![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/CoverA.jpg\")
\u201cThere\u2019s a group of us who have been around long enough and have a book of business that\u2019s consistent and safe. We\u2019re almost to the point of being really comfortable,\u201d Bell offered. \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to challenge that group of reps to focus on growth, which means they have to drop some of the accounts that are smaller and not as profitable. That gives them more time for prospecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur executive team is more focused on identifying larger net-new opportunities, setting C-level appointments with them and bringing along sales reps,\u201d he added. \u201cAfter the introductory meeting with the prospect, the executive team is no longer really involved in capturing that account. We\u2019re just there to open doors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the dealer has some major competition in the region, namely Pacific Office Automation (POA) and two manufacturer direct operations, Bell believes that a significant amount of the market is underserved. That\u2019s where Solutions YES\u2019 customer service component truly shines, and that\u2019s key to the high retention rate. Satisfied customers\u2014much like their frustrated counterparts\u2014aren\u2019t shy in sharing their experiences with other businesses, and that\u2019s ushered in a wave of net-new opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three aforementioned competitors represent roughly 75% market share in Oregon, which Solutions YES hopes to erode. It\u2019s 100% strategic, and as Bell noted, \u201cWe fish where the fish are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Career Reboot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bell and four partners hung Solutions YES\u2019 shingle in 2011, bereft of customers and boasting limited financial resources. The now-55-year-old exec entered the venture with a bevy of experience, including having been a minority owner in Associated Business Systems, a 1997 startup that grew to $43 million in annual revenues with 10 locations and roughly 200 employees. However, the majority owner chose to retire 11 years in and sell the company. At that juncture, Bell didn\u2019t have the wherewithal to wrest control. He found himself in his late 30s with a nice payout from the sale and a desire to pivot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He became a part of the five-member partnership that launched Solutions YES (two partners recently cashed out and retired), and the dealership has grown steadily to just south of $15 million in annual revenue. Prior to the pandemic, the company enjoyed double-digit yearly growth, and between 2020 and 2022, ownership focused on becoming debt-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The prior experiences helped position Bell and Co. to truly thrive. \u201cWe\u2019re in the people business\u2014you need to have great people and give them the resources they need,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you take care of your people, they in turn take care of your customers. We strive to be the very best vendors our customers have. If we live up to that expectation, we don\u2019t really need to worry about POA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, Solutions YES serves many clients that have national holdings and are headquartered in Oregon and southwest Washington; it supports equipment in about 25 states. While the dealer addresses a variety of verticals, many are in essential industries including medical, financial, construction, education and local government. In addition to copiers, printers, faxes and wide-format devices, Solutions YES offers managed print, document management tools, facilities management and supplies. The company partners with specialists for managed network services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously a Kyocera and Xerox house, the company added Canon in 2022 to help fill in particular output categories. Canon also opened the door to the wide-format realm, and Bell anticipates moving toward the bigger production units. He\u2019s excited about the possibilities offered by the new line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdding Canon has allowed us to compete for business we weren\u2019t able to previously,\u201d he said. \u201cWe added Canon so we could offer a broader range of solutions to our customers, and so we would be better positioned with the strongest brands as manufacturers likely consolidate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buying out the retiring partners helped ownership become more unified in their desired path for driving growth. Bell is also content to remain an independent dealer, with no desire to sell. Maintaining that status is critical to not wavering on the commitment to exceptional customer service. Hiring younger, intelligent prospects also enables the dealer to become a generational organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solutions Positioning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of transitions, Solutions YES is encouraging its sales department to leverage the solutions-oriented offerings in its menu, namely DocuWare, PaperCut and uniFLOW. While Bell expects the imaging piece to be central to its business for the next 10 years, he sees an opportunity to grow solutions, as they only represent about 5% of the revenue pie\u2014a figure he expects to increase as millennials and Gen Z decision makers become more prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese younger people didn\u2019t grow up printing documents, and as they become decision-makers, they won\u2019t feel they need as many printers,\u201d Bell said. \u201cI do see the industry changing drastically for the next generation. People who are only 10 years younger than me think differently than I do. This is something we need to consider on the client side as well as with our leadership as younger people take the reins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the time being, Solutions YES isn\u2019t moving into ancillary offerings. While Bell has considered various opportunities, he notes that the dealership boasts just 5% market share, which has driven the continuous reinvestment in imaging equipment. Since