Q 1. Please give our readers an introduction to your business. Include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: TAB Atlanta Northwest is a business coaching & consultancy firm that provides business advisory services to small business in Northwest Atlanta, (including Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth and Roswell). Richard George is the founding partner of RG&B Consulting Services in Marietta. Established in 2010, RG&B empowers entrepreneurs to realize their full potential and develop their business to the next level of growth and profitability. RG&B provides business coaching and advisory services in the form of strategic planning, business development, product and or service marketing and succession planning. Additionally, Richard serves as a Business Coach and Board Facilitator for The Alternative Board (TAB), a national, membership based, peer advisory and business coaching organization that helps owners strategically manage and develop their businesses.
In serving the Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth and Roswell areas, Richard has identified a particular need for a proactive approach to strategic planning and business development within small businesses. By integrating strategic planning into his approach for business coaching and board facilitation he has introduced a level of accountability that does not typically exist within the confines of most small businesses today.
Q 2. Provide a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: Prior to founding RG&B, I had a progressive career with PFE International, a manufacturer of hardware and software mailing solutions. He started as a sales consultant in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States to develop the US market. He led the recruitment, development and expansion of the dealer network, and then served for 15 years as the CEO for North American operations. He was instrumental in growing the US market, both organically through the development of direct and indirect distribution channels and through acquisitions, while also serving as Executive Director of the parent company. I managed and directed the sale of PFE’s Global Operations to Neopost, and then became the VP, Distribution Strategy and Acquisitions for the Neopost organization in North America. In addition he developed the Neopost sales and distribution network in Central America and the Caribbean.
I have over 25 years of international and domestic business and leadership experience, working for private companies with direct ownership interest and publically traded companies. He has managed P&L’s, developed strategies to grow revenues and maximize profits, managed numerous acquisitions, developed business plans, strategic partnerships and built sales/marketing organizations. He has a unique talent for understanding the opportunities, challenges and needs of small to mid-size businesses.
What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
When I first started consulting I found myself travelling to clients both internationally and domestically, having travelled at least 3 weeks per month for so many years I made a conscious decision to localize my business activities. This started with the thought of buying an existing company, after several months of shopping and multiple do diligences I came across TAB through a networking contact, the light bulb went off when I could so easily relate to the TAB value proposition to business owners and the rest is history.
Q 3. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: (a) Don’t let the business run you,
(b) Find sanity in your P&L not vanity
(c) Be proactive not reactive
Q 4. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: (a) People
(b) Perseverance
(c) Patience
Q 5. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: 40
Q 6. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: I have always found a way t
o relate to people from all walks of life.
Q 7. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing? We have been successful because we do a better job than most on identifying the customers’ needs and exceeding their expectations in fulfilling those needs. Our most successful marketing is word of mouth from happy customers.
Ans: Without question, in this type of business word of mouth via client referrals is the most effective way of building a solid customer base.
Q 8. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: I personally funded the startup costs from my own savings.
Q 9. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Staying in touch with the needs of clients, and continuously developing solutions and/or services that meet and exceed those needs.
Q 10. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: Continuing to serve the needs of local business owners in the Atlanta area.
Q 11. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: Fundamentally critical, they are the foundation and super structure of every successful business.
Q 12. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: Having a clear vision for the type of relationship your business is going to build with its customers and making sure every employee understands their role in delivering that customer relationship and or experience.
Q 13. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: Successfully negotiating the sale of our firm’s global operations to our largest competitor and closing the deal after regulatory approval in four countries.
Q 14. How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans: In the first phase of my career; it meant long hours, constant travel and many weekends away. I missed many family events, but my new venture affords me the opportunity to make up for lost time.
Q 15. Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans: My grandfather was my greatest inspiration. He started his own company then brought his sons into the business. He was a people person that defined integrity and fairness.
Q 16. What makes you happy?
Ans: Seeing people develop and grow as a result of my endeavors.
Contact Detail :
Company : The Alternative Board Northwest Atlanta
Contact : Richard George
Address : 65 Gilmer Court
City : Acworth
State : GA
Zip : 30101
Phone : 770-917-1802
Email : rgeorge@tabatlantanw.com
