Business Services
Assistance in Business Development, Communication, and Strategic Planning
Experienced leadership and guidance is one of the most important needs for any size or type of organization. Large organizations help meet that need by making large investments in high level staff, but most organizations find that it is either not feasible or cost-effective to hire in-house staff that can provide all of the expertise that the organization needs. Outsourced Executive programs, also known as Executive-as-a-Service or Fractional Executive programs can be the answer. These programs allow an organization to have access to the needed strategic expertise and experience at a fraction of the cost of a full-time staff member.
The Outsourced Executive Program and Summit Consulting Services can provide small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations with exactly the strategic knowledge and resources that they need. Summit consultants offer both technical knowledge and extensive business experience. Summit’s diverse team contains professionals from a variety of industries backgrounds, meaning that regardless of the type of organization or business, Summit likely has team members that can understand the specific challenges and opportunities of that client. In addition to their individual experience, Summit consultants also have access to the full Summit team and collection of resources. This allows each Summit Outsourced Executive to be able to deliver unique value and capabilities to their clients.
Outsourcing Positions
While outsourcing C-level positions isn’t the right fit for every organization, the strategy can reap many benefits that businesses should consider as they seek to build their leadership team. Those advantages include:
- Eliminate the time and expense of the hiring process
- More flexibility – clients are not locked into long-term contracts or obligations
- Reduced overhead expense
- An independent and objective voice in strategic decisions
- The ability to select a consultant that fits the organization’s needs
Outsourced Executives
Summit Outsourced Executives can fill multiple roles for a client and those roles often defy rigid classifications, but each can also fulfill the expectations that would be placed on an individual in a traditional position, such as:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Marketing Officer
Business and Nonproft Training
Training Solutions: In addition to providing consulting services to both businesses and not-for-profit organizations, Summit also provides a number of training opportunities delivered in a group setting for professionals and leaders who are interested in learning general information on selected topics. These trainings are available at set times and locations throughout the year, but specialized training opportunities can also be provided to groups upon request. Regardless of the format, location, or target audience, all training opportunities are structured to deliver valuable and relevant information to business owners.
Human Resources Training
Marketing Training
Communications Training
Management Training
Business Consulting
Specialized Training Sessions
Comprehensive Approach
Summit’s training solutions are designed around our unique capabilities model. This approach not only helps to ensure that professionals have the opportunity to learn about a broad range of concepts, but also helps to provide training that is integrated and communicated according to universal business goals. Since the training solutions mirror our consulting model, our approach also allows for all training courses to be focused on the most common challenges and opportunities that businesses and nonprofit organizations experience.
Up-to-date Information on Relevant Topics
Regulations, technology, and culture change quickly, and the business environment changes with it. Summit’s trainers are active business professionals that are committed to not only staying up-to-date with that information, but also have firsthand experience encountering and addressing those changes within businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Our training is focused on utilizing that experience to provide best practices for our clients to follow.
Qualified and Experienced Presenters
Training is most valuable when it is presented by someone who can relate to and understand the needs of the attendees. This is why Summit strives to provide presenters who have the ideal mix of academic training, real world business knowledge, and speaking experience. In addition, our curriculum is designed by team members with teaching and educational experience to ensure that we have translated the information into a format that is effective and engaging.
Outsourced CEO Services
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is generally the most senior officer in the organization. This position reports to the Board of Directors in public companies and to the owner(s) in private organizations. This individual is most responsible for the overall company goals, and they lead the rest of the organization to achieve these goals by directing the work of the other senior staff, which could include the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and other C-level positions. hrive.
Oversight and Reporting
Manage the organization by providing support and guidance to the team of senior executives within the company for each functional department such as finance, operations, marketing, sales, and human resources.
Report to the Board of Directors or owners of the company regarding performance metrics.
Staff Coordination
Provide awareness to the staff of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and how best to position the company within the changing environment of the market, political or community considerations, and any other issues that may impact the business.
Communicate and influence the organization’s ethics and culture.
Representation
Advocate and promote the organization to the community and marketplace to advance company objectives and goals.
Look to the future of the organization within the market to provide direction to the company to maximize the success of the organization.
Areas of Interest
Please indicate the service(s) in which you are interested, and we will be happy to share additional information with you, schedule a complimentary consultation, prepare a customized proposal, or answer any other questions that you might have.
Outsourced CFO Services
Having an effective financial strategy is critical to every size and type of organization. The Chief Financial Officer bears the primary responsibility developing and executing that strategy, but many businesses and nonprofits struggle to find an individual with the background, expertise, and skill set necessary for that duty. As a result, many businesses miss critical opportunities because they are not able to manage their financials effectively. The good news is that through Summit’s Chief Financial Officer program, any size of organization can reap the benefit of effective strategic guidance without needed to incur the expense of a full-time CFO.
