Owner/President: Patricia Kane
Company: The Schuster Kane Alliance Inc.
Address: 30 W. Pershing, Ste. 360
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: (816) 753-7055
E-mail:
Web Site: www.skalliance.com
Type of Business: Business Consulting and Coaching Firm
Year Founded: 1990

The Schuster Kane Alliance Inc., was started as Schuster & Associates in 1981 by John Schuster, my partner. I joined the company as an associate in 1986. In 1990, we established two S corporations and I became a partner. I became president in 2002. We created a business model that would allow us to enjoy a variety of work, while using experienced professionals to give our clients the best solutions for their growth.

The Schuster Kane Alliance Inc., specializes in developing human capital; in the form of executive management leadership development, corporate and individual coaching and team enhancement. The company connects this work with business results, using innovative processes, proven performance systems and financial acumen.

Personal Wealth
It is not about luxury for me, but rather quality of life. I enjoy the work I do. To be able to make a difference in businesses and people's lives brings wealth to me. Working hard, getting the right colleagues, building staff and relationships has allowed me to have the freedom to travel the world and to work with local, national and international organizations.

Community Wealth
Giving back to the community is the backbone of a business and is good for the human spirit. Having survived 25 years in business and weathered two recessions (maybe a third), we recognize that keeping the business alive is, in itself, a contribution to community wealth.

In addition, creating business health is at the core of the service we deliver; so the many businesses that use our services are richer as a result of our expertise. Creating personal income is the building block of community wealth. We use our products and alliances to generate personal income and growth for our employees and our 25 independent contractors. Supporting the civic infrastructure is key to community wealth. We chose to move our office to Union Station five years ago to support this wonderful space that has such a deep and fascinating history. We hold meetings, dinners and gatherings here for our events. This helps the economics of this building in the heart of Kansas City.

In addition, we participate in civic organizations and efforts that strengthen the fiber of our community, including the Chamber of Commerce, arts organizations, and more.

Social Wealth
Life is about the community where I live and where I work. I contribute to the efforts of several groups, including State Line Service League, which provides labor and materials to assist non-profit organizations. Another organization to which I contribute is the Center for Spirit at Work. I provide free coaching to people wanting to bring more of themselves to their work or looking for a better place to work. I am also an enthusiastic member of the Chamber of Commerce Champions program. We assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in taking advantage of available resources to grow their businesses.

Financing
As we teach other organizations about business literacy, debt is not necessarily a bad thing. The occasional loan or line of credit has been critical to funding growth and plowing through economic rough patches. In addition, we have capitalized on opportunities to bring in partners and buy out partners. We also created a second strategic S corporation. By understanding our direct and indirect costs of doing business, we have learned to project our business cash flow extremely well. We follow our business plan, meet budgets/projections, plan our actions around current information and stay flexible in our fast-moving economy to grow the business in a financially responsible way.

Support
As the originator and co-founder of the Executive Exchange women's business forum, I have access to a rich resource of high-level expertise that has allowed all of our businesses to grow and survive. This group of women business owners from non-competitive organizations has met monthly for the past 13 years, providing accountability, guidance and role modeling.

Accomplishments
My most significant business accomplishments have been co-publishing two books and creating the "Your Next Best Years" program, a forum for people to create their next chapter in life. I believe that my learning continues as I work with others.

Challenges
My greatest challenge is balancing the multitude of ideas that come our way, diagnosing the probabilities and outcomes of decisions and adapting as the economy and life plays out.