We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marian Saunders White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marian Saunders below.

Marian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My formal educational and training is in Information Systems Management which I consider a mix between computers and business. I was very fortunate in one of my previous jobs that my employer at the time really believed in moving people around to different jobs, functions, and responsibilities if they showed interest and potential. With them I worked in IT, Project Management and even got my start in Human Resources at their urging working as Technical Recruiter. During one of their reorganizations they identified a need for a Subcontracts Manager – a new position with the company. I asked to be considered and was offered the position. I worked with all of our small business subcontractors, negotiating their agreements, reviewing their invoices and approving them for payment. I had developed a unique mix of skills which gave me a great overall perspective into business – the technical perspective, understanding the human element (motivation and development), as well as contract management and compliance. By working closely with some of our small business vendors, I was able to see where they struggled in providing service that met expectations, while successfully managing the back end of their business. Some were losing money because they didn’t know how to properly invoice for their services or they didn’t take the time to review the guidelines of their agreements. I began to give them tips on how they could work more efficiently and improve on their cash flow with proper and timely invoicing. I realized that many small business owners are stretched thin trying to provide the products and services that fuel their passion, their main reason for going into business in the first place, and staying on top of the sometimes boring, but very necessary work of the back office areas – HR, training, contract management, and payroll facilitation. I realized I had a distinctive insight into small business management and could solve these types of problems for many entrepreneurs who may have realized they needed help, but didn’t think they could afford it. With my understanding of how decision A made during contract negotiation, affected decision B in staffing, I could help employers avoid a problem down the line with invoicing and payment. Not many people have that combined expertise in these areas. Business owners that utilized my firm get the expertise they need at a extremely competitive rate, making our services customizable and affordable, while our clients become more productive and efficient.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a skilled coach, facilitator and trainer, with over 25 years’ of corporate and entrepreneurial experience in business operations, program and project management, leadership development, contract management, software development, and human resources. I started my professional career as an IT software developer, moved into project management, worked as a IT recruiter and trainer, and then moved into contract management. I have also held the role of President of an IT firm with multi-million dollar revenues.

One of my first businesses was as owner of a financial brokerage firm that provided financing and loans to small businesses. I started this business because at a time when I was looking to buy into a franchise, the bank recommended by the franchise refused to consider my application unless my husband was included as part of my submission package. This made no sense to me as I was buying the business alone and had met all stated requirements with my information alone, but they refused to budge. I realized there must be other women out there who also experienced this bias when it came to financing. So I sought out training in the industry and open my brokerage firm in an attempt to level the playing field.

My current business also seeks to provide our services with integrity to all business owners, especially women and other minorities who may not have access to such services. Our team offers over 25 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience in all aspects of business operations, entity registration and certification, management, and coaching. We have the expertise and tenacity needed to assist organizations in identifying and overcoming the obstacles that prevent them from achieving their full potential.

Through our coaching services, we aim to educate business owners on ethical practices, the importance of continual training and education, not just for employees, but for the owners themselves. We believe there is no one size fits all solution for our clients and are ready to support as much or as little as needed. We are extremely proud of our ability to work at the highest levels of integrity, in a friendly, professional manner. We don’t sell our services – we listen to what our potential clients are experiencing and offer solutions to ease their pains. If we identify areas that need attention that don’t fall in our core competencies, we clearly state that and will refuse work where we can’t add value.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The majority of our clients have come to us as direct referrals. Although we have a presence on social media, our clients have reached out to us because someone they know has used us in the past or is a current client of ours – which we feel is the best source. We have clients in the IT industry, but have spanned multiple fields, such as transportation, child care, beauty and wellness, creative arts, and construction. This proves that no matter the specific work, many small business owners experience the same obstacles related to HR, contracts, and finance administration.

When a potential client reaches out to us because someone referred them to us – it’s a much more relaxed conversation for everyone. Someone they trust told them of their positive experience with us and felt they could also benefit from our services – that’s wonderful. We’ve also had repeat clients where they may have contracted us for a specific project or task and then returned for another project or requested on-going support services. This is definitely the best source of clients.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

This is an interesting question because as an entrepreneur, I strongly believe in creating multiple revenue streams overall, not all of them are tied to my primary business, but there are a few. We currently offer live in-person and virtual training as part of our normal services. As an added revenue stream, we also offer a complete Learning Management System that clients can purchase on an annual basis. The LMS would allow clients to offer their employees 24-7 web-based training covering various topics, which is a great employee benefit. We also offer Legal and Identity Theft Protection services that employers can purchase as additional benefits to themselves as owners as well as to their employees. I have also co-authored a book on Leadership that is available for purchase as an additional revenue for me. I am looking to add other e-books and resources for small business owners as supplementary streams of revenue for the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.refineryconsulting.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/therefineryconsulting
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therefineryconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-refineryconsulting-llc/