Fire Sprinkler Industry - Best Practices

2009 Fire Sprinkler Industry Perspectives Report:

A Review of Current and Anticipated Conditions for

Fire Sprinkler Contractors in the United States and Canada

Published by FSI Best Practices

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December, 2009

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the first annual FSI Industry Perspectives Report (IPR).

So, why did we write this? And why should you read it? After all, there are many different types of data that fire sprinkler contractors can turn to. There are many economic forecasts. There are proven indicators of construction trends – and contractors can get an accurate view of the volume of business generated by sprinkler manufacturers.

But for some time, our board – and many participants in the Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices Community – have had the feeling that we need just a little more: a little more data, a little more chance to understand what others in the industry are thinking and feeling – and a little more opportunity to develop business perspectives.

We wanted to ask the questions that Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices users told us they wanted to know: What issues are likely to have the greatest impact on contractor performance over the next 12-months?

Frankly, we hesitated because our budget is as tight as yours. In the end, we decided to take a low-key approach. We developed a survey and made it available to any contractor in the US and Canada.

We received dozens of responses. While the results don't have the same predictability as a Gallup survey – for example, we didn't use scientific techniques to arrive at a random sample – the results were, nonetheless, interesting and insightful.

I would call our results “a good start”. Early readers and reviewers have told us that the information was useful as they anticipated 2010 – one of our goals. And we've learned a good deal about this approach that we'll be able to use in future years.

Please read on with our compliments – and accept my personal wishes for a prosperous 2010.

Kent Mezaros

Chair, Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices

The 2009 IPR: Starting Perspectives

The Rationale

2009 was the inaugural year for the Fire Sprinkler Industry Perspectives Report. The report had three objectives:

Gather “perspectives” of fire sprinkler contractors
Experiment with data gathering techniques
Provide information at year end as an additional source of business planning information for contractors

The Method

FSI developed a concise online survey intended to gather feedback from fire sprinkler contractor industry participants in three distinct areas:

Demographics of respondents
Contractors’ business outlook for 2010
Contractors’ responses and priorities regarding a range of pre-selected topics.

A study team of FSI staff members mailed – and emailed - invitations to over 2,000 fire sprinkler industry contractor representatives across North America.

For various reasons, including participant confidentiality, the total number of respondents to this survey will remain confidential – but responses exceeded data gathering standards for similarly formatted research efforts in other industries.

Disclaimers and Caveats

It is important to remember that the 2009 FSI Industry Perspectives Report is not intended to be a scientifically accurate or statistically relevant report. However, the staff and initial readers and reviewers believe that the results accurately express the views and concerns of participating contractors and their employees. Further, the results serve as a sound data point for gauging issues affecting the industry.

The 2009 IPR: Participants by the Numbers

Study participants represented a broad cross-section of the fire sprinkler contractor population.

Participants by Position

Although participation was open to all types of owners or employees in contractor organizations, survey takers skewed towards senior levels of firms.

Percentage of Population	Title
64.00%	Company owners or Presidents
20.00%	Senior Executives or High Level Professionals (e.g. Finance or HR Exectuves, General Counsel, etc.)
11.00%	Division Managers
11.00%	Middle Managers
5.00%	Professionals (e.g. Finance, HR, etc.)

Participants by Geographic Region

To preserve confidentiality, participants are categorized by broad geographic regions of the US and Canada. US survey takers exceeded the number from Canada.

Percentage of Population	Stated Business Location
26.00%	Great Lakes (US) Region
18.00%	Southeastern US
14.00%	Northeast US
14.00%	Northwest US
9.00%	Midwest/Great Plains US
4.00%	Western Provinces of Canada
1.00%	Eastern Provinces of Canada
1.00%	Middle Provinces of Canada

Participants by Estimated Sales

Participants were also asked to estimate their 2009 revenues in US Dollars (USD).

Percentage of Population	Estimated 2009 Sales
33.00%	Greater than USD $20 Million
23.00%	Between USD $6 - $20 million
33.00%	Between $1 and $5 million
10.00%	Less than $1 million.

Other Indicators

Revenue Mix – The vast majority, 93% of responding firms, reported revenue from sprinkler installations as a primary revenue source. A significant majority also reported revenue from remodeling (90%) and , 88% reported revenue from sprinkler service and inspections (88%).

