Small companies band together

It's lonely at the top for entrepreneurs and small business owners, said Greg Vacek of Omaha, who started a local franchise of the Alternative Board, which seeks to replicate a board of directors for small companies.

The Alternative Board, which is based in Westminster, Colo., and operates worldwide, brings together business owners so they can meet informally, advise each other and share experiences.

Vacek, who operated his own businesses in the past, said he wished he had a board of directors to bounce ideas off and help make decisions.

“I'm one of them,” he said of the entrepreneurs who make up the boards.

Vacek started the Alternative Board in early 2006 and now runs six boards in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

Each board meets once monthly for four hours. Members talk about issues they face in their business and solicit suggestions from the group.

A board's makeup is determined by members' experience, skills and goals, as well as the business's annual revenue and number of employees. Members are placed on boards with business owners from different industries to limit competition. The enrollment fee is from $400 to $700, with monthly fees ranging from $295 to $595.

Cella Quinn, who has operated Cella Quinn Investment Services for 17 years, has belonged to the organization for three years. When she recently wanted to know how to publish an electronic book online, she asked her Alternative Board peers for help.

“I use it as an ad hoc board of directors,” she said.

Quinn said her fellow board members are familiar with her and her business, so she is comfortable seeking their advice.

“They're objective and on my side,” she said. “And it's important to have people like that in your life.”

The board has been an excellent resource, because of the variety of viewpoints it has, Quinn said.

Typical matters brought before the Alternative Board are sales, marketing, human resources, finances, succession planning and even personal issues that could affect the business, Vacek said.

In addition to the monthly board meetings, Vacek meets individually with members monthly and directs strategic planning sessions at the companies.

Rich Howdle, president of Mail Solutions, a direct mail and printing company, said Vacek helped him establish sales goals and business strategies. The one-on-one coaching helps Howdle track his progress in reaching long-term goals, he said.

In the group meetings, Howdle said, members often have experienced problems similar to those someone brings up, which helps lead to an informed decision.

At the same time, the discussion is continually interesting, he said.

“It might be something you're familiar with,'' he said, “but it might be something new.”

During the current recession, the boards have acted as support groups offering the message that “you are not alone,” said Vacek. No one has canceled his or her membership for financial reasons, he added.

And meetings are sometimes a place to let off steam.

John Barnhart, president of Barnhart Press, said he appreciates a forum where he can vent his frustrations constructively. The “genuine compassion” of board members for one another and for their employees, especially regarding how to keep employees happy while reducing expenses, is impressive, he said.

Barnhart said he initially was unsure whether he could commit to a half-day away from the office. But exchanging ideas with business owners from a cross-section of industries who are familiar with the local economic climate has been worth the sacrifice, he said.

Contact the writer:

444-1085, stefanie.monge@owh.com

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