Mary Jo Littrell

<p> This workshop was designed to help Best Business Systems employees improve in their ability to “Stick To It”. The workshop was created by Lee J. Cohan and distributed by the CornerStone Leader Institute. The main theme of this education session was how to more consistently execute our plans. Details of the workshop were aimed at improve our Focus on what we want to do as a company and what our core Values are. In addition, we learned techniques on how to improve on the follow through of our initiatives and how, as a company, we could improve our internal processes and our external image. </p> <p> To see pictures taken at this workshop, <a href='http://www.bestbusinesssystems.com/workshop.asp'>click here</a>. </p>

The Spring Management Conference is held each year in a different location and offers a wide variety of education opportunities for attendees. At the most recent event, our attendees sat in on classes that focused on improving our knowledge of emerging products such as direct mail, commercial printing, and promotional products, as well as more focused classes on trade show marketing and sales training. In addition, this conference is designed to bring together professionals from around the country who share the common bond of being in the same business. By spending time with other attendees, we learn a great deal about what is happening in our industry from like-minded people in the field.

This event was held to provide educational information specific to the healthcare industry. Fresh off of landing a national account that includes hospitals and clinics throughout the country, IBSA held several certifications such as these in order to provide training specific to a complex market, healthcare. Information provided included information on contact points within a hospital, specific needs of specific departments within a facility, products that are unique to this market, and the differences between the needs of a hospital versus a clinic versus a doctor’s office. In addition, we learned additional information about how regulations such as HIPAA and JHACO drive the purchasing requirements of this market and how we can assist our healthcare customers in compliance.

Best Business Systems was a charter member of IBSA, with Paul Keith founding the organization in 2002. This conference held at the Sloane Convention Center in Bowling Green was its first annual conference, featuring a trade show, educational sessions, and an awards ceremony. Coordinated by Paul Keith and James Burchett, the event brought together over 250 people from around the country. Educational sessions included information on direct mail, 1 to 1 marketing, promotional products, product information for the healthcare market, and numerous other sessions that were specific to the IBSA organization model. It also offered the opportunity to network and “talk shop” with representatives of similar businesses from as far away as California, New York, and Hawaii.

International Business Solutions Alliance (IBSA) is an organization on independent distributors, such as Best Business Systems, that joined together in order to go after national account customers that a local distributor could not assist on their own. The Fast Growth Conference was held in the early stages of the organization and was designed to further educate its members on what IBSA was trying to accomplish and how they could assist.

Servpro is a group of independently operated franchises that specialize in fire and water cleanup and restoration, with hundreds of franchises located throughout the country. Headquartered in Gallatin, TN, Servpro puts on a national convention each year to bring their individual franchises together for education, training, and a trade show. Best Business Systems participates as an exhibitor at their annual trade show, displaying a large number of promotional products available to the franchises that would help them promote their service and their company in their market. It is also an opportunity to get face to face with customers from around the country and learn more about what the company as a whole is all about.

This event is held over a three day span and is put on by the Advertising Specialty Institute, an organization that provides news, information, and assistance to the promotional products industry. Included in the show are individual classes on new products and trends, as well as a manufacturer exhibit that included over 1000 companies. The trade show allowed attendees to see first hand the products that are currently or soon will be available. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about the industry and look for new ideas to bring back for our customers. Attending these types of events allows us to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and to spot new trends as they begin.