Business Resources 2007 SMALL BUSINESSES OF THE YEAR Sponsored by First Tennessee Bank
Category I – 25 or less employees
Chick-fil-A of Germantown Anthony House, Owner/Operator
Chick-fil-A's mission is to create "Raving Fans" on both sides of the counter, and Anthony House has adopted this ideal with conviction and dedication. He sees his workers as marketing tools in and of themselves. Chick-fil-A emphasizes old-fashioned connections with their customers. Known nationally for its great food and friendly service, Chick-fil-A is a class act in the fast food industry. Anthony House says, "I often have people comment to me that they don't eat fast food but they do eat Chick-fil-A".
How does Anthony ensure such quality service? "If I work hard to win the hearts of my team members, they will work hard to win the hearts of my customers" he says. "If I take care of the people, the dollars will take care of themselves".
The strategy certainly appears to be working as his store is averaging a 15% per month increase over the last year. Chick-fil-A has helped address America's growing obesity program by adding choices to the menu such as fruit cups, chargrilled sandwiches and wheat buns.
But monetary profit is not Anthony's main goal. "Ultimately I want to continue on the path that we have begun - making Chick-fil-A a true asset to the community, a place of warmth and welcome for my team and my customers." He takes an instructive approach in leading his young employees. He says, "The opportunity to positively influence these young people and provide good life lessons for them is extremely rewarding".
Anthony opened his store in Germantown eleven years ago and has since won numberous awards from Chick-fil-A, including two vehicles, and was awarded "Best Fast Food" and "Best Chicken Sandwich" three years in a row by Germantown News readers. He is very active in the community and is the 2007/2008 Chairman of the Leadership Germantown Board of Directors.
Category II – 5 employees or less
State Farm Insurance Company
Bill Linder, Agent
State Farm Insurance reigns as an industry leader with its home, life and automobile insurance. For 37 years Bill Linder’s Germantown office has brought that tradition of excellence to the local level. The agency’s mission is rooted in first-rate customer service. With only two employees it isn’t difficult as Bill say’s “If we have a problem, we deal with it immediately.”
In deciding to go into business for himself, Bill thought it seemed to be the best way to be compensated based ability. It also seemed to provide extreme flexibility as far as family life is concerned. When he was starting out, he had very little access to other capital markets; insurance seemed to be a good fit.
Bill focused on his employees’ morale, in addition to customer service when establishing his business plan. His strategy has been to positively affect the bottom line by instituting awards for increased production and the plan is working well. Bill says “We’re not in sales, we’re counselors. All we do is try to determine what a person needs and show them based on almost 40 years of experience what we recommend for them. We don’t make decisions for adults.”
Bill is civically active in Germantown as well. He says, “You can’t work in a community and not be supportive of it. We live in Germantown, we work in Germantown…..I enjoy going to Germantown Chamber of Commerce meetings, I enjoy meeting new people.”
As for the future, Bill is confident: “We have a solid client base, excellent staff, and a strong desire to make a different in the lives of the people we have contact with.” With his focus on bettering families and the community at large, it’s easy to understand why Bill Linder runs one of the best small businesses in Germantown.
Read more about these award winning businesses in the 2008 Germantown Magazine
THE GERMANTOWN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS PROUD TO REPRESENT THESE EXTRORDINARY BUSINESSES
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