Apr 2, 2009

Pep talk marks company turn-around

A positive pep talk from an executive boosts a Seattle company's financial numbers.

Seattle Legal Messenger Services is usually a hub of activity with car and bike messengers dispatched all over the region. But four months ago business began to crawl and the owner, Randy Bennett, decided to open up financial statements.

Bennett had employees brought in for lunch. There he laid out where the company was heading, giving them print outs of revenues by month and percentages of gain and loss.

He then told messengers, "If everyone here can help drive revenue and can help find new clients, everyone can be assured that their jobs aren't going anywhere."

That employment guarantee marked a turn-around. January and February marked the two biggest months in the company's fifteen year history, with March coming along right behind.

Of course, it helps that even in a recession legal documents still need service. "With economic times our industry is up across the board," says office manager, Peter Valente.

In an industry notorious for low benefits and pay, the company strives to create a good work environment "where people want to stay". Bennett says that messengers are paid hourly, drive company cars, have the option of receiving health insurance and the autonomy of finishing the job as they see fit. So far it's working with only one employee leaving in 2008.

The business is now 22 percent ahead compared to the same quarter last year.