Testimonials and Praise from Ellen’s Clients
Consetta
Hawkins Heating & Air Conditioning
I have followed Ellen Rohr’s career and have read her columns in different industry publications for over twenty years. Ellen is a champion of the trades and carries the torch well, thank you Ellen!
In 2011 and again in 2012 I had the opportunity to work with Ellen face to face. If you are considering any of Ellen's products or services don't hesitate. When I apply, listen and follow her advice I’ve found that money tends to flow into my pockets. The wisdom, love, and ongoing support she has provided has been priceless. She delivers! I doubled my sales in one year, got better organized, I'm a better boss, and my whole team is loving the work we do. This fan mail comes to you unsolicited four years after our first work together. Thanks for what you do!
Mike Hemenway
A-1 Sewer and Drain, Inc.
Thanks Ellen for all the hard work you put into helping us achieve "Financial Shape." Having solid numbers and trends have helped us to grow our company and develop financial goals. We appreciate the tenacity you have demonstrated in getting us to face and focus on the numbers.
Thank you, Ellen, from one Plumber’s Wife to another!!
Mary Gibb
Gary's Plumbing & Heating
I would like to offer my recommendation of Ellen Rohr as a speaker at an event. I recently engaged her services for a national educational event and contracted with her to be my lead off speaker.
She presented in an excellent manner, earned rave reviews from our attendees and did the job that I requested with poise and professionalism. She worked with me prior to the event by providing promotional videos to assist in the promotion and also went as far as adding our information to her own outreach efforts in an effort to make our event successful.
As a professional presenter myself I demand a level of professionalism from any I engage the services of. Ellen delivered to me on all fronts, doing the research to understand the needs of our clients and she presented the information I needed in a way that had a tremendous impact on our attendees.
I highly recommend Ellen for your consideration for your event, I would certainly consider her a person I would engage the services of in the future and I look forward to networking with her further. I consider her a member of the CVC Dream Team!
Jerry Isenhour
CVC Coaching
Our experience working with Ellen and her team has been amazing!! Ellen’s energy is inspiring and she pushed us to get our financials right and also to start operating our business successfully with the right mindset. We have had nice, clean and accurate accounts since October and we have made sound business decisions already because the numbers don’t lie. Thank you so much to Ellen, Gail and Shauna, what an amazing and life changing experience!!
Gary & Mary Gibb
Gary's Plumbing & Heating
Here are some comments from the attendees at the Recent Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series Event…
“Ellen Rohr “ROCKS” – Would definitely do another seminar with Ellen”
“Very Engaging! She is a great Speaker!”
“I absolutely love Ellen!!”
“Ellen has a lot of energy & engaging it.”
“Ellen was a fantastic speaker. She was personable and effective. I believe I’ve learned more from her today than in the last 3 years of seminars.”
“Amazing and very uplifting. Great one on one with everyone in the room.”
“Ellen Rohr – Smart, informative, knowledgeable, warm, friendly & inviting.”
“I enjoyed how Ellen kept it up beat, never boring!”
“I will recommend to other contractors that have trouble charging.”
Pumper & Cleaner Profit Series Attendees
I was lucky enough to hear Ellen Rohr speak at the CVC Summit this past April. Wow! She is something. A tremendous amount of energy and business best practices in a short time. I would gladly pay to hear her speak again and would highly recommend her to other business owners or sales people.
Chuck Hall
Winston's Chimney, Heating & Air
It was a sincere pleasure to have Ellen Rohr speak at our “Good Afternoon Ozark” Chamber Luncheon, she was truly an engaging and dynamic facilitator! Our 120 guests truly enjoyed her presentation on “No Arguments Management” and “Reward the Right Stuff”- Each attendee in the room walked away with an arsenal of positive measures to use in managing personnel.
Ms. Rohr has an outstanding program and presence, sharing her personal experiences with business successes and failures allowed our audience to relate with her on a very comfortable level . The variety of topics available and the proven concepts are an asset to our organization, whose main mission is to promote local businesses, engage entrepreneurial success, and to create local jobs and consumer interest in all the services and products available at our front door here in Ozark. Ellen Rohr is a true inspiration and an active motivator, we look forward to having her as our guest speaker again this fall.
