From the Courier News website www.c-n.com
December 28, 2006
Ready to address your business' 'growing pains'
By ERICA LAMBERG
Correspondent
Linda E. Dousis said she knows what is involved in growing a business.
"There are issues that the small-business owner has to deal with -- some of which they have never encountered previously," said Dousis, owner of Administrative Services and Consulting, a new business in Hillsborough. "I know the frustration and pressures caused by not recognizing situations before they become problems."
Dousis brings more than 35 years of professional experience in small-business settings. She said her experience can offer clients hands-on strategies for operations management as well as administrative management.
Dousis said that start-up businesses also can benefit from her experience and knowledge.
"I can help write an employee manual, set up human-resources functions, and set up the accounting functions for a business," said Dousis, who is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
She said that sound financial stewardship is paramount for keeping a business successful. Recognizing the needs within a small business, Dousis said her firm was formed to address the "growing pains" experienced by growing companies.
Her business' services are twofold: providing the administrative functions, including human resources, bookkeeping, customer service, operations and sales and marketing, while also providing one-on-one personalized consulting.
"I have a true 'been-there, done-that' background that a small business cannot justify, nor afford, on their payroll," she said. "I am also well aware of the isolation a small-business owner can feel. And I know the benefits of having the "sounding board" -- the person who has been there before -- to bounce your plans, ideas and problems off of."
Dousis, who also is a counselor at the Small Business Development Center at Raritan Valley Community College in the North Branch section of Branchburg, said she is steadily building her new business. For one client, a firm that provides power washing services for homes and businesses, Dousis said she is setting up a Quickbooks system, and is introducing a system to help with record keeping and accounting.
Further, she has joined some networking groups to boost local contacts.
"I think chambers of commerce are very valuable organizations, but you need to put the time in and attend events and follow up on leads," she said.
From the Courier News
August 20, 2007
Her mission is helping small businesses grow
By ROBERT BAKER
Correspondent
Linda Dousis is founder and president of Administrative Services & Consulting LLC of Hillsborough (www.adminservcon.com), a company formed to help small businesses deal with the “growing pains” they often face as they strive to become successful. “Small business owners are often forced to wear many different hats, some of which may not fit very well,” Dousis explains. “An owner might be a brilliant scientist or engineer, for example, but may be uncomfortable with functions such as marketing, human resources and accounting. Especially in the early stages of its growth, the company may not be able to afford full time personnel to administer these functions and part time staffers may or may not be well qualified. That’s where I come in.”
Dousis is uniquely qualified to provide both front and back office help to small business owners. “The advice I provide is not based on theory or on my having an MBA, but on my personal experience,” she says. “For example, I joined Rheometrics, Inc., the leading manufacturer of laboratory instrumentation used to measure viscosity and elasticity, when it was still in its startup stage. Seven years later, sales were $10 million and we had 115 employees worldwide. I was Vice-President of Finance, Administration, Human Resources and Systems responsible for those functions as well as manufacturing, production control, customer service, and sales & marketing.”
Her first consulting client, which she took on before forming her current company, was a small business owned by a former professor and his graduate student. “Although in business for 25 years, they had never grown,” Dousis recalls. “I joined as a consultant, eventually became President and grew the company from $300 thousand to $4 million in annual sales. After the death of the owner, I negotiated an employee LBO from his estate and the subsequent sale of the company at a very attractive price.”
In addition to having “hands on, real world” experience, Dousis is also an Instructor for the New Jersey Small Business Development Center, a Counselor and an Instructor for the Small Business Development Center at Raritan Valley Community College and a Counselor for the Small Business Advisory Group of the Somerset County Business Partnership. She is also a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor.
Today, Dousis combines her vast experience with her QuickBooks accounting skills. She cites as an example a new client whose friend did data entry into his Quicken accounting system. “His bank had called telling him he had tens of thousands of dollars more in his checking account than he was showing,” she reports. “His bank account had never been reconciled. I took his data home and called him 3 hours later to tell him that the entire year had been reconciled and that the bank was right. As a result, he would now like to meet to discuss his plans for the future of his business.”
Dousis often has breakfast or lunch with clients and strategic partners. “It’s a good opportunity to discuss business away from the distractions of an office,” she says. “For breakfast, I like Culinary Creations or IHOP in Hillsborough, but my favorite for a casual breakfast or lunch is Panera Bread at the Somerville Circle. They offer free wireless Internet access and their spinach/artichoke soufflé is addictive! For more formal occasions, I like Main Street Bistro in Somerville. All of these restaurants go out of their way to support the needs of the small business person.”
(908) 281-3894
www.culinarycreations.com
IHOP Restaurant
260 Route 206 South, Hillsborough
(908) 281-9753
www.ihop.com
Panera Bread
300 Route 202, Raritan
(908) 243-0100
www.panerabread.com
Culinary Creations
434 Route 206 South, Hillsborough