With the Summit Executive-as-a-Service program, small and mid-sized businesses and charitable organizations can have access to the same level of marketing expertise and resources that larger corporations find to be indispensable. As part of the Summit Executive-as-a-Service program, clients can add an outsourced operations executive to their team for a fraction of the cost of a full-time staff member. Summit outsourced Chief Financial Officers work with the team to determine what actions the company needs to take to be able to effectively manage all aspects of operations. These specific operations related strategies can cover areas such change management, program improvements, risk management and safety, process management, inventory control, and cost reductions. All of these areas can be critical to build and maintain profitability. Below are just a few examples of steps that a CFO from Summit can help a business take to help it grow and thrive.
Financial Reporting
The CFO will be responsible for preparation and presentation of all financial reports used within the organization. This would include Profit and Loss Statements, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statements, Accounts Receivable Statements, Accounts Payable Statements or other reports needed to manage and lead the organization. Through a Summit Outsourced CFO, the Financial Department can be a resource to other departments providing guidance on the development of metrics or special reports to gauge the effectiveness of expenditures and activities.
Cost Accounting
The CFO and the financial team will provide the organization with structure to determine accurate costs for products and services. They will also come alongside other departments to help guide product and service development to assure profitability to the organizational activities today and with future projects. In addition, a Summit Outsourced Executive can also evaluate the vulnerability of the organization to financial risks to allow the organization to better plan and protect itself against business risk.
Strategy and Forcasting
The CFO and their team are an integral part of the company’s financial future. They must be able to identify and report which areas of the company are most efficient and how to best capitalize on this information. The CFO should be able to provide information on which services or products are the most profitable to the organization and share this ongoing information with others in the company to guide the organization to improve economic success. Economic Forecasting is a key area of the responsibilities in guiding the future success of the organization.
Outsourced Human Resources
Managing employees is often a difficult and time‐intensive aspect of running your business. An effective Human Resources program will not only ensure that your company meets employment regulations but also will help you hire and retain productive employees. Your Human Resources plan needs to support your company’s overall vision and not consume time needed for business operations. Having an outsourced Chief Human Resources Officer from Summit allows you the opportunity to have an experienced HR professional oversee all aspects of that plan, for a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time professional. Summit can also provide those services on a temporary full-time basis, for any organizations who need a full-time professional onsite, but who are looking for assistance to bridge the gap until a full-time replacement can be brought on board.
Team Building
Finding, training, and keeping effective employees can be an expensive and time consuming process. We can help with each step in the employment process so that you can attract and keep great team members. A Summit CHRO can help support your organization’s team building plans with strategies for:
- Staffing Management
- Hiring Processes
- Employee Retention
Performance Management
The biggest investment that most organizations make is in their employees. For most companies, compensation expense makes up around two-thirds of their entire budget. Businesses today cannot afford not to get a strong return for that investment. Summit can help you prepare your employees to be productive with strategies for:
- Job Training
- Resource Management
- Improvement Programs
HR Compliance
The ever-increasing number employment laws and payroll regulations can pose a formidable challenge as you seek to maintain and grow your workforce. We can help you avoid costly penalties, fines, and lawsuits while providing a consistent approach to employee concerns. Summit can help your company stay compliant and effective with strategies for:
- Time and Labor Management
- Policy Compliance
- Incident Response
Summit Business Incubator
The Summit Business Incubator program offers new and growing businesses an affordable solution to access many of CoWork Bristol’s most popular features, along with the resources and solutions from Summit that young businesses need the most. The Business Incubator is designed for businesses that are less than three years old, and have five employees or fewer. The cost for the program is less than most businesses would spend in rent, utilities, and supplies for a small office. Not only do members benefit from space in Bristol’s premier office building, but they also have access to the professional support needed to help their business thrive and grow.
Office Space
The Summit Business Incubator offers shared or private office space in The Summit, with all of the resources available to CoWork Bristol members, including:
- Utilities, Phone, and 1Gig Internet included
- Meeting Rooms
- Cafe, Kitchen, Library, and common areas
- Professional Lobby and Reception
- Private Suite Number
- Podcast and photography studios
Services & Solutions
Summit Business Incubator members can also take advantage of many of Summit’s most popular resources and services including:
- Website and marketing services
- Business Valuations
- Accounting and payroll
- Human Resource consulting
- And much more..