About a third (37%) reported revenue from other fire protection disciplines such as fire alarms or extinguishers. A small percentage (10%) reported revenue from plumbing and heating activities.

Form of Ownership – An overwhelming majority, 87%, were structured as various forms of private companies; 13% were subsidiaries of larger companies.

Labor Relationships – About two thirds of respondents (65%) were union contractors, while 35% were merit shop contractors.

The 2010 Outlook

No one has a crystal ball – but having some sense of how fire sprinkler contractors view the future can help when planning for the coming year. Thus, we wanted to know how respondents viewed business potential for 2010. , and how they planned to approach the New Year from a strategic perspective.

The Revenue Outlook: A Mixed Bag

Read a cross-section of economic and business information from the construction trades and you'd assume that virtually all North American contractors would face a tough 2010. For about a quarter of contractors (24%) the outlook is more positive with projections to increase year to year sales over 2009. Of those, 11% estimate increases greater than 10%.

Far more common though were those who anticipated contraction. Fully 49% of all respondents projected revenues for 2010 would be 80% or less of 2009 levels.

Of those, 26% projected declines of up to 10% from 2009 levels.

Managing the Future

The dominant mood among contractors is “wait and see”. Only 1% planned an exit from business. Although about a fifth of respondents (19%) anticipated budget and personnel cuts, almost 70% (69%) of respondents stated that they would neither expand nor contract operations. Most indicated that they were actively working to maintain current staffing levels if at all possible.

On the other hand, almost a quarter (23%) reported plans to expand personnel counts at current or new operating locations. Another 6% were planning to acquire other businesses.

Note that because some respondents made more than a single selection, results total greater than 100%.

Business Priorities

We were anxious to learn what contractors were thinking in several specific areas, and whether these would be priorities in 2010. The topics we wanted to learn more about included: CPVC usage; receivables management; information technology planning; expansion or contraction of current operations; expansion into new service markets; e-commerce and website development; association memberships; opportunities from Federal economic stimulus; risk management efforts; insurance costs, and trends in contractual risk transfer.

Listed below are summaries of the most interesting results gained from survey data:

81% of all respondents expressed concern over potential for liability claims resulting from CPVC use. However, only 27% indicated that they might limit future use of the product.
Not surprisingly, 65% of all respondents foresee longer waiting times to collect receivables in 2010.
35% of all respondents indicate that their firms will make investments in information technology over the next year. There was no meaningful disparity between responses from companies of different sizes, indicating that both small and large companies will be further developing their IT strengths.
35% of all respondents felt that their current websites are adequate as marketing vehicles. Generally, dissatisfaction was greatest among smaller-sized companies, although some larger firms also indicated needs for improvement.

43% of all responding firms indicated plans to expand their range of service offerings over the next 12-months. These results were fairly evenly spread across all company sizes. While by themselves the data are not conclusive, it is reasonable to assume that more and more fire sprinkler contracting companies of all sizes are seeing value in offering multiple lines of service.
91% of all respondents indicated a moderate to strong belief in the value of their industry associations. The only responses that countered this view were from smaller companies, most with sales of less than $1 million.

36% of all respondents indicated a belief that they would realize business development from the 2009 Economic Recovery Act. 34% disagreed, and 30% held no opinion. While most of those who responded positively were larger firms, several in the $1 - $5 million range also expressed optimism that the Act would result in additional business opportunity.

· 69% of all contractors believe that liability coverage costs are going to increase. 54% already have processes in place for assessing risks and evaluating loss causes that lead to actions that reduce insurance costs, and 55% are actively working to measure all possible costs of risk, including premiums, losses and administrative expenses, expressed as percentages of revenue. Based on collected data, only the smallest firms are finding it difficult to assess and evaluate loss causes.

· 73% of all respondents indicate a solid belief that efforts to transfer risk from customers to contractors via contract documents are increasing.

Our Turn: Observations & Analysis About 2010

There's an old saying about opinions: the short, edited version amounts to this - everybody has one. We encourage you to use this data to draw your own conclusions.

You can explore detailed results in the accompanying Appendix section of this report for some interesting - and in some cases challenging - perspectives on the state of fire sprinkler contracting and service operations for the next 12 months.

Here's ours: We attempted to consider the survey results in context with available economic forecast data, written commentary from commercial real estate industry veterans and financial professionals.

