CIANJ Commerce Magazine September 2020 Live | Page 32

■ Annual Best Practices Guide
Continued From Page 28
CONSULTING
East West Connection, Inc.
By Ralph D. Weaver,
Founder and CEO
East West Connection (EWC)
prides itself on the human connection
it has with its clients,
business partners and employees.
The COVID‐19 pandemic compelled us
to think about our value proposition of how
we connect with people. EWC personally contacted
clients to listen and discuss their needs,
and the same was done with our employees.
We listened to their concerns and solicited input
on how to move forward. Tough decisions
were made, and we faced the changing business
environment with determination and optimism.
Rather than focusing on obstacles, we
implemented a strategic plan to ensure EWC’s
continued survival and relevance by pivoting
to our virtual meetings expertise, creating the
EWC Joy Connection: Journey to Well Balance
Living SM . It’s a series of free virtual experiences
that deliver the human connection to joy,
learning and fun during these challenging
times. EWC will definitely emerge as stronger
and different company post COVID‐19.
ICA Risk Management
Consultants
By Barron S. Wall, ARM,
PMC, Managing Associate
As professional philomaths
that have been working remotely
during COVID‐19, we
have focused on our clients’ business issues
affected by this pandemic, as we do for all
risks affecting their businesses. The challenge
of COVID‐19 required detailed analysis of insurance
coverages that impacted almost every
aspect of our clients’ operations. The insurance
language being different in the various
insurance policies or because of differences in
insurance carriers’ forms required a comparative
analysis and drafting of claims language
to notify the insurers accordingly and to preserve
clients’ rights for obligations imposed
by their insurance policies or new mandates
or laws. The complexity of the above became
more challenging and remains influenced by
the hard insurance market, defined by rising
premiums and reductions or restrictions in
coverages, exacerbating the problem of availability
of insurance coverage at a time when
revenue or sales have been significantly impacted
due to closed businesses.
Lead Accelerators
By Adam Wolf,
Principal
In the professional services
environment, where I operate,
business really has not
changed in any core ways.
How business may get done has had to adapt
to the changed environment, but the same
fundamentals continue to drive what clients
value and, in turn, how I operate. I try to be
a resource. Many clients and prospects are
struggling in a myriad of ways. I try to put
myself in their shoes. I regularly reach out
and ask: “What’s your biggest concern right
now?” I listen and seek first to understand. If
it’s a problem related to generating revenue, I
explore further to see if I may be able to help
them. If not, there’s a good chance I know other
advisors who are equipped to help the client
solve the problem. If I can make that type of
connection, I know I’ve done both parties a
tremendous service.
CONSULTING
Leap Consulting Group
By Josh Kramer,
Managing Partner
Leap Consulting Group helps
organizations identify digital
engagement opportunities
and provides implementation
services supporting digital solutions catering
to consumers and professionals. With a
large healthcare practice serving New Jersey
healthcare clients, we supported many of
the larger COVID‐19 popup testing efforts
in New Jersey. We have also supported some
CDC and FEMA efforts to track PPE across
the nation. Our client engagements have
shifted to being entirely virtual—video conferences,
using online collaboration tools
during meetings so everyone can contribute,
plenty of creative scheduling and home-life
sounds in the background on all sides. Employee
engagement has turned virtual, too.
Throughout the remote work period, we
have held weekly team-wide video get-togethers
to wrap up our weeks. On our virtual
happy-hours we share personal anecdotes,
COVID-related experiences across our global
team, big weekend plans and often feature
our new office coworkers—family and pets.
30 COMMERCE www. commercemagnj.com
Medical Strategic Planning
By Arthur Gasch,
CEO
MSP helps people make their
homes, autos, and workplaces
safe from COVID‐19, limiting
the virus spread while people
learn, work and recreate. Use latex gloves or
spray your hands after washing with Zoono.
Use effective masks when less than six feet
from someone. Disinfect and then use Zoono.
Do this at home, in your car and at work to
create virus-hostile (safe) areas. Zoono works
by impaling microorganisms, rendering them
harmless for up to 30 days. Spray it on latex
gloves, and it does the same thing, rendering
any organisms your gloves touch–harmless.
Simple measures can safely disinfect doorknobs,
control panels, CC terminals, mice,
keyboards, touch pads, scanners, printers,
copiers cups, phones—the entire office environment
that workers share.
Northeast Professional
Planning Group, Inc.
By Sam Christopher,
Executive Vice President
NPPG is a national employee
benefits, retirement planning,
actuarial consulting and 3(16)
fiduciary services group. The challenges of
COVID‐19 forced our firm to quickly reassess
our service model and leverage the technology
infrastructure we built to properly service
our client base. Employee benefits and retirement
plan administration are critical health
and welfare benefits that employers and their
employees are depending on heavily during
this crisis. NPPG transitioned to a work-fromhome
model to ensure uninterrupted service
to our clients. We proactively communicated
to clients, government updates affecting their
benefit plans. We were able to immediately
assist with an increase in health benefit inquiries
and process retirement plan loans as a result
of The CARES Act. As we return to the office,
employee safety is of upmost importance.
Following the published safety protocols has
provided a safe and productive work environment
for our employees and consistent ability
to service clients.
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