DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Exploiting Your Niche: Identifying and Marketing your Expertise

August 19, 2012

Daniel Spandau, President

DJS Consulting Inc.

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Daniel SpandauDan Spandau is President and Senior Consulting Partner with DJS Consulting, Inc. He has beenworking in the environmental field for over 30 years and has worked specifically with thepetroleum industry since the late 80’s. His work has been focused in the storage of petroleumproducts, regulatory representation, evaluation of risk transfer instruments, environmentalremediation, audits, training, and the design and implementation of management systems to helpmonitor regulatory compliance practices.

Dan has a degree in Chemistry and an MBA with a focus in Information Management. He spent 10years working with the EPA and the Department of Energy developing instruments to monitorEnvironmental Pollutants.

In 1988, Dan started a commercial environmental laboratory for a Pump and Tank contractor in theNortheast. As an executive member of the staff, he helped expand the business into a nationalfirm that offered Engineering, Permitting, Construction, Maintenance, and Environmental servicesto Petroleum Retail Marketers and Distributors. Dan has been an independent consultant since2001.

Dan’s focus over the last 11 years has been assisting Petroleum Marketers and Distributors,Environmental Law Firms and Real Estate Investment Firms deal with regulatory changes byhelping them evaluate, design and implement programs to streamline regulatory compliance.New product developments incorporate data collection and analysis to identify trends in businessand target areas to minimize expenses and boost business profits.

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Identify your Business

Past, Present and Future

Lessons learned

Continuous improvement

Innovation – application of skill

sets

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Research Chemist Management DJS Consulting

20011988

• New Grad

• Loved my work

• Dynamic environment

• Continuous learning

• Need PhD to advance

• Low Pay

Driving Forces• Start a family

• Loved my work

• Dynamic environment

• Continuous learning

• Gravitated to MBA

• Good Pay

• Really long hours

• Lots of stress

• Time with my family

• Loved my work

• Dynamic environment

• Continuous learning

• Focus my profession

• Limited management

• Good Pay

20121977

**Critical Educational Choice

$$

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Research Chemist Management DJS Consulting

20011988

Skill Focus

20121977

Scientific

Research

Writing

Presentation

Technology

Management

Marketing < 2%

< 5%

< 5%

< 20%

< 10%

< 10%

< 50%< 50% < 50%

< 50%< 50%

> 50%

> 70%

< 50%

< 50%

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Research Chemist Management DJS Consulting

20011988

Skill Components

20121977

Science

Research

Writing

Presentation

Technology

Management

Marketing

Analytical Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

New Products***

Analytical Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

New Products***

Field experiments

Product testing

New Products***

Project

Client

Project

Client

Personnel

Project

Technology Transfer Products and Services Products and Services

Research Grants

Publications

Statement of Qualifications

Procedures

Business Publications

Statement of Qualifications

Association Presentations

Business Publications

Computers

Instrument Development

Formulations

Computers

Commercial Instruments

Procedure Development

Computers

Data Collection

Procedure Development

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Who Am I?

I am a company that….

fills my client needs because I listen to them and determine how my skill set can solve one of their current issues

is a project driven entity

exploits the information I collect to develop profitable opportunities for my client

is always trying to use technology to enhance productivity for my client

believes that information is power

continues to explore and invest time and money into new opportunities

©2009 HŪMDEV, LLC

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Predicted vs. Actual

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Who am I not?

I am not a company that…

can afford to be satisfied with what I have developed.

can slide back into my historic comfort zone of expertise. If I can replace that expertise with better people at a cheaper price, I have to do it.

waits for clients to come to me. Even though most of my clients are generated through recommendations, I continually develop marketing strategies to entice new clients to use my services.

without a short, medium and long term plan. Each may change radically over time, but I always have some general direction to keep me focused on a goal.

©2009 HŪMDEV, LLC

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Who Are You?

You need to identify your critical expertise and all of the possibilities.

Be an excellent listener/investigator to determine how your expertise can improve your client’s business.

You need to market yourself.

You need to understand and evaluate the cost of doing business.

You need to know how to negotiate a fair deal.

