Easter baskets, and parties throughout passionate I am and usually call me for and Helen Schwab Foundation.
the year. an estimate or refer me to a company And she implemented three strategies
Knowing that it costs a good deal looking for a cleaning service.” that have helped her expand her
of time and money to hire and train Her dedication to networking has growing business in today’s economy.
replacement employees, Luyk also resulted in other benefits, as well. “When
focuses on hiring the right team I first started networking, I didn’t know No. 1
Market and network.
“We will continue to
members in the first place. “With anyone,” she says. “But I listened to network and market to prospective
the customer’s satisfaction in mind, people’s advice and learned from their clients year-round, regardless of how
I take the job of hiring, training, and past mistakes. The people I’ve met have busy we are,” she says.
supervising our employees very seriously.” helped me grow as a businesswoman.”
She subjects potential employees to No. 2
Expand geographi-
cally. “Opening a
thorough background checks, including
go with your gut
second office in Cleveland has provided
reviews of their driving records. “If
Kris Putnam-Walkerly knows what
us with access to new markets not only
I have any concerns, they are not hired,”
it’s like to help others. She is the founder
in Cleveland, but in the entire state of
says Luyk, who also requires one
and president of Putnam Community
Ohio, as well as major cities such as
month of intense, on-the-job training.
Investment Consulting Inc., an
Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia.”
After all, as the name implies,
Oakland, Calif., company that helps
Midnight Janitorial starts work when
private businesses and community No. 3
Reinvest in the
business. Putnam-
many of its clients are leaving to go
foundations to develop grant-making Walkerly has beefed up her firm’s Web
home. So it’s important for customers programs and initiatives. She has advised site, hired additional employees, and
to trust Luyk and her employees. foundations on proposals and programs made technological upgrades. Now
To Luyk, developing trust and from $10,000 to $14 million and served her firm is able to operate more effectively
providing excellent customer service as consulting program officer for The and efficiently, which frees her to
mean giving out her home telephone California Endowment and the Charles focus on business development and
number, just in case. client relations.
“If there is a problem, “We are also confident that
it is taken care of since our business survived the
immediately,” she says. last economic downturn, we
Further, when new can survive this one,” Putnam-
employees sign Walkerly says. “In 2003, the
on with Midnight ripple effects of the dot-com
Janitorial, they’re ‘bust’ and stock market
given a thank-you gift. decline began impacting the
And the personal philanthropic industry. At
attention doesn’t that time I had just made
stop there. Luyk also the decision to hire my first
schedules regular visits employee. A week before I
to talk with customers was to make a job offer all
and inspect their of our potential consulting
buildings, and she contracts dried up, and I
sends customers a realized I had absolutely
follow-up thank-you no business or income.”
note for their time. Putnam-Walkerly hesitated
But it’s Luyk’s but hired the employee
approach to finding anyway. “I paid her out of
new customers that my savings for three months
sets her apart from and put her to work imple-
her competition: She menting a new marketing
doesn’t advertise. “All plan. Business came back
of my business comes one contract at a time, and this
from current clients former employee now regularly
or people I have met refers new clients to us.”
networking,” she says. If you want to thrive in
“I meet people, and we today’s business environment,
talk about how I treat
kRiS PUtnam-walkERly
you have to listen carefully
sometimes simple is best.
my employees and my
putnam-walkerly stuck with a
to your instincts, she says.
belief in customer
three-part plan and her instincts
Robert Gluck can be
service. They see how to beat this recession. reached at robg@hazleton.net
growingwealthmag.com I Growing Wealth I July 08 I 57
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