First, we believe that market conditions will remain challenging for most US and Canadian contractors for most of next year. Second, we believe that there are three important implications that would be valuable for most contractors to consider when planning for 2010 and beyond.

Implication One: Need for New Services - Generally speaking, firms of all sizes that have relied primarily on new construction installations-based revenues will find that business as usual won't work. Instead, firms that look to survive 2010 will need to develop and emphasize new product or service offerings. Note to Website Readers: Want more information about developing new services? – Cllick here to read more.

Implication Two: Watch the Insurance Market Carefully – Currently, low liability insurance rates are expected to begin rising. This will occur, for many, while gross revenues are also declining. Improved abilities to reduce liability exposure (beyond natural decreases as result of lower sales) may prove to be vital in maintaining necessary insurance coverage. They will also be useful tools for reducing expenses resulting from liability-related incidents. Note to Website Readers: You can access additional perspectives on the pending insurance hard market – Click here to read more.

Implication Three: Keep in Touch With Technology - Fully one-third of all respondents stated that they will make information technology investments during the next 12-months. However, this is not the time for expanded capital budgets or sweeping changes to technology infrastructure. Instead, the highest and most valuable returns on investment will occur when firms focus on incremental upgrades. Note to Website Readers: Tackling technology? Click here for more thoughts on getting technology bang for the buck – Click here to read more.

What Now?

The best get better. That's the essence of Best Practices.

That's why FSI Best Practices has placed priority on how the Industry Perspectives Report can be used to provide another indicator to monitor the pulse of the industry.

Accordingly, as an industry-wide exercise, future IPR efforts will seek to identify issues that are most important to fire sprinkler contractors, and to document how different firms are responding to them. FSI welcomes input, collaboration and criticism from all fire sprinkler industry participants as we work to refine and improve this industry-use tool.

Stem One (Connects to “New Services” First Link)

Developing New Revenue Opportunities

As of this writing, there are no data that imply commercial or residential construction will return to pre-2008 levels any time soon. While we know that construction fundamentals will improve some day, no one really knows when that will be. In view of this, contractors who have relied on a steady diet of GCs’ requests for bids for new development projects are well served to revise their marketing plans.

When contemplating alternatives to new construction installations, three questions arise:

What other opportunities are available;
How can they be discovered, marketed to and sold, and;
What will it take to achieve repeatable success in executing them?

This section addresses a process for addressing these questions and developing a strategy based on our answers. Throughout the process we will be addressing various sections of FSI Best Practices (FSI-BP), using techniques and resources located there to develop an effective plan.

Searching for Opportunities

Finding new sources of revenue requires careful re-drafting of our marketing plans. A good marketing plan will address four key areas:

Define the products or services that we will offer;
Target prospect types who will be best candidates for our products / services;
Establish pricing that is both competitive and profitable, and;
Create promotional strategies that effectively convey our competitive advantage.

A good first step is to identify, quantify and document our internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external threats and opportunities. Each is briefly discussed below:

Cataloguing our Strengths and Weaknesses clearly identifies those qualities present in our companies that can be leveraged to create competitive advantage, as well as identify areas we should avoid without first making improvements to ensure competency and competitive strength. This could also be called an Internal Analysis. The Contractor Self Assessment, located in the Marketing phase of FSI-BP, is an extremely useful tool for quantifying our internal strengths / weaknesses. When completing this exercise we must be sure to include ALL aspects of our operations, including Service, Remodeling, Fabrication / distribution, Retrofit and Inspections activities. We should also be on the lookout to identify any transferable skills that can be deployed in different ways.
Opportunities and Threats are those external influences that provide new areas of potential business, or create barriers to success. For example, new local codes that call for greater compliance with NFPA-25, or property management companies that have expressed dissatisfaction with current providers, are opportunities. Reduced volumes of new installation project opportunities, new entrants into our local service markets, or increased restrictions placed by insurers, are threats.

Cataloguing these data is a little more involved than listing Strengths and Weaknesses, but is nonetheless a vital step in developing our revised marketing plan. Techniques found in the Marketing phase of FSI-BP will be extremely useful in efficiently documenting and prioritizing our external Opportunities and Threats.

The importance of gathering these data cannot be overemphasized. Whether we follow steps as outlined above or use some different process, it will be critical for us to quantify and document our strengths and opportunities. This sets the stage for development of effective planning.

