The George S. May International Co. Representative dropped into my small retail business one morning and made a presentation that, in retrospect, must have dazzled me out of my ablility to reason. I agreed to an initial survey, for a fee.
At the end of the day, he had recommendations that would require a more thorough analysis by May Co. Representatives. They would present a plan that promised to produce net income equal to double the cost of their fees, in this calendar year. The company supposedly has a standard which requires clients to have a minimum of 6 employees.
The representative stretched the number of employees I have by counting a Saturday-only student-employee. The sales pitch was the smoothest I've ever heard, with all the answers I wished for. Still, at the end of the day, I requested more time to consider.
During that time I visited the May Company's website, apparently overlooking THIS site, regrettably. I did enter the agreement. Monday morning my business was invaded by three specialist.
By the end of the day, I was obligated for nearly $15,000.00 and their remedy to increase profits for the year was to increase my selling prices!
Before the end of the week I'd spent nearly $40,000.00 and could see they were jockeying for more. I negotiated a paring down of their staff. The reports and plans they left with me were totally overboard for my little retail/contracting firm. The addtional bookkeeping was heaped on my staff, along with reorganized responsibilities. Morale dropped to an all time low.
My staff tried to bear up and make the plan work, but within 2 months, I'd lost two of them to other jobs. One had been with me 14 years, the other 7 years. They were both key people for my little business. Thankfully, two loyal employees remain.
I have abandoned most of the plan the May company left us with and find myself overworked and overstressed in an effort to recover this debacle of a business investment.
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