Sabrina S. Bonnette
Ozark Chamber of Commerce
Working with Ellen was without a doubt a life changing experience. She was patient with me through the entire process and I have more confidence in myself and our numbers now. She was not afraid to tell me the truth even though she knew it would hurt BUT she did it with LOVE!!! She led us in the right direction towards being debt free and we are getting closer to that every day! SHE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT a big part of where our company is today! XOXO
Tanya Barron
Janssen's Cleaning & Restoration Consultants
Ellen lights up every training session with her presentation style that is both humorous and professional. We really valued how she incorporated her real-life experiences to make each session unique and relevant for customers so that they could relate and soak in all of the information that was presented. Plus, her super-thinking exercise helped attendees brainstorm ideas that anyone could take back to their business and put to work. We are definitely looking forward to working with Ellen again!
Tom Rosendahl
Dakota Supply Group
We just completed our Tri-State tour with Ellen for the second year, and we couldn’t be happier. She has imparted a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time, and her knowledge of the industry has proven to be a valuable resource to DSG and our customers. Her energy and positive attitude are contagious, and we appreciate her ability to actively engage our customers in conversations and illicit participation. On a more personal note, Ellen has proven herself to be as much of a life coach as a business coach to some of our customers, and that is to be commended.
Arne Breikjern
Dakota Supply Group
Ellen Rohr was a delight! She was entertaining and informative and had so much great information to share in all too brief of a time, that several of us were thinking of kidnapping her and not letting her go for a week or two. We really enjoyed her and highly recommend Ellen Rohr to bring life to your conference. No dry boring stuff here.
JoAnn R. Forrester
Greater Pittsburgh NAWBO
Dakota Supply Group
http://dakotasupplygroup.com
Working with Ellen through the Financial Blast is eye-opening! I am amazed at how SIMPLE Ellen makes business. I feel in debt to Ellen for helping me to clarify, simplify and connect with my business. Ellen helped me to make the connection with the importance of creating a Biz Plan and getting our financials streamlined and current. I am now confident in making daily decisions for my company and haven’t thought this clear in business in my whole life. My strengths in business are becoming stronger and I contribute this to following through with what Ellen taught us.
Randy Moore
Day and Night
I want to thank you for all you have done for me. The Financial Blast program has been the best thing I have ever done. I am actually anxious to review the financials and take control of my business. We have also had some very profitable jobs lately and I am holding my pricing up and things are going very well. You have truly been the saving grace for me this year and I feel I have been on a trip of a lifetime to work with you. I am anxious to start 2015 with a new outlook and direction and to continue to make more and better changes in my business.
Jamie Miller
Millers Septic Service, Inc.
On behalf of our entire home service team at Flat Rate. We would like to give a huge THANK YOU!! to Ellen and Gail for all of their help in improving our business operations. Their passion and energy for success is of nothing we have ever experienced! Thank you for getting us set up in the right direction.
Les & Ryan Gumieny
Flat Rate Plumbing, Inc.
I would absolutely recommend working with Ellen. We love her energy and she is very positive, professional and fun to work with. She can take you from where you are financially and get you up to speed.
Working with Ellen has given me a lot more free time and I have started doing some things that I want to do. We are excited about all of the changes that we have made and we are now proactive rather than reactive.
We will still work with Ellen from time to time…She is now a friend for life.
Holly Wilbur
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Ms. Ellen…
This has been quite a ride but so rewarding. We feel completely blessed to be one of your Financial Blast success stories. I am not so sure we would have had the same fantastic results in any other setting. I am super proud of us and we couldn’t be happier with the results…Money Well Spent!!
We will continue to stay on KFP and developing and documenting procedures. We are looking forward, as always, to our next time together…thanks for all you wonderful people do.
Mike & Melinda Cobb
Sudden Service
“We have interviewed many great guests on Happy Hour and I have to tell you Ellen Rohr is not only a personal favorite of mine, but is the only guest to garner a "That was the best show so far!" from two regular listeners.
Whether your audience is business owners, prospects or 9 to 5'ers, Ellen delivers priceless information with killer energy. You can just feel the love in her words."
Keryl Pesce
Author, Happy Bitch & Co-Host of Happy Hour
"Your online workshops are a great service to small businesses! Thanks so much, Ellen for what you are doing to helps us grow our business.
I learned so much from your last workshop and I could really for the first time calculate the cost of doing business on an hourly basis. Great tools!
A MILLION THANKS AGAIN. Warmest regards to you and your team!!!"
Dan & Sylvie Traub
Four Seasons Rug & Upholstery Care
Hello Ellen,
Just a note to let you know how much I am enjoying listening in on the Challenge this go around. The timing is grand for me at this point.
