cleaned.

This high-level of customer service starts with the very first interaction the customer has with Blue Boxer. Keith’s wife Kathleen, the Office Manager and co-owner, is the first person a customer speaks to when they call the office. She enjoys getting to know their customers, identifying their issue, and assigning the project to a staff member in the field. Even if a call or email comes in after hours, the request is addressed promptly. Keith’s cell phone number is listed on the Blue Boxer website so that customers can contact him directly in emergency situations.

Emergencies tend to occur pretty frequently in the world of plumbing. The way Blue Boxer handles those situations, especially when something goes wrong (even if it’s out of their control) is what really sets them apart. Keith told a story about a brand-new water heater that went out on New Year’s Eve, one day after it was installed “the supplier and distributor were giving me a hard time about the unit, so I went out and purchased another water heater and installed it. Any other company would have just left it and let the customer just not have hot water. Whatever it takes, we make it right.”

Keith and Kathleen enjoy their work because they get to interact with people, learn about their backgrounds, share common interests, and hear stories. With that kind of desire to develop relationships with their customers, coupled with impeccable work and customer service, it’s no wonder that Blue Boxer Plumbing is one of the most sought-after plumbing companies in Central New Jersey and continues to grow.

Blue Boxer Plumbing Website

Blue Boxer Plumbing Facebook

Ian Nairn / January 14, 2025

Testimonial Letter from Milestone Realty

To whom it may concern,

I would like to take this opportunity to share my outstanding experience working with Shannon Mischler of Schooley Mitchell. We engaged Shannon to audit our waste disposal, phone, internet, software licenses, and facility supply expenses. What initially appealed to us was the no-risk opportunity to find savings, and we were more than happy to sign a service agreement.

As a realtor, property management company owner, and the founder of Skyline Recovery—a nonprofit organization that assists people in their transition to their full potential by offering safe housing and a supportive environment—reducing operating costs is paramount to my work. Shannon’s expertise and dedication to cost reduction played a crucial role in our success.

Shannon is a stellar client relations specialist who goes above and beyond to find cost reduction solutions. Her team’s innovative approach and meticulous analysis of our expenses allowed us to uncover savings we hadn’t even considered. I was thrilled when Shannon came back to me with a detailed report, revealing that Schooley Mitchell had identified savings in our waste disposal, phone, and internet services. This newfound budget flexibility will greatly benefit our organization.

Shannon’s unwavering commitment didn’t stop there. She continued to go the extra mile, conducting a thorough review of our software licenses and facility supply setup. Schooley Mitchell confirmed that these expenses were already fully optimized, providing us with confidence and peace of mind that our budget is allocated to what truly matters.

Overall, my experience with Shannon’s services was extremely positive. Shannon’s dedication, professionalism, and passion for her work ensure that clients receive top-notch service and meaningful savings. I highly recommend any business or organization utilize their services, as Shannon’s ability to go above and beyond is truly remarkable.

Sincerely,
Myles Mazzanti
Owner, Milestone Realty & Founder, Skyline Recovery

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Ian Nairn / January 14, 2025

Congratulations on the purchase of your new business… now what?

Congratulations on the purchase of your new business… now what?

You’ve spent months working with a number of financial and business advisors and you have finally completed the purchase of a new business.

You begin to assess the current state of the business on a more detailed level, trying to find ways to increase your overall profit. You will review things like the current product offering/pricing, marketing plans, sales team, etc.

What about your business expenses?

How do you know if previous ownership optimized their expenses? How do you know if previous ownership kept vendors out of a sense of loyalty or because they had always done things a certain way?

In my experience, many business owners stay with their current vendors because of a sense of loyalty. Over time they have formed professional and sometimes personal relationships with their vendor sales reps. They will say that the vendor has “always been good to them” and this familiarity can breed complacency when it comes to cost.

Another reason that many business owners stay with their current vendors is an aversion to change. There is a fear of trying something new and different, even if it would benefit the business.

Here are some real-life quotes that I have heard when talking to business owners about vendors:

“I have been using the same vendor and sales rep for almost 20 years; I have never really thought about making a change.”

“Patty has been handling our purchasing for over 10 years. I am sure that Patty is doing a good job and I don’t want to upset the apple cart.”

“My brother-in-law works for our vendor and I cannot really make a change without causing family issues.”

“My employee told me that there is no other vendor that can do what our current vendor does for us.”

A vendor audit is a great way to know if your business expenses are optimized, as it will answer the following questions for each cost area that is reviewed:

  • What is the current cost structure and how does it compare to the marketplace?
  • Are there any billing issues or errors that have been missed or ignored?
  • Are there products or services that are being paid for but are redundant or simply not being used?
  • Are there any process or procedural changes that would help reduce your business expenses?

Why not take a fresh look at the vendors being used in your new business?

With Schooley Mitchell, vendor audits are always risk and cost-free. If you would like to talk about a vendor audit, please reach out to me at [email protected]