Name: De Ann
Email:
Web Site: http://www.insightprofessionalservices.com
Bio: De Ann oversees all of Insight’s internal operations, internal controls, training programs and client services. Her breadth of professional experience revolves around helping people develop creative solutions, including more than 10 years in project management in fields ranging from clinical research to large-scale public events and non-profit fund-raisers. Additionally, De Ann taught many software training programs and is a trusted resource for software troubleshooting. De Ann graduated with Honors from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in anthropology, and her love of the study of people threads itself through most aspects of her life. In her free time, De Ann enjoys dining, traveling and biking, and carries on her love of people as a volunteer with Alzheimer’s Association and Evercare Hospice. De Ann resides in beautiful Denver, CO.
Posts by dgarrison:
Article – Preventing Non-profit burnout
March 16th, 2010Do Something: Six Tips to Reinvent Non-Profits
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/143/do-something-light-my-fire.html
Nancy Lublin
Fast Company Magazine
March 1, 2010
As anyone who has worked for a not-for-profit can attest, burnout happens. Sure, it happens at all sorts of jobs but the disillusionment a do-gooder feels in the burned-out stage is soul crushing. Lublin’s article offers practical advice for pulling yourself out of the abyss and rejuvenating your do-gooder spirit.
Press Release – Insight Announces the Launch of its Referral Partner and Affiliate Marketing Programs
March 5th, 2010DENVER, CO (MARCH 5, 2010) – Insight is proud to announce the official launch of its Referral Partner and Affiliate Marketing Programs, in support of the talented professionals who contribute to Insight’s success. Recognizing the value of referrals from trusted advisors to the small business community, Insight developed these programs to solidify its relationships with key partners and provide a framework that allows for the development of strategic marketing opportunities.
Insight’s Referral Partner program provides a structured, long-term revenue-sharing relationship for companies and individuals who assist their clients and colleagues by referring them to Insight’s full suite of solutions. Revenue sharing provides the opportunity for referral partners to benefit directly from their strong business relationships, while encouraging continued involvement of Insight’s partners and clients. “Our strategic partners refer Insight to their colleagues because they recognize the strength of our services and the added value that we provide to small businesses,” said Ron Olsen, President of Insight. “The Referral Partner Program is our way of sharing our good fortune with those who help us grow,” continued Olsen.
Understanding that certain strategic partners can benefit from integrated sales and marketing relationships, Insight developed the Affiliate Marketing Program to provide support for co-branded marketing opportunities to the small business community. “Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop for resources needed by small businesses and start-up companies. By expanding Insight’s relationships with other quality service providers and creating complete operational packages for small businesses, Insight provides increased value to our clients and partners,” noted Olsen.
With strong interest in the Referral Partner and Affiliate Marketing Programs from existing clients and colleagues, these initiatives are off to a promising start in 2010. By enlisting the support of their business partners, Insight continues to expand into the small business market by providing low-cost, high-impact finance and technology services to emerging businesses.
About Insight Professional Services, LLC
Founded in April 2009, Insight Professional Services provides small business owners and consultants with a full suite of professional services and technology tools to streamline their back office operations, allowing owners to focus more time on generating revenues and growing their businesses. With more than 50 years of professional experience helping businesses increase their effectiveness and reduce their overall costs, the Insight team assembled a robust set of virtual solutions for managing the financial and technical operations of their clients. By combining the best solutions available from proven leaders in the small business space, with a powerful and reliable IT infrastructure in a state-of-the-art data center and time-tested operational practices, Insight provides an affordable offering unmatched in the marketplace. Insight is privately owned and operated. For more information, visit http://www.InsightProfessionalServices.com.
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Insights – Why Being Good is Good for Business
January 21st, 2010There’s No Service Like, Well, Service
I recently read an article arguing that behaving ethically isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business (read it here). While this particular article focuses on truth and transparency in social media, it reminded me of a recent customer service situation that could have turned out much differently.
Over the 2009 holiday season we flew to New York for some quality time with family. After 5 fun-filled days and nights it was time to head home. We persuaded my cousin to rise early and drive us to Westchester County Airport first thing Sunday morning and we arrived at the tiny airport in plenty of time to check-in, have our bags screened and be escorted to the tiny plane – all by the same person.
Once on the tiny plane (1 seat on one side, two seats on the other, 12 rows total) I soon realized that my seat (12C) doesn’t exist. I approached the Flight Attendant, and as soon as I told her my seat doesn’t exist she said, “12C?” Clearly, I’m not the first passenger with this fake seat assignment… Anyway, she escorted me to the opposite end of the plane, where I was to sit backwards facing the other 30 passengers. I was practically sitting in the pilot’s lap.
We waited for nearly an hour, by this time everyone wondering what is going on and when we are leaving. Soon we learn that the plane is overweight (sorry!) and they need 5 people and their luggage off the plane before cleared for takeoff. As an aside, I silently wonder how such a tiny plane can be more than 1,500 pounds overweight – the plane itself can’t weigh much more than that.
Airline staff approached passengers about their connecting flights – everyone is connecting, this is a small regional airport after all – but one woman tries to pull rank by announcing that she has to work the following morning because she’s a physician. [Insert 30-person eye-roll here.] Mr. Agent asks where we are headed and quickly assures me there is another flight that will get us to Denver. I fall for it, and send him back to the opposite corner of the tiny plane to inform my travel companion we have been volunteered to exit the plane with our belongings.
