West Chicago business provides skill training and consulting

Q. Describe your business. What do you do?

A. Our passion is partnering with companies, whether big or small, in providing skill training and consulting services that advance workforce excellence. Bringing more than 50 years combined experience as training and resource providers for Illinois companies, we are aware that many employers have been forced to eliminate jobs, resulting in a reduction in workforce over the past few years. Now many are beginning to look at hiring new employees as they experience new growth. Business leaders are aware it is critical to train their workforce in current technologies and methodologies in order to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace. Training Plus is committed to creating workforce excellence for companies during these turbulent times. We work closely with companies in order to tailor training that is specific to them.

Q. What made you start your business?

A. Mary Lou and Lolly had been with the College of DuPage, Business & Professional Institute, Corporate Training department for a combined 50-plus years. During this time we worked with local business in providing Employee Skills Training, assessments, and consulting, as well as playing a lead role in administering workplace grants for a multi-college consortium. During this time, we developed an appreciation for building partnerships/relationships with our clients and gained knowledge of the workplace skills that are needed in many business sectors.

When the new college administration determined reorganization was necessary, our department was one of those that was closed. Mary Lou and I were at a loss as to what direction to follow that would allow our passion in working with the business community to continue. Neither of us was ready to just give up our careers. As word got around the business community that our department and the services we’d provided were no longer available, we received encouragement from some of our clients to continue doing what we did best — to continue doing it on our own. Having worked closely together for 25 years, it made it easy to do just that. Training Plus, Inc. was incorporated in March of 2009 and Mary Lou and I found ourselves “business owners,” a role that neither of us had ever anticipated.

Q. What has been the most difficult obstacle in running or starting a small business?

A. Learning to work as a home-based business and the amount of time it takes. We like to really get to know our companies, to form relationships/partnerships, and to understand what their goals/objectives are, which means the hours in the day just disappear. The old saying “time flies when you are having fun” really is true! Being a business owner there is so much paperwork that needs to be done.

Q. What do you enjoy most about operating your business?

A. There are many experiences that we enjoy, we continue to get excited visiting the businesses and learning about what they do and how they do it. We get a really “feel-good” feeling when we read employee surveys and see our training has produced positive results. After working to receive grant assistance it’s exciting to be able to deliver reimbursement checks to companies. The times a company reaches out to us for assistance in locating resources for various matters provides us satisfaction knowing we are able to provide them direction they did not know existed.

We both enjoy sitting on the board of directors at local chambers. Mary Lou sits on the board of the Glendale Heights Chamber of Commerce. I have been on the board of the West Chicago Chamber of Commerce (now the Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce) for the past 12 years. We both believe strongly in working with chambers as they provide programs and offer opportunities for local business. We encourage others to take advantage of chamber participation to grow their resources and opportunities.

Q. Is this what you pictured yourself doing when you were young? When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. When I was younger I always thought I’d be a schoolteacher, not sure exactly why, but I had a few teachers that left a positive impression in my life and I wanted to be like them. Mary Lou wasn’t sure what she wanted to be — she only knew she wanted to be able to help others. Neither of us ever thought or dreamed of becoming a business owner, out and about in the business community, but when I think about it, what we are accomplishing falls right into the category of “teaching” and, when Mary Lou thinks about it, we are definitely helping people. We provide training that can lead to an individual’s success within the workplace.

Q. What keeps you up at night?

A. We are always looking for new innovative programs and delivery options for business. When a company is in need of hard-to-come-by training, we draw upon many of our resources to provide it. And of course the search for funds to assist companies in making employee training viable is always a challenge. During these difficult economic times companies find they are facing many challenges and the need to invest in training their employees to stay competitive can be overwhelming. Often training needs are set aside, putting a negative impact on production. We take on that challenge and do our best to it build company’s workforce skills by providing them with expert skills training at cost they can afford.

Q. If you could give one tip to a rookie business owner, what would it be?

A: Be passionate about what you do, what you provide. We follow the saying that the “Life Is Good Company” started as their logo a few years ago, which is, “Do what you like. Like what you do.” Training Plus keeps a huge collection of their products around to remind us that liking what we do makes what we do valuable to us and to others.

Ÿ We would like to hear about your small business. If you would like to be featured in the Daily Herald, contact me at kmikus@dailyherald.com.

Training Plus Inc.

Business: Training Plus Inc.

Addresss: 28W748 Barnes Ave., West Chicago

Owners: Mary Lou Emami and Lolly Frederick

<B>Year Business Started:</B> 2009

<B>Web address: <a href="http://www.trainingplus2.com/">www.trainingplus2.com</a></B>