Owner/Vice-President: Linda Bennett Company: CommWorld of Kansas City Address: 6200 Main Street Grandview, MO 64030 Phone: (816) 763-1100 E-mail: Web Site:www.commworld-kc.com Type of Business: Telecommunications Year Founded: 1981
CommWorld of Kansas City sells, installs and services business telephone equipment and related products and services. Our solutions range from very basic business telephone equipment and voice mail to more advanced technology, including voice over Internet protocol, computer telephony applications and unified messaging. We can be the “one point of contact” for our client’s telecommunications, including their local, long distance and Internet services.
The forerunner of CommWorld, Communications World was founded in 1979 in Denver, just 11 years after it became legal for businesses to own their phones. In 1981, my husband, Bob Bennett, was hired as the Kansas City branch manager to open the first office outside of Denver. By May 1982, the structure of the company changed and Bob and I purchased the franchise rights for the 12-county area in greater Kansas City. At its peak, there were 65 franchisees across the country. The franchisor eventually changed directions and dissolved the franchise network. Although there are still other companies using the CommWorld name, there is no affiliation. I started working in the business on August 1, 1983 when Bob “recruited” me, and we have successfully worked together ever since.
Personal Wealth After 10 years of teaching and even earning a master’s degree, my retirement fund was pretty meager, and so was my annual salary. My earning potential was regulated and really did not reflect how hard I worked or how successful my teaching efforts were. Owning a business has allowed me to earn more than I ever could have as a teacher. However, along with that earning potential comes a great deal of responsibility. We have a responsibility to our customers, our employees and our vendors to be the best we can be. The challenges are great, the work is sometimes long and sometimes difficult, but the satisfaction makes it worthwhile.
Community Wealth Small businesses are responsible for over 90 percent of the jobs in our country. The success of CommWorld of Kansas City has created stable employment and resulting economic benefits for the community. We are proud to employ a group of talented, dedicated professionals who represent the best in telecom. Four members of our management team have a combined 85 years working together at CommWorld. A third of our staff has more than 10 years of service at CommWorld, and our technicians average over 15 years of industry experience per person. Our success also allowed us to purchase a building in Grandview in 1998, which further contributes to the wealth of the community.
Social Wealth We believe that the good we give comes back to us in business and in everyday life. CommWorld of Kansas City has donated telecom equipment, technical expertise and labor to numerous not-for-profit organizations, including churches, breast cancer awareness, United Cerebral Palsy, Grandview Assistance Program and the Community Assistance Council. For several years, we have sponsored a youth basketball team, and in 2003 the CommWorld Jaguars won first place in their league. We have donated vehicles to the National Kidney Foundation, and every year we collect, buy and donate toys, food and other gifts for distribution during the holiday season.
Financing We really had no financing in the beginning. We worked hard, paid everyone else first and put as much back into the company as we could. My parents, Jim and Edna Gaither, were our first “bankers,” before real banks would even consider us. We started here in Kansas City in 1981 in the midst of a deep recession, so we learned how to overcome challenges and reach goals from day one. Support Systems The best support we have ever experienced is from Technology Assurance Group (TAG). This group of business owners from more than 80 telecommunications companies shares best business practices and offers continual educational programs in all facets of the telecommunications business, including technical, financial, sales, marketing, customer service, management and inventory control. TAG National creates the opportunity for us to offer our clients a comprehensive and well-supported warranty. The open sharing of information and ideas among this group of entrepreneurs, along with the educational programs give us the tools we need to reach our goals to grow our business to the next level while maintaining high quality.
Most Significant Accomplishment My most significant accomplishment as a business owner has been maintaining integrity while achieving longevity and stability in an industry known for the opposite. Since 1981, more than 180 competitors in the greater Kansas City area have come and gone. Our first customers are still with us. It has been very gratifying to watch our customers’ companies grow and change over the years at the same time that we have evolved.
Greatest Challenge One of our greatest challenges is convincing business owners and other decision makers that CommWorld of Kansas City is truly unique in the telecommunications industry. Even though we have installed and/or serviced over 3,600 telephone systems in our nearly 23 years, we still must prove ourselves every day.
Wealth comes in many forms, but it is relationships that create our most lasting wealth. Bob and I have been very fortunate to assemble the group of people that make up CommWorld of Kansas City. We feel gratified in our relationships with these fine individuals who spend so much of their lives with us, providing service to our clients. We value the relationships with our customers who trust us and whose kind words and referrals have helped us grow the business. The relationships with our vendors, TAG members, other business associates and, of course, friends, family and each other are the true measure of wealth in our lives.
