Lisa Chapman stays busy in hard times
Business adviser wears many
hats
By Natalia Mielczarek
THE TENNESSEAN
Lisa
Chapman of Belle Meade has been extra busy these months, thanks to the
recession. She's a business adviser, among other job titles, who counsels
business folks on how to survive in these tough times, and do it with class.
Armed
with an MBA from the University
of Houston, Chapman
started her own business from her living room when she was 27. Pediatric
Nursing Specialists of America, Inc., was her graduate school project and grew
into a health-care company for critically ill infants, with revenues of more
than $10 million annually.
She also
co-founded Grand Canyon Properties, LLC to buy and renovate homes and worked
with more than 100 first-time homebuyers, assisting them to qualify for
mortgage.
Chapman
is an author of several books and a licensed Real Estate Broker in Tennessee.
To Sher
Powers, a Realtor, investor and landlord, Chapman has been a mentor and, over
time, a business partner. "She's really good at incubating
businesses," Powers said. "She grows them from a concept into systems
and processes that get a company moving smoothly. It's an incredible gift that
she has, to shape the direction of companies. "The most valuable lesson
that Palmer learned from Chapman is zero in on the details. "I'm more of
an idea person, but she was really able to get me focus on the
foundation."
Martin
Kozicki met Chapman in 2006 and since then, the two have worked on several
occasions, Kozicki said. "Many Realtors are anxious to move from one deal
to the next, but Lisa always takes time and care with each of her
clients," said Kozicki, co-founder of Easy C2C, a company that provides
transaction management and marketing services to Realtors in Nashville.
"Even
on deals where she was thrown a curve from a lender, another agent, or the
client, Lisa's professionalism has shone through. Her positive attitude and
leadership skills have been a great pattern for us to model in dealing with our
other clients as well," he said.
This is what Chapman had to say about her work:
What exactly do you do and in what way do you
help people?
"I
am a business coach, working with early- to mid-stage companies who are having
problems increasing their profits, raising capital or taking their company to
the next level. Many companies need the guidance of an experienced
entrepreneur, CEO or CFO on their management team, but would prefer to
outsource, instead of adding that overhead cost.
"For
instance, one of my clients is a brilliant creative soul with a new stage
performance. I oversee the business side, freeing her up to focus on her
artistic gifts and talents, in order to perfect her performance. Another client
is a successful retailer who plans to franchise, and needs help packaging the
operation for future franchisees. For many of my clients, in just a few months,
I can offer insights and help them achieve what took me 20-plus years to
accomplish as an entrepreneurial CEO/CFO."
Have you had more folks looking for help in
recent months because of the economic slowdown?
"Yes.
Absolutely! In this slow economy, many companies are now experiencing lower
revenues, and in order to make a profit, they need to either increase revenues,
or make tough decisions to decrease costs, which often involves
re-organization. I've experienced this in my own businesses more than once.
"As
a coach, I help them by offering creative alternative ideas, and then we
project the financial outcomes of the proposed changes. Cutting costs is
definitely not the only answer. We always brainstorm ways to create new revenue
streams that are synergistic with my client's core business. I've experienced
again and again that 'necessity is the mother of invention', and that tough
times are the seeds of great positive change that will benefit the company
many-fold in the future."
What's one piece of advice you'd give people
who want to be more successful in business, especially these days?
"Step
back and re-evaluate how you are using your limited resources, especially
people, time and money. Are you using them efficiently and effectively? Are
they focused on the most important things, and not just the easiest things? Are
they all working together in your organization toward a common purpose — your
core business and mission? Are they working together as a well-oiled machine,
or are some things 'broken'? If so, make a list of the broken parts and start
to envision solutions. Essentially, now is the time to get back to
basics."
What's the most common mistake you see people
making as they start out?
"Most
early stage businesses don't have a well-researched, well-documented business
plan that is up to date. Often, the sheer exhilaration, sense of urgency, and
long list of 'To-Dos' distract new entrepreneurs from taking time to step back
and put a business plan in writing. This may be the most important thing an
entrepreneur ever does. It may seem tedious and time-consuming, and it requires
research. But with the Internet, that research is now easier than ever.
"Knowing
your competition, target market, potential obstacles, and untapped
opportunities are the absolute key to early success and serve as a guide to
your company's action plan. Many business leaders who are just starting out
believe that they already know all these things, and they may, indeed, have a
good grasp of them. But the discipline of researching and documenting these
things will confirm their beliefs, thus strengthening their action plan.
"It
will also, always, uncover additional opportunities, solutions, and actions
that enhance their original plan, sometimes beyond measure. Very importantly, a
well-written business plan gives the rest of the management team, employees,
board of directors, and external advisers such as accountants and bankers, the
information they need to be aligned with the company and help ensure that
everyone is working together to reach the company's goals."