Truthfully, I have been struggling and strongly considered selling. I am now re-engaged with the business. My goal at this point is to maximize the 4th quarter and finish the year as profitably as possible. The tools with the plan have given me direction and confidence to make a couple of difficult decisions to the benefit of the business. It is good for me to listen and review my past work in the context of today.
Have a great day!
Mary Ardapple
Apple's Baker
"Ellen spoke at our National Congress in JCI Denmark on entrepreneurship and creating a business plan. She's an absolutely joy to work with and she inspired our members with her business startup knowledge but also with her kick ass attitude! She delivered a message that will resonate with a lot of our members for a long time."
Rasmus Lindgren
JCI Wonderful Copenhagen
Since working on my biz plan, In LESS than one year, still 2 months left, we went from 1.4 Mill to…are you ready... 3+ Million… Thats 3,000,000.00 so fun to type it out.
So this goes to prove in a “Down economy” if you have a good product, and the drive to succeed, stay the course and follow your BBB Plan ( Even if not complete…) you can make it happen!
Michelle Blemel
Amber Leaf Designs
Ellen Rohr is a prepared and entertaining guest, who delivers every time! Ellen is amazing at making an otherwise boring subject fun and exciting. We can’t wait to have her back!
Tiffany Rubio-Maxian
Live Well Network
Ellen Rohr is a dream guest! She’s an interview dynamo with timely pitches that are well thought out. Ellen also gives a clear segment hook along with talking points, which makes content promotion a snap. On camera, Ellen is conversational and energetic. She provides great visual elements that make her entertaining as well as informative. The first question the staff had after Ellen’s first appearance, “When can we have her back?” A TV-savvy expert like Ellen who does local programming doesn’t come along too often. Book her. She’ll deliver every time.
Erin Cansler
Better Kansas City
“We love having Ellen on The Big Biz Show! Sully and Russ T Nailz are mile-a-minute hosts and Ellen can keep up. We look for savvy business experts who are also fun and entertaining. Ellen fits the bill and her irreverent business advice is spot on. She has become a regular on our show.”
Maureen Barnes
The Big Biz Show
The Moneywise Guys radio show is hosted by three guys who discuss money and business while making it entertaining and humorous. It is always a challenge to get the guest experts to add to the show in a lively way when so many experts in this area are relatively subdued. The topic of business can be a challenge to discuss on the radio because it can be very dry. We recently had Ellen Rohr on the Moneywise Guys radio program. We were thrilled with her energy and the knowledge she brought on the topic of business. She took what could have been a dry topic and made it exciting and interesting. After the interview, we immediately booked her to come back on the show. She is not just a lively interview but she brings with her a great wealth of substance, along with the unique ability to share this knowledge in an entertaining and effective way.
Paul Anderson
The Moneywise Guys on KERN Radio 1180 Bakersfield, CA
Ellen is absolutely a delightful, high energy, exciting and fun guest to work with. She brings business knowledge and enthusiasm to the table to help business owners make money by creating a business plan in a weekend.
Bob Daniel
Let’s Talk Business New Mexico
Ellen’s passion, energy and enthusiasm is contagious. (And addicting.) Working with her encourages and brings out your personal best. She’s a delight to know and work with; the perfect combination of friend and mentor.
Tom Carter
Ozarks Public Television
The biggest thing to me, being an office manager is that Ellen brought all management together to focus on how our accounting is set up and why it’s set up the way it is. And, the fact that Ellen could bring us as a group, creating more of a team, to focus together on how things work is to me, a feat of incredible proportions and of course a growth spurt I hadn’t expected.
I will add that, if we had not taken Ellen’s Financial Blast Phone Consulting Program we would still be floundering instead of knowing how our ship is built and being able to navigate treacherous waters with the skills of a seasoned Captain. Aye, Matey, it’s true.
Thank you Ellen!! You are the Best!
Thank You,
Christopher Beeker, Customer Service
Klondike Air, Inc.
Christopher Beeker
Klondike Air, Inc
In the midst of this week, I did not get a chance to formally thank you for how much you inspired me by doing the small business webinar
with me, providing me with wisdom on my personal and professional life and most importantly sharing your nuggets with my followers and those to come. Ellen you are a unique individual who I consider a privilege to have connected with. You have so much profound understanding on what life, and professionalism looks and should look like. You actually sparked a fire on me and my business that I never had. Your candor and care is very evident, unique and authentic. I know that having learned from you I have been elevated to another level. I identify with your way of doing business and I want to pass that on into my company. Although I am young and still learning you have treated me as if I have already made it. You helped me step out of the mirror and walk into the reality of who I am, a lion with a fiery spirit. Thank you so much. I pray I can serve you more and I cannot wait to learn even more from you, as I will be bombarding your site and sharing it with others more. May God Bless you and your family.
