I was excited to have Cogent come to us, but I was also scared to death. What was about to happen? We were a 35-year-old, full-service business serving greater Nashville, TN. We had all the marks of success with a stable staff, a reliable customer base, we were financially sound, and we had systems in place that made us a top competitor in our market – but I felt that we had hit a wall. I knew the company had the bones to grow even stronger and even better, but I had no idea how to make it happen. Cogent did.
First came Chris to do Discovery. Chris came in and got right to work with management interviews, pouring over financial reports and putting together a comprehensive survey for our staff. After his intense study of the findings, he presented his assessment of our strengths and weaknesses and we agreed completely! With that, he set to work putting together an action plan for us.
Next came Susan. She is the in-house consultant that was thoughtfully chosen to guide us through the project. She and I worked together dissecting, reorganizing and planning nearly every corner of the business for the next 10 weeks. In addition to Susan being on-site every day, we had the full support of Cogent’s team of experts with everything from legal issues to financial processes to staff management. I learned things I had no idea were crucial to my success as a leader and crucial to the success of our business’ growth overall. The process was exhilarating and eye opening and sometimes difficult and very satisfying. I could see day over day, week over week how the steps we were methodically taking were correcting various issues we had been dealing with for years and opening new paths of productivity. I began to see where I needed to improve as a leader, what needed to be in place for the success of our staff and how I could begin to really plan for growth in our market.
With the support of Cogent – Susan in particular! – I really and truly feel like our business is ready to evolve and grow and continue to serve our great community for another 35 years! The folks at Cogent really listened to us all the way through, they guided us – they didn’t force us, they offered resources I wouldn’t have found on my own
that were exactly what we needed and we’ve all – owner, staff and management – found new purpose in our work. This process takes a commitment to the success of your business, it isn’t easy or always fun but it has been worth the ride and the investment for this company to bring us to a place where we can confidently step into the future. With their commitment to our company’s success, Cogent is the kind of partner you can’t go wrong with!
Beth Convoy
General Manager
Aqueduct Irrigation Custom Landscape Irrigation & Exterior Lighting
Whether you need design and installation of a new high-efficiency sprinkler system or a contractor to maintain or repair your existing system, Aqueduct is there to help. They service all major brands, including those installed by other contractors.
