The practice extends to the online world, where Starin has stepped up with a customized web portal program for each brand that allows business to be conducted online at any time, day or night. The portals are standardized in terms of form, function and operation, so it’s the same experience for customers across brands.
The program demands a tremendous amount of IT support, with each portal providing the unique information of the individual brand, their various product and training services, differing password protections, and more. There’s also the matter of making it all work with every manufacturer’s own IT system and preferences. Just keeping product pricing and ever-changing terms current is mind-boggling, yet Starin insures this happens on a weekly basis on every portal. (Click here to go to the Starin website.)
“The portals make all of the difference in the world, really set us apart in terms of serving our customers,” explains Starin. “Anything and everything you need to do business with a brand and company is included, and it’s all there and up to date, any time you want it.”
A recent addition provided to the portals is Learning Curve, an effective way to provide training to individuals and businesses on their own schedule, available when it works best for them. Learning Curve helps fill the educational gap created by the lack of time to devote to in-person product introduction and application sessions.
Extending its online capability even further, Starin also become the first participating distributor with brands listed within the InfoComm AV-iQ master product directory.
“At the same time, for those who don’t want to be in front of a computer, we still do real, live, in-person hands-on training and product information sessions,” Starin states, bringing focus back to what he sees as the biggest key to business success: people. A look at his own company’s approach provides the proof. Starin’s first employee, Susan Kelley, still serves after more than two decades on staff, joined by more than a dozen 10-plus-year veterans.
The company has also long been an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), with almost 45 percent now owned by its employees. “It’s pretty straightforward,” Starin states. “If you want your people to behave like an owner, make them one. That’s really paid off.”
After a long climb to building the company to its current status, Starin is looking to cut back on his day-to-day involvement, gradually turning over the reins to Mullin (who was named president in May) and the well-prepared and motivated team. Still, it’s not hard to envision him continuing to pursue his passion for figuring out what makes businesses tick and helping people achieve their goals.
“This is what we live by: nobody ever dies wishing they had spent more time in the office, so we work to shorten their workdays,” he concludes. “That’s really our whole concept, the primary mission.”
Keith Clark is editor in chief of Live Sound International and ProSoundWeb.