Making Good Business, Better
August 14, 2012
Two more local businesses have been made fellows of the Dakota Rising project. Kelly Melius of Common Sense Manufacturing and Cindy Kopecky of the Potting Shed, have not only been made fellows, but have just gone through their first training and mentoring sessions.
For Kopecky and Melius, their first fellowship meeting was held in Pierre on July 25-27.
“I suppose I became interested in the program when I first heard that Faulkton had become a site,” said Melius. “I might have applied when Chad Homan (of Homan Welding) and Lori Holt (of Quilters Corner) did, but the application process happens during my busiest time of the year. The winter months are busiest, where on the shop floor we’re getting as much product created as possible and I’m also going to as many exhibition shows as I possibly can. But talking with Lori and Chad, and with a lot of help from my wife Dawn, we were able to do the application process this year.”
“My business is, relatively new,” said Kopecky. “I have gotten things to what I want them to be, but what I wanted was a plan for the future and this program will certainly help with that. Just this first session was very insightful for getting your business going in the right direction. You work with your mentors and fellows to create definite plans and realistic goals, and you set up a timetable to reach those goals. And the group gives you both accountability and constructive criticism, something that is very positive to a business owner.”
“I sort of think of it as a group therapy session designed to help you become a better business person,” said Melius. “Our small cohort groups, that’s pretty much what it was all about. You sit down with other business owners, and share our successes and problems, and everybody usually knows what it’s like. The program’s mentors too, all successful people who have built businesses from the ground up like we’re all doing, have definitely been where you are. They grill you, put you in the hot seat, and in the end help you find what’s wrong or not working, and help you come up with practical solutions to the problems, or help you get to the root of problems you didn’t really know you had. Again, I liken it to a group therapy session for business owners.”
“My experience was very similar,” said Kopecky. “It was very much focused on making you a better business person in whatever you do, honing your skills as an entrepreneur. I can definitely say that I was impressed by the quality of fellow business owner mentors and staff from Dakota Rising. They are all extremely talented individuals who worked hard to give us very productive results.”
Adding to that productivity, both the Potting Shed and Common Sense Manufacturing are being awarded $10,000 to reinvest into themselves and their business.
“Honestly, the money is not as important as you might think,” said Melius. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll certainly make good use out of it, especially considering that we’ve just started a major expansion project. But really, the money takes a backseat to the wonderful mentoring and the cohort group meetings, they’ve just been so helpful!”
“Two thousand of that money is required to be earmarked to help us in educating ourselves through this program,” said Kopecky. “The rest though is for us to use in whatever way we see fit to help our business. I know I plan to use a little more on my education however, just because I want to become the best entrepreneur I can be.”
“I plan to use mine in maybe a little product development and going to a specific trade show that I’ve always wanted to take our brand out to, but have never had the resources or time to do,” Melius said. “This will make that a lot easier. And there is our expansion too as I said.”
Kopecky and Melius both agreed that this program is more than worthwhile for any local business owner to enroll in.
“I can think of several businesses that are thinking about it and I will be available to help with that process as they move forward,” said Kopecky. “And we asked them, why is the process so difficult, and they answered, it was because they want the best. And then they want to make that best, better.”