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Dave Jackley
Hi, welcome to another edition of ExactlyAtHome North of Pittsburgh, which is all about community and the businesses in it. Now, think about this. You have entrepreneurs that either start or take over a business, they need to grow and build that business and try to have a balance work. And then at the end of it, they’ve got to look at how do I turn the business over? How do I retire? How do I enjoy more of life when it’s time to do that? Well, today I’m here with Bill Ringle. owner and operator of System Ringle, and he helps businesses do all those things, because he’s done all those things. So stay tuned, and find out how to make your business run better, and your life run smoother.
Well, how are you today, Bill?
Bill Ringle
I’m doing great. How are you doing?
Dave Jackley
Well tell us a little bit about how you got into this industry System Ringle and how it all came about.
Bill Ringle
Okay. Well, it really wasn’t a big plan. I mean, I started out in the steel industry back in the 70s, and had an wonderful opportunity to buy a closed steel mill and restart it and we called that process System Ringle. And along the way, I had worked for large companies, which there’s a lot of systems and procedures in big companies. And I also worked for small companies, where you just had to figure out how to get it all done somehow. And those two things really helped me in building that steel company. And so I think what makes me different is that I’ve actually been there and done some of these things.
Dave Jackley
So System Ringle, how does it work with a you work with a business owner?
Unknown Speaker
Yes, I work one-on-one with a business owner. I work as their trusted business advisor, I typically meet with them every week, either by in person or by Zoom or by phone. And we work on what they need to do to improve their business.
Dave Jackley
Wow, I guess that includes the people in the business and the systems of the business.
Unknown Speaker
It does. And you know, one of the things that I emphasize is that there’s a right way to do something and most businesses have a best practice for things that they [already] do. And I try to systemize those best practices and make sure that everybody is doing it the best way.
Dave Jackley
Oh, that’s great. So you bring a little order to the chaos of people doing everything all over the place, which is a way a lot of businesses are.
Unknown Speaker
Sure. It’s just very common. And it’s a process. You try to do it, you know, without ruffling too many feathers.
Dave Jackley
So but what’s your favorite part of the business?
Bill Ringle
My favorite part is actually meeting with the business owners. I meet with the President, whoever he or she is, on a weekly basis, either in person, or by Zoom or by phone, whatever they prefer. And I work with them on the things that are not working as well as they would like them to in their business. Every business has things that are working great, but they also have things that aren’t working as well as they’d like. And so we work on those things and try to find out the best way that a business is doing something, something they call the “best practice”, and then make sure that everybody’s doing it exactly that way.
Dave Jackley
That’s cool. So have you had any particularly memorable experiences, or maybe an unusual client request that you didn’t think you were going to get asked to do?
Bill Ringle
You know, I mean, there’s so many, it’s hard to pick out just one. Certainly I’ve gone into actual environments with the client and help them with what they actually do. Even though I am not an expert in what they do. I mean, I’m always there willing to help out. I’ve done trade shows where I’ve met in booths with clients. Other things, such as I helped a client, sell his existing facility and move into a larger one. And the wonderful thing about that is that the place he moved into, had two tenants and the tenants were paying his mortgage.
Dave Jackley
That’s fantastic. I imagine too. You probably run into some business owners that are close to burnout. And you help them cut through all that and have a livable life.
Bill Ringle
Yeah, that’s that’s a big part of it. Oftentimes, you’ll see these business owners that are working 6070 hours a week, and they’re just trying to keep the thing going. And I always talk to them about the difference between working in the business as an employee versus on the business as an owner. And so I I’ve spent a lot of time helping people get out of that rat race and show them how the business can work without their constant every day attention to every detail.
Dave Jackley
Wow. So you had the steel company. Now how long have you been doing System Ringle now?
Bill Ringle
Believe it or not, it’s been eight I’m in my 18th year.
Dave Jackley
That’s a lot of people and a lot of industry and pretty much all local here, in the community right?
Bill Ringle
Yes. I decided when I was in the corporate world, I was in charge of international sales and I was flying all over the place. And if you asked my wife, she’d say, You’re never here. And so when I started this business, I decided to make it just the region that we’re in, because I didn’t want to do that kind of traveling anymore.