future growth opportunities abound in the market, coupled with the fact that the dealer isn\u2019t being pressed by the competition, Bell sees no reason to divert efforts toward other lines of business that have lower margin rates than imaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Count Bell in the \u201cnever say never\u201d crowd, but he likes being deliberate in crafting strategy. He\u2019s heard his share of cautionary tales, courtesy of his membership in peer groups, particularly when it comes to managed IT. Larger dealers have reaped profits from the venture, but the small- to medium-sized dealers can struggle with the long runway until profitability. Even the more successful dealers noted it took five years or more to realize an ROI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn five years, I could double the size of my company through imaging,\u201d Bell noted. \u201cI don\u2019t want to abandon a successful model for the sake of doing something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bell is intrigued by the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). He notes that AI powers DocuWare\u2019s intelligent indexing, allowing users to more efficiently complete tasks. Solutions YES also represents FormedAI, which offers customized workflow solutions, and expects to see more iterations of AI popping up in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintaining double-digit revenue growth, in Bell\u2019s estimation, will require onboarding more senior sales reps. Solutions YES has grown its sales department 50% in the last 15 months alone, and only two reps boast less than 20 years of industry experience. Here, too, it\u2019s a product of capitalizing on competitors\u2019 lackluster efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur competition hasn\u2019t taken excellent care of their customers, which opened doors for us to hire their sales reps,\u201d Bell remarked. \u201cOnce on our team, instead of spending a considerable amount of time resolving billing\/service issues, those sales reps can focus on net-new, as their current customers are exceptionally well taken care of by the rest of our teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One possible change on the horizon that could help spark greater growth is acquiring companies that are a strategic fit for Solutions YES. Shrinking the ownership cast to three may pave the way for a foray into the M&A world, as having five decision-makers made it difficult to reach consensus on pursuing that avenue. And while the trio might come to an agreement more quickly and greenlight additions that fit, the pickings are somewhat slim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a scorched earth in Oregon. Kelley [Create] has bought a lot of the small dealers and POA has put the other ones out of business,\u201d Bell noted. \u201cThere might be two independent dealers [in the $5 million range] left in all of Oregon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A relative youngster among the top executive ranks, Bell doesn\u2019t have retirement on the radar. He still enjoys crafting custom-fit solutions for clients\u2014enabling them to focus on their core mission\u2014validating their decision to partner with Solutions YES. The base of operations is also content; turnover is low and the dealer has been named by Oregon Business magazine as one of the \u201c100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon\u201d seven times during its 13-year existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velvet Rope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Solutions YES is also deliberate in its hiring process, which is why it\u2019s populated by \u201conly A-level players in our business,\u201d Bell observed. The culture is self-policing and wouldn\u2019t hesitate to root out malcontents. The president proudly notes the company sits at 150% of the industry benchmark for productivity per employee. Management may set the vision, according to Bell, but employees guide the process toward achieving it. Team members value that level of empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe give them whatever they need to succeed, whether it\u2019s more training, additional monitors or additions to the team to have the bandwidth necessary to win,\u201d he said. \u201cAnother key is that a lot of companies in our business are sales-centric, where the salespeople basically run the show. We\u2019re not that way; every employee in our company is equal. We treat each other that way, and we don\u2019t allow for any drama. That creates a safe, relaxing and fun atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bell was finalizing Solutions YES\u2019 2025 business plan at the time of this interview. The blueprint calls for continued double-digit growth on the order of the 15% that was expected for 2024 once totals become official. Hitting that mark will require additional salespeople and more revenue from the incumbent team. Bell believes each of the account representatives have the potential to post more than $1 million per year in sales, which he hopes to make a reality through collaborating and sharing best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll also be looking to capitalize more on solutions, production and wide-format opportunities,\u201d Bell concluded. \u201cAs we grow, we\u2019ll continue to add more commercial accounts versus government so we\u2019re more profitable and can then give back more to the teammates who\u2019ve contributed to our success. We\u2019re extremely optimistic about what the new year will hold for us.