(IABBB)
James Talerico Jr. did not win the first time he applied for a Torch Awards for Ethics with the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas. He also did not win the second time he submitted. Despite those two rejections, he tried again in 2021 . . . and won.
And then the following year, he was honored with a Torch Award from the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, which chooses a winner in four categories from among the recipients of the regional BBB contests. (Talerico won in Category 1, for one to 10 employees, for his company, Greater Prairie Business Consulting in Irving, Texas.)
Talerico is the founder and solopreneur of Greater Prairie Business Consulting, which works with small and mid-sized family-owned businesses across North America. He says ethics is in his DNA, as he was heavily influenced by his family, including a grandmother who would stress regularly attending church services and a grandfather who, as a small businessman, preached customer service. Plus, Talerico ran his own business at age 9 by delivering a daily paper in his hometown of North Brunswick, New Jersey.
As for the impact of winning the Torch Awards, Talerico says it helped improve his credibility with prospects, as well as promoted “my small business ethics certification program, Eight Steps to Becoming an Ethics-focused Organization, which is what I won the award for.”
He adds, “There have been several circumstances when I have talked to clients and talked about winning the awards and it usually defuses any, ‘Oh, can you send me any references?’ “
For those who are debating whether to apply for the Torch Awards, he has this advice: “I would tell them that even if they don’t win, the exercise of filling out the application is very enlightening because it helps you look at where you are in terms of ethics. I remember the first time I did it, there were a couple of other ideas that just popped into my mind while I was completing the application about things I could do to be even better. I think this is something that you are going to get a return from just by going through the process.”
Committing to the four Cs
The criteria for the regional and international Torch Awards are based on the four Cs: Character of the organization’s leadership, an authentic Culture, a transparent relationship with Customers and the impact in the local Community.
Here are Talerico’s thoughts on the importance of each of the four Cs in how he runs his business.
Character: “One of the things that I did was I became certified (with the global Institute of Management Consultants). I have a certification in consulting and one in exit planning. What that means is that my education, my background, my understanding of consulting, my track record of success with clients has been vetted. Also, I subscribe to a code of ethics. A lot of people out there say, ‘I am ethical,’ but there are consequences if I weren’t ethical, not that’s what motivates me. The idea is that I really wanted to put myself out there as above and beyond my competitors.”
Customer relationships: “I have a unique follow-up program (with clients). We go back on a quarterly basis and we make sure the client has what we call project alignment and attainment in terms of all the things that we recommended to them, and we also make sure they get a significant project ROI.”
“I don’t ask for any money up front. I tell clients that if they are not happy with my services, then I wouldn’t expect them to pay me. In fact, I tell them that after a year, if they haven’t gotten that return, I will still work with them for free until they get it. I think it is very important, especially when making a big investment like consulting, that people get quality as a result of it.”
Community: Talerico has a long list of volunteer activities on his LinkedIn site, but he highlights his work with the consulting industry; he currently serves as the president of the Institute of Management Consultants chapter in Dallas-Fort Worth. “We get involved a lot in helping student interns, educating them about consulting. One of the things that distinguishes a certified management consultant is continuing education and development.”
Culture: He is the only employee of his company, but he works regularly with four consultants, who represent his business with clients. He shares his mission, vision and value statement so that they all are aligned with his ethical practices. They also meet once a week via Zoom. “It’s about getting to know each other better, all working together to provide the best service as possible.”