Dus Speaks International
Dus Speaks International
Working with Ellen Rohr has been amazing! She has had such an impact on helping us to get organized and focused on the projects that are most important in improving our business, and always in a positive and energetic way. From implementing the weekly Financial Quick Check
to her Reward the Right Stuff
program, she has been such an asset to our company.
Heather Appleton
Appleton Campbell
Working with Ellen has been such a pleasure. Our meetings with her to discuss the material have been so helpful. Her program has been easy to use, follow, and implement. She uses real life examples to reinforce her material and has "been there, done that" in regards to strategies that work. We would gladly recommend Ellen's business plan program to anyone who has a pencil, paper, and a heart and passion for their business's success.
John Torres
Steam Away
Ellen changed my company forever! The most immediate change made was as we started to get into the company’s books I realized that what my bookkeeper/cpa was saying he was doing, he was not doing and being coy about my direct questions...so he is gone. Now there are no secrets! The numbers are real, we have a plan in place for review, and we know what questions to ask and where to get them answered if something looks off.
Jim Papalia
Papalia Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Hi Ellen,
Today we rolled out the Scorecards to the plumbing techs.
It is really impressive how our manager used a story to get the technicians minds open. He opened the Success Ware schedule board and played a “what if” example with each technician as they looked at the board seeing what calls they had run, what was billed and how to score. The technicians were interested, engaged, asked good questions and understood the game.
Ellen, my mentor, I’m taking what you taught me and creating an environment that will improve our employee’s lives.
Does it get any better than that?
God Bless,
David Dalpe, Owner
Victory Heating and Air Conditioning Co. Inc.
David Dalpe
Victory HVAC
Hi Al and Ellen,
Just a note about this week…
It is now 4PM, just had a hot week with a holiday in the middle. Did a walk-around checking on team members in service…
CSRs are happy, calm and made DQ run and loving it. They said it was busy but as a team got it done. No unhappy customers and all calls are scheduled to customer satisfaction. Last year the CSR’s would be pulling their hair out taking calls and dispatching talking to unhappy customers. This year I had to ask “Are we slow? There seems to be no panic.” They responded that we are busy, very busy but we can handle it easily! What a difference one year and a great program makes!
Branch managers are out of the office supporting the field techs, not behind a desk. Result: No customer complaints that result in “fire fighting” and more calls done than expected resulting in a planned good schedule for Saturday and also giving some of the guys the weekend off to rest. Great Stuff!
Dave Dalpe, Owner
Victory Heating and Air Conditioning Co. Inc.
Dave Dalpe
Victory HVAC
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for writing The Bare Bones Biz Plan for us small, struggling business owners. You made it all super simple and I am making head way on getting my business in order nearly every day.
I'm at day eleven. Since my business is small and money is tight, for now I am using excel, for now. However, I do know my KFP and that is revolutionary for me.
I am thrilled at the progress that I'm making and appreciate all the podcasts available on your website. Good stuff!
Carol Feher
Hip Kidz English Workshop
Although I'm pretty proficient with the numbers, I always learn something from your webinars! And they're just full of fun! No matter what the topic, your webinars are a real treat and a way to boost my enthusiasm and passion for being an entrepreneur.
Thanks for spreading cheer!
Nancy Stevens
Oaklee's Family Guide
“Having a business retreat for my sewing buddies and thought this would be a great way to spend part of the weekend!! The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan has made a big difference in my business. Thank you.”
Susan Bartholomew
Susan Sews
The best part of working with Ellen and Al on the Step by Step program for me would be the genuine caring and support i have received. The step by step program has also helped me build a solid foundation for my business growth. As a business owner sometimes we can get lost in the woods. The Step by Step program has been my compass and helped me to find my path out of the woods.
P.S. I asked my wife what she had noticed about working with Ellen and Al and the first thing she said to me was there is money now.
Matthew Thompson
Gold Star Plumbing, Inc.
“Ellen, I just read your book, How Much Should I Charge? You are awesome! It was very helpful. I am going to be very close friends with my numbers. Thanks a million for your help!”