Dave Jackley
Well, System Ringle. It sounds like everybody could use a little bit in their small business life. And, if you don’t have your procedures and systems worked out. Yes, and here’s the banner for Systems Ringle. Individual business, mentoring, developing leadership skills, succession and exit planning. And I know that Bill you’re big on the annual planning process to get the year’s plan worked out and so forth.
Bill Ringle
Sure. I mean, that’s one of the things we do every December in a business. I mean, I don’t have to wait till December for your new business. But every December, we look out at the year ahead and say, if you were sitting here 12 months from now, looking back, what would you have liked to accomplish? What would you like to say we got that done. And we set that up, we establish some goals, and then I help them break those goals into actionable objectives that they can do every week.
Dave Jackley
I like that, you know, it’s, well, it’s true too in real estate, as well. You have to have a goal, as opposed to just trying to keep all the plates spinning every day. And if you don’t focus on where you’re going, you can get sucked up into non-productive details.
Bill Ringle
Yes, exactly.
Dave Jackley
So what do you like living about here in the Gibsonia, Wexford area? What do you like about these this neighborhood?
Bill Ringle
Well, it’s interesting. We’ve lived in a number of different places, as far away as Chicago and in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, and now here in the North Hills for about 30 years now. And the North Hills has that kind of country feel like you’re out in the country. Yet, you’re 10 minutes from all the conveniences you want. And so to me that’s really the best of both worlds.
Dave Jackley
What do you do for fun? What do you do outside of work?
Bill Ringle
You know, I’ve always been a big exerciser. I was a runner for about 30 years. In the winter, I do cross country skiing, and oh, by the way, we had a great winter for cross country skiing this year. I do bicycling and sailing. I’ve always been a big sailor. I’ve been sailing for 30 years and do most of the sailing up at Lake Moraine and occasionally get to the Caribbean.
Dave Jackley
So you know how to run a sailboat too, which to me would be pretty complex! What’s your vision for your your business? Where would you like to see it head? Is there any needs you see in the North of Pittsburgh community here?
Bill Ringle
Well, not just the North of Pittsburgh. But one of the things I’ve really noticed and doing this for all these years is that people never think about what they’re going to do when they decide to stop working. Everybody thinks that this business is going to be their great retirement plan. And what I’ve noticed is in very few cases does that really work out, but it can work out. And so recently, I’ve been focusing more on Exit and Succession Planning. And what I’ve learned is that if you plan it right, you can get a lot more for your business than if you just wait till the end and decide what you’re going to do at the last minute. So I put a team of people together that are valuation experts, and legal experts. And I’m focusing now on helping people plan for what comes after they’re done working.
Dave Jackley
That’s cool. So get organized to do the work. And then get organized to leave the work behind at some point in time, or to turn the reins over. Yes, to the next generation or next owner.
Bill Ringle
And there’s a real defined process for doing that. I have a very defined process. Five steps. Anybody can do this.
Dave Jackley
That’s fantastic. Well, I think I can just imagine on behalf of your clients, what a help you are to help them get organized to figure out where they’re going today. And tomorrow. And well, let me ask you, do you know of any other businesses I should be talking to? Sure. I
Bill Ringle
mean, there are lots of great businesses. It’s amazing, you know, when I decided to stay local, you know, there are probably 1000 businesses in our area that fit my profile of businesses I could help and the one that I was thinking of in particular was the local business in the North Hills called Diamond Wire Spring. They’re one of my clients. They’ve got a great story. And you know, they’ve been at it now for about 50 or 60 years. So multi generationaland a specialty product.
Dave Jackley
So they got their niche worked out. It’s really amazing in this area, you look on either side of the road or behind the industrial parks and find out there’s lots happening around out here, and yet it’s a great comfortable place to live.
Bill Ringle
It is
Dave Jackley
Well, I really appreciate it. You need to call Bill Ringle of System Ringle, to get organized for your small business and set goals, make plans to achieve the goals and plans while enjoying life on the side without working too much. So tune in next time for another edition of ExactlyAtHome North of Pittsburgh.
