Evan Vitale Consulting: Business Watch: Coaches move to Topeka from Colorado

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ActionCOACH Business Coaching has moved from Colorado to Topeka.

The offices are at 5020 S.W. 28th St., said Andrea Engstrom, but many of their clients work with them through teleconferencing. Engstrom’s father, Earl Kemper, started the coaching business, and the two of them work with businesses looking

to grow.

Kemper grew up around Topeka and wanted to move back, Engstrom said. They plan to offer events for local businesses in addition to counseling, she said.

Most of their clients are small and medium-sized businesses, Engstrom said. They start new business relationships with a 30-minute call to discuss a business’s opportunities and challenges, and the first session is free so they can decide if working together is a good fit, she said.

“We’re very focused on helping people add jobs,” she said.

They also work with business owners on how to make their business align with their personal goals, Engstrom said.

“We believe that business is a tool to help you live the life you want,” she said. “Business is not life.”

Job fair set

for Tuesday

Bryan University’s Topeka campus will hold a job fair from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1527 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

A news release said participating employers include Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; elder care business Home Instead; Key Staffing; Midland Hospice; placement agency Westaff; Shawnee County Health Agency; Secured Staffing; Kansas Jobs Works; and Alorica.

Annette Engroff, career service manager for Bryan University, said the fair is open to the public. Most of the jobs are entry level and require a high school diploma or GED, she said. People interested in applying for jobs should bring copies of their resume.

For more information, call (785) 272-0889.

Topeka florist

shop honored

Florists’ Review Magazine named Porterfield’s Flowers and Gifts, 3101 S.W. Huntoon, as its retail florist of the year.

The magazine cited a freshness guarantee, same-day delivery for people who request and a policy not to decline an order unless the flowers are unavailable as evidence of their commitment to customers. It also pointed out that full-time employees are offered health insurance and paid vacations, and that design and office staff can participate in continuing education.

David Coake, editorial director of Florists’ Review Enterprises, said it was coincidental that a local shop won this year. Florists’ Review’s offices are in Topeka, but the contest is open to all retail florists in the U.S. and Canada.

Florists who want to apply have to get a recommendation from one of their suppliers and have to fill out a 32-page application, Coake said. Five judges from the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, Florists’ Review and other leaders in the industry then compare the applications based on store design and appearance; advertising and promotions; flower variety and quality; customer service; employee benefits and continuing education; business achievements; involvement in the floral industry; and community involvement.

“They have to excel” in all categories, Coake said.

David Porterfield co-owns the store with Mark Lamantia. Porterfield’s parents, Brooke and Virginia Porterfield, opened the shop in 1965, and he took over in 1980.

Porterfield said their process to keep flowers fresh as long as possible increases customer satisfaction, and their $5 Friday bouquet deal is popular. He credited the award to the design staff who come up with distinctive arrangements, including adding herbs and local plants, and the other staff who serve customers.

“Every one of them cares about what goes out of there,” he said.

Porterfield’s will receive a $1,000 cash prize and be featured in nationwide publications for the floral industry, Coake said. They also get an all-expenses-paid trip to WFFSA’s annual conference in Miami this October.

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