Marketing, Sales and Closing New Business

Once above-described analyses have been performed, we are ready to take next steps in drafting our revised marketing plan. Steps found in the FSI-BP Marketing phase will be useful in completing this step.

Our marketing plan will provide critical guidance to our sales teams, helping to ensure that we are using our sales dollars as efficiently as possible toward development of new revenue streams.

At this point it is useful to note that sales tactics used to develop new revenue sources may need to vary from those used over the past several years. We will no-doubt be called to demonstrate greater prospecting, presentation and closing skills than those necessary when responding to requests for installation quotes. Development of consultative selling skills that seek to first identify prospects’ pains, and then illustrate our own competencies and competitive advantages that can relieve those pains, will position us favorably vis-à-vis our competitors in securing new customers at profitable pricing levels.

Achieving Operational Success

It has been said that “the only thing harder than getting new customers is keeping them”. In cases where we are developing new recurring revenue service business lines, this is a critically important point to consider. Recurring revenue sales become profitable through their year-after-year aggregation, not through one-time performances. Our longer-term success will be highly dependent on our abilities to not only sell new business, but also to maintain customer satisfaction through effective operating practices.

Once again, the Contractor Self Assessment referenced earlier can be a very useful tool. In this case, we should seek to identify all areas where we believe operational improvements can be made. We can then rank these opportunities in terms of priority to arrive at a list of recommended improvement efforts that will yield greatest return on time and money. We will also obviously view improvement opportunities in terms of relevance to identified new market opportunities.

Developing or improving work instructions, and careful evaluations of current personnel and their roles, are oftentimes best places to start in efforts to refine our operating results.

This short section should serve to get us started on a path toward identifying best new revenue possibilities. FSI staff stands ready to assist in every way possible toward execution of these steps. We are always only a call or an email away!

Stem Two (Connects to “Insurability” - Second Link)

Insurability

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there are storm clouds on the horizon. Results from a recent survey of 81 leading contractors in the fire sprinkler industry revealed particularly disturbing forecasts for 2010:

1. 61 expect lower revenues next year while only 20 expect increases when compared to this year

2. Insurance costs are expected to increase by over 2/3 of respondents while only 12% disagree.

3. Most are willing to consider alternatives to traditional insurance such as a captive.

When revenues go down, shouldn’t insurance rates do the same? Not necessarily, and probably not likely after another prolonged softening market that seems poised for an upturn in premiums next year. The results reported above are taken from the recent survey of leading fire sprinkler contractors indicating that most are anticipating some more bad news.

We believe that these opposite trends make it more important now than ever to anticipate and prepare. It’s not a question of if there will be another hardening of the market. It’s only a question of when. The question is how well positioned will you be for the next change toward a harder insurance market?

SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESS YIELDS POSITIVE OUTCOMES

Best practicing companies are constantly looking for new and better ways to improve. They are always striving for ways to gain a competitive advantage, work smarter and increase their margins. In today’s environment, it means holding the line on profitability wherever possible. The good old days of marketing by just answering the phone or responding to requests for ample bidding opportunities meant selecting which projects to pursue. Clearly those market conditions ended awhile ago. These days it is crucial to find new ways to replenish backlogs, pursue emerging sources of new business, and exploring alternative risk management strategies. The old ways of doing business are no longer adequate. So where to begin?

Let’s hear from some who have taken a fresh approach. The following are excerpts from some leading contractors who completed the Self-Assessment Process:

Getting Started with Best Practices:

“The Self-Assessment process made us somewhat apprehensive at first, but getting thoughts from other people and gaining consensus was well worthwhile. It provides good feedback to work it into your plans. Aligning views with others is more difficult sometime so this provides a good vehicle to communicate.”

“Why are some afraid to do this? Perhaps we’re fearful of hearing that we are poor at something that is important. Expertise can be good, but at times it can get in the way because we typically don’t want people challenging our prowess and sometimes the ego gets in the way.“

“Another example that came out of this self-assessment process is that while everyone thinks our safety is strong, important and good to do, we recognized that people need constant reminders and specific ways how to behave better. Old habits die hard and creep back into the everyday. The tendency is to gloss over while the need is to drill down. Pre-planning is more important than ever so that the best choices are being made by everyone to operate in a safer manner. This process reminded us that this area needs consistent attention. Open communication is needed and helps everyone remember how much it matters to senior management. It needs to be more than lip service.”

