LAUREL, Md. — A new, virtual management group program hosted by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) recently held its first meeting, with the aim of giving leaders support, training and ideas from their peers.
The inaugural meeting of DLI’s Inner Circle, led by Ascend Consulting Group’s Diana Vollmer, was attended by 13 members from the U.S. and Canada; DLI plans to add more groups to the program in the future.
“We talked about the state of the industry and what immediate opportunities are available, what you can do now, during COVID, to help sustain and grow your business,” says Brian Johnson, DLI’s Director of Education and group liaison.
The group also was able to network with one another, forming new relationships and making plans to discuss ideas between quarterly meetings.
“With more than 20 years’ experience running similar management groups specifically for drycleaning business owners, I know firsthand that everyone who participates wins,” Vollmer says. “The price of participation is dwarfed by the gains you can make by being involved. Being 100% open and honest will yield the best results and assure we will help you draw a realistic roadmap to increased profits."
“Every Inner Circle member has certain performance indicators and metrics that could and should be improved upon to maximize profitability,” says group member Jamin Soehn, owner of Classic Cleaners in Red Deer, Alberta. “I cannot think of a greater way to explore new services and how we offer those services effectively to our current and prospective clients than to join a group of like-minded peers who share a lot of the same hurdles in their operations.”
One of the major benefits of having a virtual management group like this, DLI states, is that it’s much less expensive than face-to-face groups when considering fees, travel, meals, lodging and other factors. “After completing our first four-hour online meeting in the comfort of my own office I am already impressed with the value gained from the group,” Soehn says.
DLI is currently accepting registrations for cleaners to join a group, with current DLI members receiving a discount. For more information, click the “Inner Circle” link on DLI’s webpage.
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