Matthew Richerzhagen
Clean 'n Dry LLC
“I think Ellen and Al are a great team and are covering key business topics in the 12 Step Program that small business owners can use to implement in their business. I felt overwhelmed in my business before signing up for the program, but with the 12 Step Program they make it simple and show me how to implement business building tools one step at a time.”
Lisa Rothermich
Gentle Currents Acupuncture Clinic
"For me it was virtually a no brainer to sign up for Ellen and Al’s 12 Step Program. I can’t think of a better way to dramatically improve my business for less than $100 a month. This program is packed full of resources important for business owners to stay up to date and for good business practice. I would recommend this program to any small business owner"
Brad Swanson
M & S Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc
"I found the Get More Calls Now Program to be a fantastic webinar series. The program was packed with lots of detailed information and resources to help with business acquisition. We are excited to start implementing the acquisition strategies.
"One aspect of the program that was really beneficial to me, was that I could review and download the webinar online, at my leisure. I would recommend this program to business owners looking to get their phone ringing again!"
Michael Moffett
Tom Moffett Plumbing, Inc.
"I know that everyone enjoyed meeting you and hearing your presentation...you are such a warm and friendly person and I can honestly say my husband thought you were terrific! (And, he is not easily impressed)."
"Thanks for coming to our convention and doing such a great job! I hope to see you again in the future!"
Dorothy Reddy
Executive Director NYSPHCC
"We understand on a daily basis what our hourly and daily cost of doing business is and what level our pricing needs to be. Budgeting, which was never done before, is now done and utilized. The best part of all is that we can do all of this without having to hire any new administrative personnel and more importantly without having to 'wait for the accountant to get our stuff back to us'."
"If you have an open mind and are ready to make a change for the better then I would highly recommend enlisting the services of Ellen and her team."
Jim Sparrow
The Water Specialist Inc.
I'm finally buying something from you! For years, I've found the free information that you give to be great so even if these books stink (I know they won't) it's a small price to pay for The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan. Thanks!"
Travis Creswell
"After participating in The Financial Intensive with Ellen, we can look at our books in a split second at any given time and know if we are making money. And, as long as we keep doing the tasks that Ellen has told us to, we will continue to know our financial position."
Gina Gasperini
Northeast Radiant
"Ellen’s marketing presentation definitely added value and substance to our Business & Technology Expo. Her fun and energetic style was a hit with participants. Ellen provided some great tips that will help businesses focus their limited resources and bring more customers in the door."
Brad Bodenhausen
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
"Ellen is one of the most interesting and energetic trainers I have ever seen. She successfully took a rather dry topic and made it interesting. She engaged the group in the training more than anyone I have ever seen! She has great rapport with contractors. Ellen was so good we are already planning an expanded program next year."
Sara Heger
NOWRA Education Chair
"I must say I enjoy your Step by Step material, as a member of an International Trade Group, I value this type of training material.
Most contractors (me included) are bombarded with an overload of material, like taking a drink of water with a fire hose. I would join you live for your Step by Step Success Teleseminars, except the time difference in Sydney is a killer... so I listen to the recordings and use the simple forms and templates just like you instruct me to do!"
Allan Ferguson
Omega Services Australia
"Ellen has a laser-like focus and draws a bead on exactly what you need to accomplish and then helps to create a plan to get it done.
During Ellen's Financial Blast program, she helped us make certain that our books were scrubbed -- neat and tidy -- and that all numbers tied together correctly. She assisted in our migration from Quicken to Quick Books and helped to resolve each challenge that surfaced during the process."
Krista Bradford
The Good Search
"Since signing up for the program I have found the answer simply to be YEEEEEEEES!! I am loving it and getting so much out of it. I think you tailored the last step on Getting Organized just for me!! I have been the classic case of always looking for things, knowing I put them somewhere, and wasting a lot of valuable time trying to find them. It’s almost as if I can breathe better knowing there is a solution and it’s so easy to implement. I am pleased to say I have been taking some steps in the right direction to organize files into folders on my computer, but really love your system for naming files – so simple yet so effective. I love your enthusiasm – it’s contagious!!"
Jane Heller
Swiss Maid Fudge & Wis. Dairyland Fudge
"The biggest impact in working with Ellen? Operating from a KFP (Known Financial Position) and knowing the score. Ellen walked us through getting our financials current and accurate. This allows me to create a winning selling price and I am confident charging it. If you don’t know the numbers, then you just don’t know what’s working and what’s not - in marketing, sales and operations. When you know your numbers, the pieces can fall into place and you are able to move your company to the next level. If you own a business, The Financial Blast it will pay for itself."
