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Business Development

Announcement of Partnership, Merger, or Growth
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This is a great two-page letter, because it anticipates the dozens of questions friends and clients will have about an organizational change. All of them are asking, "How will this affect me?" By explaining in advance, we not only positioned ourselves as bigger and better, but we saved dozens of phone calls explaining what all the changes meant.
FALL

Dear Friends,

The next time you phone us, we'll answer "CareerLab/Lincolnshire."

We've become the Colorado branch of Lincolnshire International, a premier firm providing career management, outplacement counseling, and human resources consulting worldwide.  This won't change the way our company works with you, but now we can serve you from any city in the U.S., Canada, and Europe where Lincolnshire has a presence:

  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Charlotte
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Denver
  • Los Angeles
  • Minneapolis
  • Newport Beach
  • New York
  • Phoenix
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Toronto
  • United Kingdom
Lincolnshire International focuses on pre-employment testing, inplacement, executive coaching, career pathing, conflict resolution, workplace violence prevention and crisis intervention, and especially individual and group outplacement.

This network of top-tier organizations enables us to handle projects that span several cities.  Other Lincolnshire affiliates refer business to us, thus expanding the number of companies and industries we deal with.

(Please turn the page . . . )

Page Two
How were you selected for Lincolnshire membership?
We successfully completed three senior executive outplacement projects for a  Lincolnshire firm in Minneapolis. (One assignment was especially difficult.)  Two  Lincolnshire firms interviewed us in Denver; then we made a formal presentation in  Chicago, after which we were unanimously voted in.

Was this a merger, or did you sell any interest in CareerLab?
No one was merged or acquired, and we haven't sold any equity.  We became  shareholders in a larger consulting organization, a company owned entirely and equally by  its member firms.

Why did you choose Lincolnshire rather than another national firm
Their member firms share our beliefs and values.  We have a lot in common. They're  entrepreneurial firms run by well-established professionals.  They're leaders in their  markets.  We can learn from them, and they can learn from us.

Will CareerLab become bigger and less personal?
No, our consulting and support staff in Colorado will remain exactly the same. We plan to live up to our reputation as "a small, personal firm that cares."

Will anyone be layed off in this process?
No.  The staff in Denver will remain the same.

Can we still use Denver consultants in other cities?
Yes, if you prefer.

Will new or different consultants be working on our projects?
No, not unless you have a project outside Denver that requires large numbers of  consultants or career offices in other cities.

How will your Lincolnshire membership benefit me?
You will have access to our offices in major cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe . . . as well as access to high-powered career and human resources experts worldwide. You'll be able to use CareerLab/Lincolnshire for larger projects than in the past.

Are you planning more expansion in the U.S., Canada, and Europe?
Yes, we will expand as we find qualified member firms.  We're planning to acquire  a group of European outplacement and human resources companies in the near future,  giving us a truly global presence.

Wishing you great success,

William S. Frank
PRESIDENT
wsfrank@careerlab.com

 

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William S. Frank, M.A., President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
  12. Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
  21. Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
  22. Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
  23. Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.
As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.