Original text

Published August 04, 2020

Mark O'Connor of Green Bay considers himself to be a problem-solver. He has spent years working in a variety of roles in companies from his start as a machine operator to a more recent role as a safety and procurement manager.

From his jobs in lower-level positions to one where he managed more than 150 employees, there has been one constant. Regardless of the job, his goal and desire have been to create more efficient systems of operation.

"I learned the ins and outs of how a company functions," O'Connor said. "I turned the safety culture around and started an inventory system and successfully drove supply costs down and built strong supplier relationships."

With industry specialties in metal fabrication, paper, food manufacturing, heavy construction, landscaping, machining, and nonprofit organizations, he is hoping to turn his corporate achievements into a successful consulting business. The business, O'Connor Business Consulting (markbusinessconsul.wixsite.com/mysite), launched recently and he is working with Green Bay SCORE mentors as he gets established. There are challenges. Not only is consulting one of the most difficult businesses to gain traction in, O'Connor needs to function outside of his comfort level.

"I am inspired to do this because so many people have told me I have a gift for this increased performance and establishing a positive culture," O'Connor said. "But I also know my strengths and weaknesses, and my weakness is sales."

While he says he understands that cold calling is a matter of winning and losing, he prefers to write letters. However, Green Bay SCORE mentor Robert Jahnke, owner of Top Hat Marketing, believes in the success of making personal contacts. Jahnke has statistics that prove that persistence, even if it takes many contacts, will yield results.

Jahnke will be encouraging O'Connor to get more comfortable with that process and to develop a marketing plan that includes networking. O'Connor is more than willing to listen.

"I talked to SCORE, and I have talked to some friends who are business owners," O'Connor said. "That's important because the insights of other people are valuable. Your own ideas may or may not be great, but if you take your ideas and their ideas, you can go far."

He has taken that advice in developing a business model that highlights his expertise and promises that he will be able to improve a company's processes.

"No matter what company we're talking about, there are always areas that can be improved," O'Connor said. "That might be an increase in quality performance, better inventory control, production efficiencies, or better organization and communications across departments."

His website outlines those services and highlights achievements. Social media includes Facebook and LinkedIn, and he plans on using LinkedIn to make some of the contacts that he hopes will get him a meeting with a company's leader.

"I look forward to asking questions and finding out what I can do to improve processes," he said. "What are they looking for? Do they need spreadsheets made? I can analyze data, and teach management how to monitor and improve. I can meet with staff and go over things like process mapping.

It's all about identifying the problem and finding solutions."

As a consultant, he believes that there are advantages to being an outsider and taking a fresh look at areas that might go unnoticed by staff. He also touts his experience in having worked for a variety of companies that provided him with a broader view of how things are done.

In addition, O'Connor says he has put a premium on education and holds degrees in business management and administration. He has certifications in general industry safety, construction safety and 6 Sigma Lean Manufacturing. He also has extensive computer knowledge and owned a landscaping company for seven years.

While all of this provides him with the base of knowledge it will take to be a successful consultant, he doesn't take for granted how difficult it will be. With as many as 80 percent of consulting firms failing in their first two years, he is doing whatever he can to make sure that he is not one of them.

His vision is "to help companies solve problems that are holding them back from their goals and bottom line." To do that, he will need to get outside of his comfort zone something he is planning to accomplish.

"This is my job," O'Connor said. "I have a goal to always learn and improve, and never give up. I will keep putting one foot in front of the other, seek help, research, and plan even if that means making cold calls. My strength is that I am good at what I do."

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.