SOMWBA New Service
Alternate Dispute Resolution Services

SOMWBA and Bentley University's Service-Learning Center are introducing a new service to help businesses resolve disputes, save money and preserve business relationships. Confidential consultation and guidance will be provided as the students help frame the available options for your business.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tends to transform into Appropriate dispute resolution, by helping to preserve and foster long-term business relationships.

Example of services and business issues eligible for dispute resolution services:
•Conflict Evaluation
•Negotiation Prep, help preparing for a negotiation
•Subcontractor - prime relationship disputes
•Payment problems, receiving payments on-time or not at all
•Contract disputes and/or non-contract disputes
•Negotiating with landlords or tenants
•Credit and/or finance issues

For more information on the ADR services, contact;
John.fioriti@state.ma.us, Bentleyadrs@gmail.com or 617-973-8573.

Karen Sommers of City Wide Maintenance (CWM) was one of the few entrepreneurs, who bravely faced starting a business during the beginning of the economic downturn. Citywide is a building maintenance company. They are SOMWBA certified as a woman owned enterprise. They work in 20 different types of maintenance areas. CWM offers nightly janitorial services and anything from carpet cleaning to window washing. As winter weather needs increase, snow removal has become part of their responsibilities. As Karen puts it, basically anything that a commercial business has needs for they provide a full service for

She credits her SOMWBA certification with opening doors to participate 'with companies looking to support businesses like hers'. Her clients extend from Massachusetts into Southern New Hampshire. Once those doors open for her to compete for business, she is prepared and welcomes the challenge. She offers the core value of listening, which she gained from years in radio. The attention to detail her company has comes from her years as a parent. Karen uses eco-friendly supplies, to stay current with today's green clients. Being involved in a client's day-to-day planning is also important. Karen thinks of City Wide Maintenance as a vehicle to help her customers use their time efficiently.

Karen's background was in broadcast communications. In the mid to late 1990s, she's worked as a General Sales Manager for local radio station WBMX-FM. Karen was introduced to the City Wide Maintenance franchise opportunity in 2008. She found her customer-relations skills easily transferrable to the arena of building management services. From the moment she was introduced to City Wide Maintenance, she had an inspirational feeling with the founder and its personnel.

Karen co-founded Smiling Kids, Inc. a nonprofit organization providing help and happiness for kids and teens in need. Future goals for CW include becoming the most recognizable resource for building maintenance in the state and region.

Thriving in today's business climate while not easy, is becoming more manageable for businesses like Fulfillment, Print & Mail Solutions, Inc. (FPMSI) in Haverhill, MA. says founder Laura Harper. Her journey began in the international mailing industry saving companies on their international postage expenses. Laura's clients really appreciated the attention to detail she would provide their requests. They often asked her to advise on the preparation of their mailings. This was not part of the services offered and Laura created a part-time side enterprise, (FPMSI), to provide these clients with mailing and fulfillment services. Laura miraculously juggled working full-time, part-time with FPMSI and parenting simultaneously for 3 years. By 1996, FPMSI's success opened the door for her to go at it full time.

Using the "doing whatever it takes" mantra, FPMSI's best business practices contains no magic formula. It is a matter of always exceeding a client's expectation. Laura believes, "If someone asks you to do something, you do whatever it takes to do it the very best you possibly can … it's about service and being responsive to the needs of your customers". Sticking to their core values has made FPMSI stand out from their competition and survive in tough times. Laura has recently created a new company called My Marketing Solutions, which provides small and mid-sized businesses with loyalty programs to help them keep connected with their clients and prospects.

FPMSI is a SOMWBA Certified company. Being SOMWBA Certified has opened doors for FPMSI that previously were closed to her. Being certified doesn't guarantee they will get work as it is up to them to close the deal, but affiliation with SOMWBA allows private or public companies the knowledge upfront that they are a confirmed women-owned business, and confidence and belief they're receiving the highest quality of goods or services. To learn more about FPMSI, click here.