• Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Coleman Center is holding its first event in Naperville!

Are you trying to figure out how to make your business less dependent on you? Wish you could spend more time managing people and generating new business rather than doing the work? Wonder if you could take a real vacation while the business continues to operate smoothly? These are all questions faced by owners of growing businesses, who at some point must "let go" of their day-to-day operations to position their firms for further growth and success.

This panel discussion will feature the following topics:
• Specific processes and activities that owners of growing businesses can and should systemize
• How to document operations, training plans, employees policies, and other business processes
• Finding the right person to perform critical tasks (and then not micro-managing the employee)

Confirmed Panelists

Kevin Colbert
Kevin is the owner of Colbert Custom Framing, a chain of three stores in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Starting as a single location in 1996, two new stores and a warehouse were added by 2001. Kevin credits this growth to a focus on process management, effective use of technology, and practical marketing. In 2002 he was the recipient of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award, and received the AABE Award for Retail 2003 from the Suburban Business Ledger. Additionally, Colbert Custom Framing was named one of the top four family businesses in the State of Illinois in 2004 by Loyola University. Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University.

Bob Hursthouse
Bob is President of Hursthouse Landscape Architects & Contractors in Bolingbrook. After ten years of working as a landscape architect, Bob used his insight and experience to start Hursthouse with his wife Robbi. By connecting the company's designs to what makes clients happiest in their daily lives, building a supportive and balanced work environment, and always going the extra mile to deliver outstanding results, Bob has championed the success of Hursthouse from day one. He continually takes and teaches courses, has been president and a highly active member of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), and has won numerous community and industry awards, including ILCA Man of the Year. Bob earned his degree in plant and soil sciences with a specialization in landscape design at Southern Illinois University.

Dan Ross
Dan is Co-owner of Essence Photo & Video located in Schaumburg and Warrenville. During college he opened his first company, and by graduation had a profitable wedding business with eight employees. After a seven year career in enterprise software sales, Dan went back to his entrepreneurial roots and founded Essence in 2003. Today, Essence is Chicagoland's third largest wedding photography and video company, with plans to grow in 2008 and 2009 by more than doubling its locations and volume. Dan earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University.

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