Jake Loeffler
Brickliners Custom Masonry and Chimney Services
"After attending your price setting webinar, [I am] finding the holes in our profitability and setting SALES GOALS (I actually have them printed out and up on the wall!) for the month of October and the rest of Q4 - I'm glad to say that not only are we fixing the "leak" but we hit our sales goal for the month (and we did it in 2 weeks - not 4!)
"If it wasn't for the great webinar you and Libby did I would have never realized where our leak was. You also helped me realize what a GOOD idea it is to have an "open books" policy. I have shared our books with my employee and that combined with setting a sales goal has led us to success! I'm proud to say that she and I are getting our first of what I hope to be many bonuses!"
Leah Dossey
Blue Leaf Creative
"I have worked with numerous consultants throughout my career, but never with one who provided so much “value added”...Ellen is undoubtedly THE BEST. I was successful but floundering with my financials before Ellen. Not only did she help get my financial situation in order, she also helped me set a foundation for my business and get in a position for phenomenal success with The Financial Blast. Ellen is a source of extraordinary enthusiasm - you can’t help but get excited about your numbers. I could not have done it without her (and who would want to?!?). She’s a true partner committed to your success."
Teri Black-Brann
"First I wanted to give you a great big THANK YOU !!! for what you do. I think what you do with BBB is priceless and I am grateful to be a part of it. I’ve read your BNP articles off and on for about 8 years now and your teachings have been one of the biggest sources of my knowledge and inspiration to do what I do since the first PM I ever read. No exaggeration."
Chris Koch
Top Notch Plumbing
"Owning your own business is definitely a Challenge, but with Ellen by your side, she makes it so much easier. I feel like my company has made so much progress in building my business plan, since I have signed up for The Challenge. The Challenge helped me focus on creating one part at a time and going through each section and really understanding the purpose of why I need all these pieces to build a solid business plan."
Greg Leslie
The Clean Company
"Ellen’s Financial Blast opened our eyes in understanding our monthly overhead, thus resulting in adjusting our carpet cleaning and janitorial rates accordingly. We are now at a KFP (Known Financial Position) and we are excited about our future growth. We feel the cost of Ellen’s course has paid for itself many times over! It now feels wonderful to be in complete control over our business finances."
Joe and Vicky Brennan
Service Plus
"We have hired Ellen twice over the past year and a half to jump-start our business and straighten out the kinks we put into it over the years. Since following her amazing guidance, we have increased our sales by (gasp!) over 120% this year so far. She has helped us put systems in place to keep us accountable and on-track for success, and help keep the chaos at bay in our business and lives.
She is absolutely masterful at handling people and helping them to focus on what is important so they can do more of what they enjoy. She is a cheerleader, financial consultant, relationship counselor and lion-tamer all rolled into one package! Kudos to Ellen!"
Ron Culver
Culver Architects, Inc.
"The most memorable part of the Challenge was the “aha” moment when Bill & I realized that if we want to make money with this business, instead of just having a job, we would have to redesign our business to reflect our goals. The Bare Bones Biz program give more information right away and offer more support than any other program or training I have had."
Cathy Smithmyer
“The Bare Bones Biz Plan was an easy, communicative tool, that spoke to not only me, but my staff as as well, (who do not have as much experience). Having a written dialogue that speaks to you makes this book user friendly.”
Mary A. Ardapple
Apple's Bakery, Inc
"As the owner of a growing renewable energy company, I can list many reasons for taking the Challenge, but if I were only allowed one reason it would have to be Ellen's honest and real dedication to YOUR success. Ellen has created a safe, structured, and fun environment to shed your hamster wheel ways and lay the foundation and path to your business dreams."
"The Bare Bones Biz team is there to help you every step of the way, and the value that Ellen packs into her services cannot be matched. Many thanks to Ellen and the BBB team for all of your help along my path to success."
Bo DeAngelo
Automatic Solar
"The Challenge provides you with the the guidance, support and structure necessary to move you from imagining what is possible in your business to DOING! The Bare Bones Biz program is understandable and intuitive. The Challenge is the best deal out there in regards to useful formatting and consultant support. Ellen is there when you need explanation, illumination and inspiration when it comes to creating a plan focusing your business towards success and profitability."
Linda Russell
Mugshots, Inc.
