How Rainmakers can help.

Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two businesses are in the exact same “place and circumstance”.  Any Best Practice or advice must be adapted to the situation a firm is in to be useful or applicable. 

We can help you plan effectively:

Rainmakers has several Best Practices which we use to help clients develop effective planning,  especially for initiatives that necessitates changing business processes or getting expectations met on time and budget.  I can discuss these with you at no obligation simply by giving me a call at 847/251-3327.

Balanced Approach to manage change: Best practice which describes how to improve the probability in projects involving IT and/or Change of realistic expectations getting met, on time and on budget: http://www.rainmkrs.com/mission_ba1.html

The Opportunity Management Paradigm describes a best practice for maximizing revenues and customer satisfaction levels, while streamlining client acquisition and management costs. http://www.rainmkrs.com/mission_om1.html

The starting Point article that discussed how to start any initiative that will involve change to maximize the probability of realistic expectations getting met, on time and on budget: http://www.rainmkrs.com/starting.html

We can help you explore your options and determine when & how to use Outside resources:

One of the implications of our current economic problems on mid-market business is the propensity not to use outside resources (don’t spend money!) unless forced to do so (some problem necessitating a quick fix).  Using outside resources is not always an intelligent thing to do. It is not always foolish either!

Rainmakers is in the unique position to offer innovative alternatives to problems needing solutions where outside help might be needed:

1. Rainmakers Consortium consists of over 30 Strategic Partners who cover the gamut from firms with thousands of staff with multi-national coverage, to one-person independents with a specific expertise.  Since we receive our compensation from whomever you might hire we can afford to be objective and discuss the pro’s & con’s of each approach.
   
2. Rainmakers prosperity is 100% based on our helping clients meet (if not exceed) expectations on time and budget! Our loyalty is first-and-foremost with those clients who give us the opportunity to be of service.  As long as we help solve these problems by introducing the Best Practices, Technology and People required getting the job done correctly the first time we have repeat customers. If using outside resources does not make economic sense we won’t waste your time (or our Partners).
   
3. I designed Rainmakers from the get-go to play off my strengths and mitigate my weaknesses. I have over 20 years experience helping mid-market organizations deploy technology and manage change. I have either made (or viewed first hand) most every mistake possible in business related to changing People, Processes and Technology! I have the scars to prove it! But, I am compulsive about not making the same mistake twice!  My advice is based upon the realities and insights gained over these years.  I also touch every client project either directly or through my management of Rainmakers Account Managers. I do this to maintain the quality our long-term prosperity is tied to.
4. My recommendations when exploring the use of outside resources is as follows:
   1. Have a clear business case with outcomes/deliverables and the metrics to measure success defined. Have one person on your staff “own” the solution.  Accountability must be clearly assigned to someone “Ready, Able and Willing” to own the job!
   2. Use outside resources only when you do not have the internal resources who are ready, able and willing to take on the job/task, and the business case warrants getting the “Outcomes” anywise!  A common mistake I have seen is assigning an internal resource to complete some project where this resource is not ready, able or willing to get the results required in a timely fashion. Working harder rarely overcome lack of know how (technical, subject matter, etc).  Trial & error approaches can often be foolish.
   3. Whenever possible use outside resources on a fixed-bid or phased-budget approach.  Breaking projects into “bite-sized” pieces can often enable firm pricing based on specific deliverables which protects both parties.
   4. Develop internal resources for all Critical Business Core Competencies. Use outside resources for both mentoring internal resources (transfer knowledge) and for outsourcing non-Critical Core Competencies, especially in the maintenance and support areas.
   5. Plan Big, but implement small.  Do not develop plans that “explode” when some unexpected “problem” arises which throws off your timetables. Remember the old biblical saying “Man plans and G-d laughs”.

If you are looking for a specific resource, click here to go through Rainmakers Find A Resource, forms: http://www.rainmkrs.com/expert.html

Give me a call if you wish to discuss any of these items, or we can be of any service to you.  Thanks for your time.

Jon C. Liberman
Rainmakers
847/251-3327
jon@rainmkrs.com
www.rainmakers.us