5Q: Thomas Parsons Kellogg III

GOOD FIT: Thomas Parsons Kellogg III and his wife, Leslie, look at one of Parsons-Kellogg LLC's embroidered hats. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS
GOOD FIT: Thomas Parsons Kellogg III and his wife, Leslie, look at one of Parsons-Kellogg LLC's embroidered hats. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

1 You are Rhode Island’s Small Business Person of the Year and in the running for the national honor. Why do you think you earned the recognition?

I think our story is typical of how so many small businesses have fought hard to prosper the last few years. We are a Rhode Island business that has faced adversity from the recession, recovered and shown steady growth. We are a company that uses a lot of resources that the state has to offer. Our employees are all from Rhode Island, and we have active internship programs with the local universities.

2 Of the many lessons learned through the recession, which one would you pass on to other small businesses?

If you have a good plan and are generating sales, stick with it. Read “The Pumpkin Plan” and “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz for inspiration and concrete advice. Cultivate, keep and reward good people. Rhode Island is a great place to live and do business, really, with access to talented employees.

- Advertisement -

3 Which products are driving your business success today and why?

We are in the promotional-products industry, so we provide any item that our corporate clients want to decorate with their logo. One of our strengths, and a big differentiator, is providing premium brands like Patagonia, Peter Millar, Nike, Vineyard Vines, Adidas, and Under Armour. In addition, we provide all of our Web store, creative, decorating, and fulfillment services in-house. We make it easy for our clients to do business with us.

4 Threatened with bankruptcy, you decided to prepay a vendor on a major order instead of paying taxes. How do you recommend small businesses handle challenging risks like this?

We had to take a calculated risk to stay afloat. In one sense, I think we were just lucky. We signed a big contract with a new customer where they paid us in advance, and this solved the immediate crisis.

Long term, one way to avoid trouble is to always pay attention to your numbers and leading indicators.

5 What are the key strengths that your workforce has developed to stay resilient?

Coming out of the recession, we have made a strong effort to make sure everyone is in the right seat on the bus. Each person knows his or her role in the success of the company, and we are transparent in our responsibilities. We are all accountable to one another, and we have clear goals. •

No posts to display