Wednesday, March 23, 2011

PCLS: What do we do?

I am often asked what it is that we do. Usually I say, "We make holes," which makes people either think I am an idiot for saying that, or that I think they are the idiots and cannot handle a more complete explanation. People who have known me for years still ask me what it is that we do, and the explanation must sound like a rambling nonsense of details and qualifications of details. We do stuff, we make holes.

We make holes because we really enjoy finding out what is in them, and in helping our professional friends find out what is in the holes that we make. There is something fascinating about discovery.. like finding a time capsule buried in a corner stone of a building... and it is all the more fun if the hole making and the discovery has a value toward the future retention and health of an historic structure.

But we don't just simply make holes. Maybe it is that we make smart holes, sometimes they do prove to be smarter than us. But all told, where the non-destructive testing stops, or needs a nudge into the next dimension of accuracy, we are there ready and willing to make smart holes.


You will find the vid easier on the eyes in full screen mode.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

NYC - Histo Presto - Coffee & Bagel for March-April 2011

The coffee & bagel in NYC for March has a problem... due to a slight technical difficulty where we thought we were going to gather we are not now going to gather.

So, if enough folks respond we will look into the Neighborhood Preservation Center, for a next date, but we need an RSVP of at least 24 individuals all willing to fork over a small amount of cash to cover the rental cost of the room.

Or, we need a kind soul to volunteer a free space where they get to show off and be otherwise famous for a few hours.

The two sessions to date have been quite well attended and despite that they are advertised as not being about anything in particular the discussions have been very interesting.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Selling and Business Acumen Training

From Selling Power, Daily Report
Ray Green, Co-Founder - ParadigmLearning

This is a series of videos on the subject of selling and business acumen. An emphasis is placed on the need to understand business models and cash flow in particular in order for sales people to better partner with customers through a depth of realization of the customer's business strategies and initiatives.

Our business as consultants with tools is a small one with a very particular niche in the historic preservation industry. We wear all of the hats of a business and do not have a separate sales force, marketing, operations or financial departments. Our silo is full of a mish-mash of ingredients. We are all rolled into one. We need to understand our cash flow and our financials and to handle marketing and sales and operations all together every day-to-day.

Regardless, it has always proven to our benefit to understand how larger business organizations perceive their operations and market environments and for us to learn from their knowledge and experience.

Ray Green Part 1

Ray Green Part 2


Ray Green Part 3