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

It works great

...but is that what the client wanted?

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Never Stop….Identifying Who You Are

Know your strengths

More important – know you weaknesses

Create a niche

Don’t reinvent the wheel – surround yourself with experts

Networking

Local, Regional, National, International

Blogs, Teleconferences, Presentations, Articles, Books

Short, Medium and Long Term Investments

Listening To Your Customer

Identify their needs

Help solve their problems

Create a product/service

Funding New Ideas

With both your time and money

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Under-Selling

Tough economic times will always require more product for a better value

The Buyer has the advantage

Not always – some companies still want the best, and in many instances will pay a higher premium

There are a range of clients (understand your competition)

High volume/ Lower price

Lower volume / Higher price

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

A ListAll businesses need time

Cash, stamina, positivity and a willingness to do whatever it takes

All businesses are high risk

No paychecks, leverage, ability to deal with lots of change and adjust

All businesses need a plan and ongoing plan reviews

Initial plan, customer input, marketing, research and more…..

All business owners need a mentor and supporters

You need input, advice (product and business), and you can’t do it alone

All businesses need to understand their strengths and competitive advantages

What is your specialty, what differentiates you

All business need to understand their competition and market

Clients, type of product/service, pricing

Is it time to grow your business Or

Half your customers and double your price

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Teamwork

Big Company

Consultant

Payday

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Some final

thoughts…Execution not implementation

Fast and nimble

Clients become friends

Friends help you get clients

Big companies are eliminating expenses

Consultants fill in the gaps

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Abstract244th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Sunday August 19th 2012, 9:20 AM

Document ID: 12022

Program Area: SCHB: Division of Small Chemical Businesses

Symposium Title: (SCHB001) True Stories of Success and Best Practices from Chemical

Entrepreneurs

Author: Daniel J Spandau1 , 22258 Waterside Dr., Boca Raton, Florida, 33428, United States , 561-239-0090,

dspandau@officerx.biz

Title: Exploiting your niche: Identifying and marketing your expertise

Every professional has developed a set of expertise. A successful business entrepreneur needs to identify and market these skills. Determining what your value added is to a specific industry is the key to maintaining strong business relationships. A business or consulting practice grows by finding out how to address client needs. This presentation will explore how a consulting firm can exploit this process to gain a successful client niche service. Services need to be identified, refined and successfully marketed to a set of potential clients. Critical to the continued success is the constant review of what you have to offer and how to get this information to potential clients.

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

More InformationDaniel Spandau

DJS Consulting Inc.

22258 Waterside Dr.

Boca Raton, FL 33428

Email: dspandau@officerx.biz

Direct Line: (561) 239-0090

DJS Consulting The Center for Compliance Focus

Lessons from the

LinksPlayers on the golf course must battle the course and conditions in order to succeed. While a caddy might lend a hand carrying the load, individuals must rely on their own strengths to accomplish goals. Business is also a singular endeavor, and owners and managers must battle market conditions, competitors, and unexpected challenges. To succeed, a business must hire the right people, invest in the right training, and deliver world-class customer service. Golfer and business owner Elizabeth knows these lessons well; hoping to help her friend Matt, she teaches him the lessons she's learned over a friendly game of golf. What ensues is a detailed tutorial on how to successfully operate a business. As Matt plays each hole, he learns why vision is so important in reaching goals, how to clearly articulate an end game, ways to avoid hazards and how to escape them, and many other lessons from the golf course. If business owners managed their businesses the way professional golfers play the game, they will find themselves more successful and more profitable--and they'll have more fun in the bargain! Find out how to succeed in business with Lessons from the Links Lessons from the Links : Managing Business Like the Pros by Elly Valas

Business Lessons from the Links Track(s): PEI Workshops Add to Calendar Sunday, October 2 | 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM Location: S103 A Page Content Presented by Mark Mayberry If business people ran their businesses the way Phil Mickelson plays golf, they would all be wearing green jackets! Much like golf, running a successful business has a mental aspect. You battle market conditions, competitors and unexpected challenges. Find out how to succeed in business by following rules the pros use on the course.