Joe Dellaposta is not afraid to admit that he loves numbers, and following where they go has served him well as COO of Doing Better Business in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Whether it’s the Small Business Administration or the Select Dealer Group (SDG) peer association, he’s learned the best course of operational philosophy is to embrace a “run it by the numbers” approach, which makes managing and decision making much easier.
The art of numbers truly fascinated Dellaposta when he quarterbacked his first acquisition for Doing Better Business. The deal also changed his perspective on the industry.
“I learned so much about the numbers and especially how some bad numbers can be used to an acquirer’s advantage,” said Dellaposta, a 2025 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “This was a catalyst to more than 10 additional transactions that have followed since 2013.”
Growth, success and relationship building are at the heart of what drives Dellaposta. With the guidance of sisters Debra and Beth, Doing Better Business has found its niche as a smaller company that is both efficient and profitable. Plus, he notes, it’s a great way to make a living.
“Quite honestly, it’s probably a lot easier, but my sisters and I have always been motivated by growth and revenue,” he said. “It is what has focused us on building our sales team.”
Office technology runs deep in his family; his parents founded Word Processing Services, a Savin dealership, in 1973 (the Dellaposta siblings eventually acquired it). The company actually predates Dellaposta by six months, thus office technology has been a constant in his lifetime. He recalls vacations that were centered on NOMDA and SEROMDA meetings. Upon graduating from the University of Maryland, he served as a sales rep in the family business. Dellaposta then gave medical sales a try as well, but joined Doing Better Business as COO, working alongside his sisters.
In addition to gaining valuable insight at his parent’s company, Dellaposta credits the Select Dealer Group (SDG) with expanding his business horizon and cultivating valued relationships. “The 13 years I spent with SDG was very powerful, it provided me access to some extraordinary people, some great ideas, and lifetime friendships that I will always cherish.”
New Blood
One of the biggest highlights for Dellaposta and Doing Better Business in 2024 was the rollout of the company’s sister company that specializes in audio/video, workflows and enterprise content management. The company hired specialists that not only supported the sales team, and were also selling, themselves. Dellaposta noted that if the new business continues to progress at the same rate as it did in the first six months, the division should become a strong and profitable complement to Doing Better Business.
In terms of goals, Dellaposta notes the company remains focused on keeping its MIF intact and growing it organically in the process. He’s also keen on identifying other avenues to growth.
“We are committed to meeting with other companies to discuss potential M&A and with our new division, we believe we bring a lot of opportunity to the table when talking to our interested peers,” Dellaposta added.
Growth can be a catalyst for inefficiencies, and Dellaposta believes the road to improvement lies in smoothing out inefficiencies through the elimination of duplicate and unnecessary processes. “This is always the hardest part and I believe that we can do a better job of more quickly improving our internal efficiencies,” he said.
Away from the office, traveling and golf are twin passions for Dellaposta and his fiancé, Jodi. Recently, they completed a tour of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, and come winter, they’ve targeted Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia for their next adventure. When not on the road or the links, they enjoy bonding with their two mini goldendoodles, Jax and Rip.
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