Resource Rambler 201409

Sylvester Goes to Washington!

Susan Sylvester, President of Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) testified in Washington D.C. this summer at a hearing entitled “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Understanding Successes, Addressing Persistent Challenges, and Identifying New Opportunities.”

The hearing was spearheaded by the US Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and Sylvester was asked by US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to talk about how Federal Programs like SBA 8(a) and the SBA Loan Program have impacted ARA in terms of opportunities and job growth. The committee is exploring ways to strengthen opportunities for women-owned businesses in the US.

“These programs allow my small but very capable company the opportunity to show what our capabilities are, despite the fact that we appear to not have the breadth of experience and deep pockets that the large federal contractors have,” Sylvester said. “Our employees are some of the best in the business and we stand by our services 100%, but without these Small Business programs, we wouldn’t often have the opportunity to throw our hat in the ring. Through programs like 8(a) and WOSB, we can.”

“It was great to host Sue this afternoon so she could share her valuable insight as a successful small business owner,” Shaheen said. “Now we must act so that other women can replicate her experiences and success as an entrepreneur.” Congratulations, Sue!

To view the webcast click here.

Why Choose ARA? Good Question!

While chatting with a potential client recently about our services, we were asked, “why should we choose ARA over other companies?” What a great question! Many may ask such questions in conference rooms among their peers, but few take the time to ask the companies they are considering. We were thrilled at the opportunity to answer! Of course we did not miss a beat and had a long list of unique reasons why they should choose us, but the question got us thinking. Why do YOU, our loyal customers, choose ARA over other firms? How would you answer? What have we done to win your loyalty? And would our answers match? We posed the question to the whole ARA staff, and here are a handful of the responses:

Our people. “We are a team and a family and we all care deeply about the business, about the quality of client projects, and we constantly have conversations about how to do things better.”
Our staff. “Everyone here truly enjoys working at ARA. A happy staff means that you get consistent, friendly and responsive service. We’re friendly folks!”
Our service. “We work very closely together to make sure that every client is getting the best we can offer. We realize that if we don’t help and don’t impress, they may not call back. That is our driving force.”
Customer Success. “We know that the only way to achieve our success is through the success of our customers. We know our customers deal with all different kinds of situations and circumstances, and we listen to them so we can understand their needs.”
Quality. “We may not always be the “cheapest”, but we are competitive and fair. And as we all know, you get what you pay for. With ARA you can trust that you’ll receive quality results, accessible resources for questions, and people who care about your specific situation.”
Certified & Qualified. “We are ISO 17025 and DoD certified for many core analyses. You may not need this certification for you project, but it’s good to know that our quality systems meet this stringent standard.”

We are so thankful that this client gave us the opportunity to reflect upon this question. It inspired some great conversations around here! And we’re curious. Why do YOU choose ARA? Let us know! And the next time you’ve got a new project, we’d like to thank you for choosing ARA- for whatever reason suits you!

ARA Helps Clients in a Pickle with OSHA

Many of our clients here at ARA to find themselves under pressure from OSHA to remedy workplace hazards in order to comply with Federal Law. Whether it’s a result of an OSHA inspection, a complaint from a worker, or the fear of non-compliance, our clients know that when OSHA looms, ARA can help!

Due to the negative connotations surrounding OSHA violations, we cannot often share the stories of our customer’s woes. But since many of you might find yourselves in a similar situation, we thought we would share an example of a recent OSHA story, while protecting the names of those involved.

A client called this summer to ask how quickly we could come over for a site visit, as they had recently had a citation from OSHA regarding the cleanup of areas in a building which contained lead dust.

ARA quickly sent a crew to the site to conduct a survey for existing conditions for lead dust in areas identified in an OSHA Citation and Notification of Penalty Report. The initial survey was completed, and a scope of work for lead remediation was prepared.

To ensure that normal daily activities could continue in the building without threat to the employees, the area in question was divided into seven separate phases for cleaning. Each phase was isolated as a “regulated area,” with personal and area monitoring to prevent contamination to the ARA Team as well as employees working nearby.

Each phase was completed in less than a week, with passing clearance wipes. At no point throughout the project did ARA’s work significantly impact the personnel working in the building, and staff members were able to go about their jobs with minimal distraction and zero threat to their health due to the lead dust project. The building was cleaned well before deadline, and the client was thrilled.

Lead Dust Violation? Call ARA. This client saw:

Fast Turnaround Time
Site Survey
Scope of Work
Cleaning Phases to ensure safety & productivity
“Regulated” Work Area
Minimal impact on personnel
Areas thoroughly, properly & professionally cleaned
Clearance Tests- PASSED