An Advisory Board Can Help Your Business

If you’re like me – a small business owner with minimal staff – no doubt there are times when you wish you had someone to bounce an idea off of or help you through a difficult decision. If this is the case, you could benefit by forming an advisory board.

Let me suggest several benefits that derive from meeting regularly with a group of individuals for the purpose of obtaining advice:

Unbiased perspective. Often the small business owner can't see the forest for the trees; they are too caught up in the day-to-day operations of their company. Given the proper information, a good advisory board can often see things that the businessperson can't or doesn't want to see.
Experience pool. If members are selected wisely, you will have a collective experience that surpasses your own. Oftentimes, though their industry may be different, they will have ‘been there, done that’ and be able to offer insight how you might handle a problem or tough decision. I call this benefit wisdom.
Encouragement and support. It is likely your board members will be serving because they value your relationship and desire your success. Just showing up – not to mention the advice they give, can be a tremendous encouragement. Depending on your board, it may not be unusual to get a call during the quarter, checking in on you and offering helpful comments or other suggestions.
Accountability. I'm a firm believer in accountability - it is, perhaps, the number one reason I’ve had an advisory board (in one form or another) for over twenty-five years. Being accountable to someone other than myself affects the decisions I make and the actions I take. It helps keep me honest, in check and on track. And for most small business owners, this is critical.

Who should serve? At one point, needing advice for selecting 1-2 new individuals to serve on my board, I asked one long-standing member (who also had an advisory board) what criteria I should use in selecting candidates. Here are some of the highlights of that discussion – along with a few things I've learned over 20 years:

If they are business owners, their company should be larger or more profitable than yours
Avoid lawyers, accountants and bankers - you already have relationships with these people and can obtain the information you need when you need it
They should represent a cross-section of general industry – not just yours
They should possess expertise in areas that you are deficient in
They should be willing to serve for less than what their time is worth
They should have a sincere interest in seeing your company succeed

Notice I've said they should be paid. For sure, the financial pressures of small business are huge, but when weighed against the wealth of information and experience to be had from an advisory board, the cost is minimal. What is the right amount? That is between you and your potential candidates, but the compensation should reflect the value you place on their time, given your means.

When should you meet? I recommend quarterly, because it is often enough for your members to stay in tune with your business and its unique challenges. Not only that, in most small companies there are always issues to be addressed and if you only meet once or twice a year, it is difficult to get the help you need when you need it.

What should you look for and where do you find these people? Although every company is different, there are key areas common to most: finance, marketing/sales, operations, HR, and systems/management. I suggest that you build a board that, at least collectively, will provide the needed expertise in these and other critical fields.

I found the best way to build a board is through the relationships in the marketplace I already have. For a new start-up, however, the owner might ask other, more established owners or solicit names through the local chamber of commerce or an industry association.

There’s a proverb that says, “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” I believe an advisory board is just what the small businessperson needs to help ensure their corporate success.

