Planning for Profit
PHONE NUMBER: 541-207-7775
WEBSITE: planningforprofit.net
OWNER: Lisa Dunn
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 1.5, but previously worked 6 years in engineering and 10 in finance
WHAT SHE PROVIDES: Financial consultation and analysis for small businesses and non-profit organizations
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: Lisa Dunn can provide a helpful, specialized look at your business. She will benefit your business enormously by identifying the best strategies and assisting with whatever changes need to be made or whatever goals need to be met. Basically, she’ll help you better understand your business and finances.
Lisa, when and why did you decide to start your business? I decided two years ago when I was spending a lot of time volunteering, like at Little League or Pop Warner, and I enjoyed it. I thought that if I was spending this much time volunteering, I might as well return to the work force in my field. I had taken time off to raise my kids. It took a while to get back into it because I have a unique niche and not a lot people understand or know about it. So it started off a bit slowly. I went to a whole lot of networking events and started meeting people, and eventually I met my first client.
Tell us more about your services. My field is finance, and I help businesses become more profitable. I work with them on their budgets, cost of products and what they are selling them for, making sure that they are covering all their costs when they sell the products. I ensure they are covering the costs of all the overhead costs like employees, and I compare the business against competitors. I also work with day-to-day operations and annual budgeting.
What does being featured as the Local Business of the Week mean to you? It is pretty cool. It is especially nice for me because I have a unique niche, and it’s not always understood. So this is an opportunity to share with others. It is also great for CIBA and the Sustainability Coalition to feature and support the local businesses and services of Corvallis.
What does your business do better than anyone else? Why should folks patronize your business? I help people really understand sources and the use of cash. For example, I believe most people look at their business as a whole and do not understand the value of breaking down their business into segments. I help people understand their financial strengths and give guidance operationally.
What challenges have you faced as an independent local business owner, and how have you met those challenges? The biggest challenge is just letting people know you are out there and trying to find the right group who meets my needs and theirs, like local businesses. Another challenge is finding the right way to market myself and my business.
What do you feel is the impact of local independent businesses on Corvallis? Corvallis is amazingly supportive of local businesses. We are all very fortunate. All the local businesses provide a unique flavor to the community and allow people to work to their own strengths and passions.
What is your relationship to the community? I would say that I am an advisor to specific clients. I hope to help them become better. My intention is not to just come in and cut costs, but to look for a situation in which everybody wins.
Please give us your one-sentence take-away message about your business. My goal is to help businesses maximize profits and be successful.
(Interview and article by Madison Boock – June 14, 2015)
The Local Business of the Week program is designed to help the Corvallis community identify our locally owned independent businesses by featuring one business each week. The program is part of the Buy Local First campaign co-sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Community Independent Business Alliance (CIBA).