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s been the better part of 175 years since gold fever infected prospectors trekking West in search of their fortunes. Miners harvested more than 250,000 pounds of gold during the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century. Just north of the Golden State, a different flavor of prospecting is continuing to produce untold riches for the initiated, and it doesn\u2019t involve dynamite or digging tools. It\u2019s clear that Sean Bell knows where to dig. The president and principal of Solutions YES in Portland, Oregon, has enjoyed steady growth for his dealership by virtue of capturing net-new business. Through October 2024, the Kyocera, Canon and Xerox dealer reaped nearly 30% of sales revenue from net-new logos. Solutions YES is also dominating in the \u201cfinders-keepers\u201d realm with an impressive 98%-plus retention rate. The approach Solutions YES embraced has proven to be a winning formula. The dealer added a number of new account representatives who (initially, at least) are assigned current accounts previously held by incumbent reps. This provides a base for the newcomers as opposed to starting from scratch, and they\u2019ve succeeded in generating net-new as well. Meanwhile, the more experienced reps then have more time to focus on prospecting, particularly with bigger accounts. \u201cThere\u2019s a group of us who have been around long enough and have a book of business that\u2019s consistent and safe. We\u2019re almost to the point of being really comfortable,\u201d Bell offered. \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to challenge that group of reps to focus on growth, which means they have to drop some of the accounts that are smaller and not as profitable. That gives them more time for prospecting. \u201cOur executive team is more focused on identifying larger net-new opportunities, setting C-level appointments with them and bringing along sales reps,\u201d he added. \u201cAfter the introductory meeting with the prospect, the executive team is no longer really involved in capturing that account. We\u2019re just there to open doors.\u201d Although the dealer has some major competition in the region, namely Pacific Office Automation (POA) and two manufacturer direct operations, Bell believes that a significant amount of the market is underserved. That\u2019s where Solutions YES\u2019 customer service component truly shines, and that\u2019s key to the high retention rate. Satisfied customers\u2014much like their frustrated counterparts\u2014aren\u2019t shy in sharing their experiences with other businesses, and that\u2019s ushered in a wave of net-new opportunities. The three aforementioned competitors represent roughly 75% market share in Oregon, which Solutions YES hopes to erode. It\u2019s 100% strategic, and as Bell noted, \u201cWe fish where the fish are.\u201d Career Reboot Bell and four partners hung Solutions YES\u2019 shingle in 2011, bereft of customers and boasting limited financial resources. The now-55-year-old exec entered the venture with a bevy of experience, including having been a minority owner in Associated Business Systems, a 1997 startup that grew to $43 million in annual revenues with 10 locations and roughly 200 employees. However, the majority owner chose to retire 11 years in and sell the company. At that juncture, Bell didn\u2019t have the wherewithal to wrest control. He found himself in his late 30s with a nice payout from the sale and a desire to pivot. He became a part of the five-member partnership that launched Solutions YES (two partners recently cashed out and retired), and the dealership has grown steadily to just south of $15 million in annual revenue. Prior to the pandemic, the company enjoyed double-digit yearly growth, and between 2020 and 2022, ownership focused on becoming debt-free. The prior experiences helped position Bell and Co. to truly thrive. \u201cWe\u2019re in the people business\u2014you need to have great people and give them the resources they need,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you take care of your people, they in turn take care of your customers. We strive to be the very best vendors our customers have. If we live up to that expectation, we don\u2019t really need to worry about POA.\u201d Currently, Solutions YES serves many clients that have national holdings and are headquartered in Oregon and southwest Washington; it supports equipment in about 25 states. While the dealer addresses a variety of verticals, many are in essential industries including medical, financial, construction, education and local government. In addition to copiers, printers, faxes and wide-format devices, Solutions YES offers managed print, document management tools, facilities management and supplies. The company partners with specialists for managed network services. Previously a Kyocera and Xerox house, the company added Canon in 2022 to help fill in particular output categories. Canon also opened the door to the wide-format realm, and Bell anticipates moving toward the bigger production units. He\u2019s excited about the possibilities offered by the new line. \u201cAdding Canon has allowed us to compete for business we weren\u2019t able to previously,\u201d he said. \u201cWe added Canon so we could offer a broader range of solutions to our customers, and so we would be better positioned with the strongest brands as manufacturers likely consolidate.\u201d Buying out the retiring partners helped ownership become more unified in their desired path for driving growth. Bell is also content to remain an independent dealer, with no desire to sell. Maintaining that status is critical to not wavering on the commitment to exceptional customer service. Hiring younger, intelligent prospects also enables the dealer to become a generational organization. Solutions Positioning Speaking of transitions, Solutions YES is encouraging its sales department to leverage the solutions-oriented offerings in its menu, namely DocuWare, PaperCut and uniFLOW. While Bell expects the imaging piece to be central to its business for the next 10 years, he sees an opportunity to grow solutions, as they only represent about 5% of the revenue pie\u2014a figure he expects to increase as millennials and Gen Z decision makers become more prevalent. \u201cThese younger people didn\u2019t grow up printing documents, and as they become decision-makers, they won\u2019t feel they need as many printers,\u201d Bell said. \u201cI do see the industry changing drastically for the next generation. People who are only 10 years younger than me think differently than I do. This is something […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1643],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63099"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63099"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63107,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63099\/revisions\/63107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ENX-All-Company-Meeting-4.jpg\")
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