Three Keys to Prospering in Your Work

By Terry Hart • January 13, 2023

“And every work that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:21). There are here in this one verse three keys to prospering in your work. One, whatever you do should be in accordance with the word of God. God’s will is revealed in his word; it is to be found in no other place. I realize the Bible does not tell us whether we should be a carpenter or a financial advisor, a realtor or a nurse, but it does tell us to do what we do as unto the Lord. So if what you are doing can be so done, it is well and good as far as God is concerned. Better yet, find out what God wants you to do, and do that. I teach that a person should get a word from God as to his occupation. It could be that God puts a certain thing on your heart, to be and do such and such a thing. This is also good in God’s sight, as he gives us the desires of our hearts. He is in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. That said, let it be “in accordance with the law and the commandments.” Two, seek God. He is a rewarder of them that seek him. Jesus taught, “seek and you shall find.” Having sought God as to what he wants you to do, keeping seeking him as to how to do it. This is a never ending endeavor. There is a verse in Scripture that goes like this: “As long as he sought the Lord, he prospered” (see 2 Chronicles 26:5). So if you are seeking God and prospering, if you want to continue to do so, keep seeking God. Three, do what you do with all your heart. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). What is to be noticed here is who you are working for. You may think you are working for the government, or the auto-maker, or the real-estate broker. Or, if you are self-employed or own your own business, that you work for yourself. The Christian, however, is to work for the Lord. Verse 24 of this same book and chapter says, “You are serving the Lord Christ.” So, if you think a half-hearted approach to your job pleases the Lord, then go for it. Otherwise, you had better up your game. There is another verse in Ecclesiastes that addresses how you work. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (9:10). In other words, in everything you do, whatever it is—your job, your service to your family or church, or even mundane things like mowing the yard or shoveling snow, give it all you have. Do it as for Jesus, as this greatly pleases him. It should be apparent, then, that if you wish to prosper, be applying these principles. And if you want to keep on prospering, don’t let up. I have found that after enjoying a measure of success, it is easy to ease off on the intensity with which you approach your work. Jesus says it best when speaking about prayer: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. The key words here being “keep on.” The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

What Goes into the Cost of a Paint Job

By T.L. Hart • December 8, 2020

While you can get your property painted for just about any amount, hiring a reputable commercial painting contractor will ensure you get a quality end-product with a firm that stands behind its work. To provide this, there are three cost-factors that go into a good commercial contractor’s price: labor, materials, and profit.

Keep Your Commercial Property Watertight

By T.L. Hart • November 12, 2020

Moisture is among your commercial property’s greatest enemies. Wind-driven rain, leaky gutters and downspouts, old, deteriorated caulk or glazing, plus improperly painted substrates are all factors in moisture penetration. The result of water getting into unwanted places include peeling paint, damaged substrates, and—worse yet, mold and mildew. This is why you want to keep your commercial building waterproofed. While no one can prevent unwanted weather, and leaky gutters and downspouts are outside the scope of this article, proper preparation and a good quality paint job can go a long way in preventing moisture penetration. The following will contribute to a watertight building: Caulking. It is surprising how much damage a little water can do and how small an area allowing access will allow a lot of water in. Gaps in building materials, open joints, holes, plus splits and cracks may seem insignificant, but they’re a major entry point for moisture. This is easily solved by installing a good quality caulk. Since building components vary, caulks vary as well. They can be as simple as latex caulk, acrylic, siliconized acrylic, polyurethane, butyl, and pure silicone. The key is to seal up points of entry. Painting. Your commercial building is properly painted when all the paintable substrates have an adequate and cumulative amount of coating on them. I say adequate and cumulative as typically one coat of paint applied too thin will typically not do the job. Every substrate, that needs to be protected from moisture penetration, must have the right amount of millage installed. The proper mill thickness can be found in the manufacturer’s product data sheet (PDS). Of particular concern are those commercial buildings comprised of concrete masonry units (CMUs), or block. Concrete block is extremely porous, and unless coated properly will allow a huge amount of water into the walls of your building. The most important aspect of waterproofing a masonry building is filling the pores of the CMU. This is done by applying a block-filler as a first coat, with no more than ten pin-holes (the pore) per square foot. Once this is achieved, a good quality topcoat of any sort will provide water tightness. Best for CMUs are elastomeric coatings. These are rubber-based paints that, once dry, form an impenetrable rubber film over the substrate, and are the best for preventing moisture penetration—even wind-driven rain. Another advantage to elastomeric coatings is that they expand and contract, and will actually bridge small cracks in the masonry that may develop over time. There are other options for waterproofing—actual waterproofing sealers, stains, and cementitious coatings, all of which we have applied over our 36 years in business. In summary, to keep your commercial building looking good and free of moisture damage, keep it sealed up and make sure it is properly painted. Here at T. L. Hart, Inc. our goal is to ensure your commercial property is always in excellent condition. Our team of professional painters stands ready to keep moisture out of your property. Contact us today to request a quote.