“Even after 35 years in business, I still learned a lot. Interesting and fun, you learn even if you are not trying. Her examples hit home. She made you get involved. Her husband was a plumber. They worked for peanuts until they began doing the things she preaches. It’s made of lived experience. Highly recommended, I would do it again.”
Gary Burnett
Burnett Septic Services
"It's been about 5 months since I completed The Challenge. As I continue my business education labors - reading about business, sales, marketing etc. I am amazed at how much of what others say to do, I already did in The Challenge. The Challenge made it too simple - though I don't mean to imply it was not a challenge. It was and still is work. However it is very satisfying to use it regularly and to see positive results.
"When I stood up in our BNI group to share what my business was all about I simply read the mission statement and USP from my Bare Bones Business 'thing' that I put together in The Challenge and 'WOW!' is what they said. 'Did you write that or were you coached? It sounded professional. We've heard of doing that but never heard one actually presented.' Of course, it IS professional, and I wrote it, with your help, input, and encouragement. AND, I'm making money with it, AND it was only from the first week of The Challenge.
Bob Ferrari
Flue Season
"As a sole proprietor, I was so overwhelmed deciding what 'hat' to where that I never had the time to build my business. I can relate when Ellen says 'get off the hamster wheel' because I was the hamster and have run many circles on the wheel. Creating a business plan always seemed to get pushed aside in order to handle the day to day, crisis and deadline driven projects.
"Once I heard about 'The Challenge' I committed to spending one hour a day, 5 days a week to complete my business plan. Today, I know why it is called 'The Challenge' because it is difficult to step back and take a look in the mirror when you aren’t where you want to be but Ellen holds you accountable for your actions, keeps you on track, and inspires you to think big!"
Ryan Riley
Riley Athletics
"Neither one of us really thought we would sell many books at this tiny little conference, but hundreds of books later! We are thrilled! We had a $12,000 Sales day! Thanks for all the inspiration, help, support, enthusiasm and genuine interest in our success.
Trish Saccomano and Kathy Bringhurst
KT Educational Enterprises
"I am enjoying being a part of The Challenge! Ellen has done a great job of keeping things moving and organized on the calls. I think it is a very effective format to use and limiting the number attending lets everyone feel invested in the project-not just an unknown listener. I love that we can send Ellen assignments for the week and have her comment on where we need to make improvements. I really needed the one on one call to get me going in the right direction on the budget-I think that was a very nice effort on Ellen's part to reach each one individually to help with specific areas giving us trouble. It's nice to have The Challenge site to log onto if you need to go back over what was said on a call from a previous week.
"The Challenge is a good tool to motivate you and get you moving solidly in the right direction. When it's done everyone will have a good foundation put together for their business and can continue to "tweak" it on their own. We had purchased the complete system and have listened to the DVD and read all the books-but having a person to be accountable to is the key to keep the ball rolling with such a big project. It is way too easy to cut corners or procrastinate (for me anyway) if I don't answer to anyone. By the end, things are well fleshed out and you're excited about it so you are more likely to finish the rest of your set up. If everyone has the same Ah Ha moment I did, you realize your binder is a "living" binder and will never actually be done!"
Stacey Ridgeway
Mason's Chimney Service
"After meeting with Ellen during The Financial Intensive program, it became clear where we are making money based upon our ability to analyze our weekly quick check forms. She is teaching us to charge the correct price for staying in business and make a profit, and how to watch your expenses so decisive adjustments can be made quickly to correct a dangerous situation."
Scott Hale
Scott R Hale Plumbing, Heating & AC
"Thanks for the great seminars at the National Chimney Sweep Guild Convention. I was wondering what it was that would make it worth going to a casino! I am the fellow with the beard that sat in the first row. I will repeat that yours is the first financial seminar, of many, that I have gone to where I have come out feeling better that when I went in. You are able to give hard advice about finance and do it from the heart. There is hope for me!"
Ian R. Conway
The Chimney Doctor
"Ellen Rohr is the reason that Radiant Plumbing is at a known financial position (KFP) today and what a difference it makes! We have operated in the dark for years and are now able to make sound decisions based on up to date, accurate information. Ellen helped us turn around our accounting nightmare and was very encouraging throughout the process."
