As President of W.A. George Insurance Agency, Inc, Mercedes George combines over 10 years of experience in the insurance industry with over 25 years of entrepreneurial business leadership and customer service experience. Before the W.A. George Insurance Agency, Mercedes spent over 18 years in management and customer service leadership positions with Northwest Airlines. Mercedes had this to say about being an entrepreneur:
What inspired you to get into this business?
I worked in the airline industry and it was time to think about retiring. I did not know what I wanted to do but there was the family business so I worked part time in the office as the customer service rep and got to know the clients and their issues.
What steps do you think are necessary for an entrepreneur who wants to move her business to the next level?
Keep well informed about the industry you are in. Network, network, network. It is about relationships, relationships that you can build on.
What challenges and opportunities do you see in the present economic environment?
The challenge is to keep the clients that I have. Opportunities include developing niche marketing and niche advertising, because all sectors are not impacted the same. The internet is good for reaching markets that you might not ordinary touch.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting out?
Do not give up, have someone you can talk with that understands the business spirit, find a need and serve that need. Be the solution!
Will you be doing any hiring in 2010 or can you continue to grow your company without additional hires?
We will need to hire, however we are looking at technology that will allow us to do more with less.
W.A. George Insurance Agency, Inc, is a Member of the Women Presidents' Organization. The WPO is the global peer advisory organization connecting top women entrepreneurs who own multi-million dollar companies.
Women are the solution for so many businesses and it is time women's perspective was shared on every board of directors in the Fortune 100, 500 and 1000. Afterall, women are 60% of the wealth holders in America - we invest in these companies in our 401Ks, and all other retirement accounts -- we must have a say in how these companies operate.
Posted by: Vicki Donlan | February 22, 2010 at 04:00 PM