“Making it an ongoing process as opposed to a single event is a slow and deliberate process. It takes meaningful tracking and consistent follow up. Many of the benchmarks are lagging indicators, but the key is getting out in front of it and planning how to anticipate while being more pro-active. “

Self-Assessment Process: Why should other contractors do the self-assessment? One contractor commented: “Tough times challenge us as leaders to find relatively inexpensive ways to get better. When times are slow, you have to do more to survive. If you’re not doing the things to improve, eventually poor installation, careless behavior and a bad loss will catch up with you. When low price seems king, what do you have to give a buyer in order to be the contractor of choice? We know we’ll still be competitive, but why will we get another look at an opportunity to provide value engineering to improve our position? If they like the way we work and perceive our safety consciousness, we believe they are more likely to help us win.”

Finally, one contractor observed: “Aligning yourself with others and finding out what other people think has an amazing ability to bring out great ideas from others. The Self-Assessment process guides us to identify what do we need to do to get there? What do people need to do to function better in their jobs?”

Brainstorming Session Benefits: One of the contractors who had a group debriefing and planning session observed: “Marketing plans emerged with a changed focus. People with different backgrounds and experiences have been brought into the process more than in prior market cycles. Now there are a lot more people involved, generating enthusiasm and excitement. One example of a new tactic is benchmarking the volume of bids in total dollar value to track and measure how much percentage we’re off from a prior period. Learning where the market is going and we need to go means the status quo won’t cut it. How we differentiate ourselves is also fine-tuned as a result of everyone asking themselves the hard questions. We probably wouldn’t be doing these new things if we hadn’t used this approach.”

If you and your management team haven’t already completed the Self-Assessment Questionnaire you are strongly urged to take advantage of these slower times to take a fresh look at your operations and fine tune. See www.fsi-bp.org or contact Brian Cullen @ bcullen@fsi-bp.org or phone 630-240-6741 for more information.

Stem Three (Connects to “Technology” - Third Link)

Leveraging Technology Investments

You know the old phrase “Necessity is the mother of invention”, right?

Whether the old axiom calls to mind Ben Franklin or Frank Zappa doesn't matter. What does, especially in challenging business climates, is to heed the wisdom of the phrase.

The current climate provides ample incentive for making use of what you have. When times get tough for your firm, it's worth the time to take a fresh look at every resource available to you to find opportunities, market your services and reduce your operating costs.

And that includes the Internet – including your company's website and other electronic methods for reaching and interacting with customers.

Remember Y2K and the Internet frenzy - when every business had to have a website whether they needed one or not? If you were skeptical about all the hype, your instincts may have served you well.

After all, compared to other types of industries, early fire sprinkler contractor websites offered relatively few benefits to viewers and readers. Unlike retailers, fire sprinkler contractors don't have a mass audience of customers. Unlike distributors, sprinkler contractors don't have a large, viewable base of products like distributors that could be sold online. Unlike suppliers, contractors don't have a loyal base of regular buyers likely to return to a website day after day.

That early skepticism continues today among many fire sprinkler contractors. Although most fire sprinkler contractors have some type of representation on the Internet a surprising number of firms - especially those with fewer than $1M in revenues - still have no website.

And sprinkler contractors have a mixed view about the Internet as a means to market their services. In a recent industry survey published by Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices (Industry Perspectives Report, 2009), over sixty percent of respondents were somewhere between lukewarm and downright negative about the ability of their company's website to market their services.

Size Matters?

The FSI Best Practices Industry report also revealed an interesting Internet mindset among survey takers: the smaller the firm, the less happy they are about their presence on the web.

For example, while only 19% of firms greater than $20M in annual revenues were neutral or negative about their company's website, the negativity numbers rise inversely with company size. Mid-tier firms, those between $6M and $20M in revenues, website dissatisfaction had climbed to 50%. Firms in the $1M - $5M range ranked at 61% and firms operating beneath the $1M mark were unanimously neutral or negative about their prospects for the web.

What to make of all of this?

Is it possible that some larger firms overrate their web presence? Quite possibly – you can find unmerited arrogance in any industry. But a more likely explanation of the dissatisfaction ratings may have to do with a perceived lack of resources by small firms.