So far, so so, right? Minutes later when we approach the check-in desk we learn that a) Mr. Agent fibbed to us to get people off the plane, including the physician and her family, and b) there are no other flights even possible unless we can get ourselves to another airport, at our own expense. Our friendly ticket desk agent is just as angry with the young man who promised an easy solution to our travel dilemma, and he didn’t hide it.
The ticketing agents scrambled to help the five of us who were displaced. They juggled calls to customer service, other airlines and still had a line of people checking in for the next flight. We tried very hard to be patient – after all, it wasn’t either of these two men who tricked us – and it eventually paid off. The ticketing agent found us guaranteed space on flights the next morning (the same schedule we attempted the first time). Fortunately, we have family in the area so were able to stay another night at their house for free. We had no transportation, so we rented a cheap car at our own expense to get us back and forth to the airport the following morning.
The payoff? The next day’s travel was smooth – no delays or interruptions of any kind – and we were upgraded to United’s Business Class on a brand new plane for the Dulles to Denver leg. In short, it was awesome: seats that recline to a flat position, real full-size blankets, huge monitors that we could watch and play games on during any part of the flight, a decent meal, priority boarding and luggage retrieval, and water service as soon as you’re seated. Not bad for a little snafu the day before, and I can assure you that the extra day of vacation and a stress-free, upgraded flight – plus a free round-trip ticket each – more than makes up for the inconvenience of renting a car and staying an extra night.
This all reminds me of the notion that if you do the right thing in business, as well as in your personal life, you will be rewarded. The United employees who helped ultimately did the right thing by booking us guaranteed seats and giving us some perks, like 2 free round-trip tickets. As travelers, we ultimately did the right thing, too, because we were patient and treated the agents respectfully, which seems simple but I’m sure we’ve all seen customers becoming out of control during travel, particularly when plans change significantly. Granted, we benefited far more than the agents who helped us – they only received the pleasure of one less customer yelling at them. We parted shaking hands and thanking them for getting it done, and they thanked us for being understanding. No strong words were exchanged, no voices were raised, and no nasty-grams were sent. It really is that simple.
Build Relationships with Web Content
November 20th, 2009http://www.pr-squared.com/index.php/2009/11/4-ways-to-build-relationships-with-web-content
PR Squared
November 2009
Does Multitasking Make You More Productive?
November 19th, 2009http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/11/02/does-multitasking-make-you-more-productive/
Web Worker Daily
November 2, 2009
Learn to Tweet From an Expert Tweeter
November 18th, 2009http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/how-i-tweet-guy-kawasaki
OPEN Forum
November 3, 2009
End of Year Strategies for Marketing Your Business & Closing Sales
November 17th, 2009http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/11/10-things-to-market-your-business-close-more-sales.html
Small Business Trends
November 1, 2009
5 Tips for Dealing With One of Those Days
November 16th, 2009http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-berry/5-ways-to-break-up-a-bad_b_338641.html
The Huffington Post
November 12, 2009
Press Release – Insight Annouces Launch of One-stop Shop for Consultants and Small Businesses
November 9th, 2009DENVER, CO (November 9, 2009) – Insight Professional Services announces the launch of its technology and service platform, upon which consultants and entrepreneurs can build successful businesses. As a one-stop shop for technology tools and professional services, Insight manages back office responsibilities, allowing consultants and small business owners to focus more time on generating revenue.
With increasing numbers of highly skilled individuals who are un- or under-employed, recent advancements in technology and reduced barriers to starting a new business, more and more people are branching out on their own. These new business owners face hundreds of daily tasks necessary to set-up and run their operations, while trying to grow their practice. “Many consultants and small business owners struggle under the responsibility of managing and growing their practice while trying to understand and handle all the back-office aspects of their businesses,” said Ron Olsen, President of Insight. “While there is information everywhere, it can feel overwhelming not knowing who to call or where to start. Insight can help,” continued Olsen.
Insight combines services and products that help businesses navigate the start-up phase and provide practical and affordable long-term solutions that provide owners with more of what they need most: time and peace of mind. From financial operations such as time and expense tracking, billing, collections and full-charge bookkeeping, to reliable virtual office solutions that minimize capital investment and offer greater accessibility, Insight takes the worry out of managing your back office.
About Insight Professional Services, LLC
Founded in April 2009, Insight Professional Services provides consultants and small business owners with a full suite of technology tools and professional services to streamline their back office operations, allowing owners to focus more time on generating revenue and growing their businesses. With over 50 years of professional experience helping businesses increase their effectiveness and reduce their overall costs, the Insight team assembled a robust set of virtual solutions for managing the IT and financial operations of their clients. By combining the best solutions available from proven leaders in the small business space, with a powerful and reliable IT infrastructure in a state-of-the-art data center and time-tested operational practices, Insight provides an affordable offering unmatched in the marketplace. Insight is privately owned and operated, with virtual offices in California, Colorado and Washington. For more information visit http://www.InsightProfessionalServices.com.
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It’s All in the Clouds, and It’s Bound to Stay That Way
November 4th, 2009Client virtualization will help you create your next generation desktop.
