Case Study #1:  Catz Fitness

Owners Names: Adam Zeitsiff and Dr. Bill Germano

Catz Fitness of Commack New York is run by serial entrepreneur Adam Zeitsif and his partner Dr. Bill Germano, a successful chiropractor.  They joined forces based on Adam’s business prowess and Bill’s natural affinity to health and wellness.  Originally specializing in training competitive athletes, they made a decision to branch out and include individuals looking to live a healthier lifestyle along with their young children.  Today Adam and Bill not only help many former couch potatoes life a more active lifestyle but have developed a strong base with high school athletes aiming to take fitness to the next level.

Catz’s challenges started mounting shortly after Adam and Bill built their world class facility in Commack.  They were struggling to get the word out to the local market about what Catz training was capable of.  As Catz was not a household name and had a significantly larger presence on the west coast, their marketing efforts had to be more robust than they originally anticipated.  Further complicating matters, Adam and Dr. Germano insisted that the only way you could truly see how effective Catz training really is was to experience it firsthand.  That meant they had to get human beings in the door, right?  Maybe. Click here to read the rest of the Catz Fitness case study.

Case Study #2: La Mantia Gallery

Owners Names: Robert Bluver & James LaMantia

Inside the idyllic seaside village of Northport, NY sits a nationally respected fine art gallery called LaMantia Gallery. Robert Bluver and James LaMantia are the partners that run this retail establishment which hosts art shows along with wine and cheese parings. All who visit the gallery are treated to thorough knowledge of the featured artists, design skills that are second to none, and first class service that – given the ambience and artists’ talent level – those who come in are not one bit surprised to receive.

After 21 years in business, LaMantia Gallery’s owners have realized that they have a new desire to become a wholesaler of art, representing artists and selling their works to other galleries, but they need to work through a few challenges first. When I asked Robert about his plan to achieve his goals, he told me that though he had established it “in his head”, he had not really formulated it on paper -- and lamented that he did not exactly have all the details worked out quite yet. Adding another layer of difficulty is the fact that LaMantia also has four lines of business already: retail, corporate, residential and framing services, which many of their existing clients don’t realize.  Click here to read more about Robert's story.

Case Study #3:  Sandwire

Owner Name: Adam Schwam

Sandwire is an IT infrastructure and back-up solutions provider for hundreds of businesses in the NY Metropolitan area. Owner Adam Schwam is extremely bright and motivated -- despite the fact the he never completed high school. While he does have his GED, Schwam has not allowed the absence of a high school diploma to keep him from building a formidable company.

I first met Adam nearly ten years ago when we were both involved in starting a non-profit business group called The Long Island Elite. Along the way, Adam and I developed a strong friendship based on mutual respect, often sharing our respective business challenges with each other.

Though Adam provides a quality product, he struggles to market his services in a bigger way, mostly as a result of being mired down in the day-to-day struggles of operating of a business. He was constantly planning projects and initiatives to bring in more revenue, but never implementing them. For example, he rented space in a beautiful office where he had an entire office designated for the sales team he planned to hire. However, when the Basso On Business crew arrived to shoot Adam’s episode, that room was serving as a storage facility -- devoid of any salespeople or even sales equipment.  Click here to read more about Adam's story.

Case Study #4: Matt Silver's Ultimate Class Limousine

Owner Name: Matt Silver

Ultimate Class is run by a brash leader named Matt Silver who is ever-present on the regional networking and charity circuit. In fact, I would say that he knows more people in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area than any other human being. Silver runs a fleet of cars, buses, vans and limos that deliver prom-goers, professionals and soon-to-be married couples to and from their destinations within a reasonable price point and with professional service. Sounds great, right?

The only problem is that Matt has spent many years working so feverishly to ensure his clients were well taken care of that he has neglected his own peace of mind. In fact, Matt’s stress level was at an all- time high when the Basso on Business team visited his location. Matt answers the phone, jumps in a car himself if a driver does not show up, and even takes reservations. When we arrived at the Ultimate Class facility, we were immediately impressed with the amount of vehicles in his garage but we were astounded by the very small number of staff members working in the office. Then we sat back and observed.  Click here to read more of Matt's story.


Case Study #5: East Coast Refrigeration

Owner Name: Jeff Tempone

Jeff Tempone can fix nearly anything – but his particular fascination with refrigeration started when he worked at an ice skating rink where he played hockey as a teenager. He was always curious how the ice was made, and exactly what kept it so cold all the time. He never imagined at the time that he would be running his own growing refrigeration business in a few years. In less than 6 years his company is already serving a number of large contracts, but Jess wants his business to be one of the refrigeration leaders in the entire region.

There is only one problem with Jeff’s plan. (Well, more than one actually.) Jeff has run into some significant snags along the way, and readily confesses that most of these issues are of his own making. Recently, my crew stopped by his location, and Jeff and I got talking about his operation. We uncovered some challenges that -- if left unchecked -- could have made it nearly impossible for his business to continue to succeed and grow.  Click here to read more about Jeff's story.