Smaller firms can experience web obstacles less likely in their larger counterparts. For example, few small firms can justify a dedicated Information Technology or Web staff. Even if modest, web expenses take a higher percentage of the operating budgets of small companies. It's a virtual certainty that time is also a constraint for smaller firms. Owners and managers already wearing too many hats are reluctant to add another.

What's Up With the Web?

When it comes to the web, several dynamics have changed, including the fire sprinkler industry's position in the economy, that may merit a new look at your company's view about websites and other Internet-based means of reaching, communicating and interacting with customers.

Here are a few:

Web Access is Cheaper – At one time, a website required a substantial investment in talent, technology and time. Today, the costs of developing and hosting a website are within the reach of the smallest contractor.
Behavior is Changing – With the advent of Google and other search engines, accessing the net is easier and more productive than using the Yellow Pages or other reference materials.
Nontraditional Audiences are Growing – When times are good, contractors can concentrate on large general contractors. But diversification in the industry means new types of visitors with an interest in your website. Advances in residential marketing means that residential buyers, general contractors and architects are all potential web visitors. Contractors who are marketing their remodeling and inspection services now want to attract building owners and property managers.
Different Stakeholders Access Your Site – Yes, customers and prospects visit websites. But, so do bankers, insurance underwriters, AHJs and taxing bodies. Rightly or wrongly, all of them are developing perceptions of the qualities and capabilities of your firm.
Web Solutions Flourish – Many new solutions, like email marketing and social networking, provide fresh new ways to interact with prospects, customers and business partners.

Managing the Web Dilemma

For many firms, it comes down to a problem that is easy to state and difficult to fix.

On one hand, improvements in your company's web may bring outstanding benefits at a time when they would be most welcomed. On the other hand, firms need to stretch scarce budget dollars as far as they can go.

In you are caught on the horns of the web dilemma, what can you do? Here are two suggestions:

Take One Step Up – Rome wasn't built in a day; neither are successful websites. Why not take stock of where you are and challenge yourself to evaluate your next level. Here are some examples:

Your Situation	Remember	Your Step Up
You have no website	Just because you don't have a website doesn't mean you're not on the web. Don't let unfair reports or negative articles be what readers find when they “google” your company.	It's never been easier or more affordable to get on the web. Local companies (check your Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau) offer packages that combine inexpensive pre-designed graphics with low cost web hosting.
You have a basic website	What you currently have what amounts to an online brochure of your business. Why would someone return after their first visit?	Now it's time to concentrate on adding content that your customers and prospects may value. You may want to look at simple, but economic ways of controlling your web content so it remains current and attractive.
You have an “active content” website	You're missing the opportunity for your customers and prospects to provide you information.	You're overdue for looking at applets – small tools that can be added to your website that provide interactive tools and resources – and more data for you.
You have an interactive website	Don't overlook important new capabilities and resources like email marketing or social networks as a way to maintain contact with customers.	It's time to look at peripheral opportunities like linking your site to Facebook, Linked In or other social networking tools. Many are completely free; others very powerful but inexpensive.

Practice “Prudent Aggressiveness” - No, it's not an oxymoron. We simply mean, choose low cost methods to learn about options, alternatives and costs. Learning resources are everywhere. Most internet carriers have online information about new ways to optimize websites for business results. Many community colleges offer low cost workshops and seminars. Chambers of Commerce can link you with local resources who can evaluate your situation.

If you need a more “fire sprinkler-centric” view, ask your industry association to help link you with other firms who are using their websites productively. Additionally, check with FSI Best Practices at www.FSI-bp.org. Their staff may be able to offer you ideas by phone or arrange a short web conference to discuss ideas with you.

Do You Want to Watch...Or Be Watched?

At the risk of being blunt, here's a question you need to ask yourself and your key employees: If you are unwilling to change when business conditions change then why should you expect to stay in business?

You don't need to be outgunned by a larger competitor. You don't need to be outplayed by a smarter, more savvy firm. And, most importantly, you don't need a guitar or a recording studio to be a “Mother of Invention”. You need an openness to new ideas, a willingness to prudently try new things – and an intense desire to survive and thrive.

Why not start with a fresh look at what the Internet can do for your company?

Stem Four (Connects to Appendix Link)

Appendix

NEWS