Sarah Casebier
Radiant Plumbing Service
"Prior to creating our Biz Plan, my business partner and I had a sort of 'mishmash' approach to getting projects done. Thanks to The Bare Bones Biz Plan, we have a clearly defined organizational chart which outlines our responsibilities for each position. I discovered that I don’t need an MBA and I am smart enough to handle the financial aspects of our business. Once we finally got started on creating our Biz Plan it was EASY. It’s true what they say…you don’t need a well-defined plan if you have a small business. However, we don’t plan to remain small. We aspire to grow our business into an EMPIRE!”
Mark Steiner
Steiner Talent/ Gig Salad
"At the time I hired Ellen, my books were sufficient for my CPA for taxes but they did not allow me to make good managerial decisions. For example, my insurance, labor, gas, materials, etc. all have gone up dramatically. How can I quickly determine what I should charge and still maintain my desired 20% net profit? How should I control inventory and tools and how should I carry these items on my books? What is an accurate system of job-costing to see what type of work is making me money? Which technicians are bringing in profitable jobs? These are questions I had and together with Ellen, was able to set up systems and re-arrange my books and chart of accounts to solve these problems.
If you are thinking of hiring Ellen. Do it! It will be the best investment you could make in your company. Best of luck!"
Dan Foley
Foley Mechanical, Inc.
"Wow!! Finally a helpful book. Being a potter and making each item by hand has always caused me to ask "How much should I charge?". After years of searching for help in this area I came across this wonderful book. Those with MBA's may not need this book, but those of us with BFA's, MFA's and just plain creative talents will find this book very educational. Ellen's easy reading style and logical approach to pricing makes this book a "must have".
Many myths about pricing are pointed out, like charging what every one else does or what the market will bear. If I am to make a living creating handmade items it is important to identify my customer and realize I am not competing with mass produced products. Thank you, Ellen, for putting me on the road to profitability."
Gail Sellers
River Hill Pottery
"I'm 55 years old and I would like to retire in this lifetime! My four kids work in the business, and I am glad that they chose to work with me. However I realized I haven't fully prepared them to take the reins. And, as it stands now, there isn't enough fortune for all four next-generation families unless we grow this business. I knew I needed HELP"
Andy Stack
Andy Stack & Associates
"What I learned from Ellen? That just skimming the surface of the P&L and Balance Sheet is NOT good enough. You NEED to know what they mean, and how they interact with each other. What I didn't expect is that it would be so much fun. I use to hate accounting because it was so BORING. Now I look forward to digging in and finding out how much money we are making. I am happy with the results of my training with Ellen but I have to confess I will MISS my weekly phone time with her. She is a GREAT teacher and she knows just when to push or pull you!"
Glenda Moore
Integrity Plumbing, Inc.
"I'm proud of the success that we've achieved. I started the company five years ago and we’ve grown to 20 employees. We’ve got more Air Conditioning calls than we can handle and we’re developing a reputation for reliability and service. As we've grown, however, our financial reporting had just gotten more complicated. I was so busy focusing on growth that I hadn't paid enough attention to profitability. And, I had gotten used to 'fuzzy''
Wayne Beck
Aladdin Air Conditioning
"The neat thing about this workshop was it addressed what every contractor has experienced when attending a workshop or a seminar. They typically went to a seminar and got a great idea only to wonder whatever happened to that great idea 6 months later. But, not this time! The whole workshop was built to get things changed!"
Pete Duesterbeck
Mid State Supply, Inc.
"How thrilled I am to have found you! Fortunately, I was ble to hear you give a presentation for Office Depot. How inspirational! My goal is to help business owners understand their financial statements, and I am always looking for a better way to communicate with my clients. As I have read countless books in quest of more knowledge, your books win the prize. You are able to break things down into easy to understand, and relevant terms. Anyone who owns a business could benefit from reading your books, thank you so much for writing them!"
Victoria Richardson
AccountAbility, LLC
"I can't believe it! I followed your advice and I doubled, actually TRIPLED, my sales for April!!! I attended your free webinar in which you issued a challenge for us to follow your techniques to see if we could double our sales with only a few days left in the month and it worked! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!"
Sharla Riead,
Hathmore Technologies, LLC
"I learned how to get to KFP! I learned how to create a budget, create a realistic selling price so that I can start making money and making my dreams come true in this wonderful life that I am now experiencing. Ellen knows her stuff better than anybody - period. She will help you see the light and start making your goals a reality. Ellen, you are the nicest person. You rock! If you are ever in town, drop me a line and I will put the dogs on the grill and the drinks on the ice. Thanks, you're the best."
Michael Turi
MT Master Plumbing