Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Karp.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I graduated Boston University in 1980 with my Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. Over the next 15 years, I worked in various accounting positions in the Boston metropolitan area, beginning with State Street Bank, one of Boston’s prominent and oldest banks, Gould Modicon in Andover, A.W. Chesterton in Stoneham, Maynard Plastics in Salem, and a W.R. Grace division in Danvers. Accounting was not my labor of love, I was much more interested in manufacturing operations than accounting and finance.
During this time, I attended Northeastern University nights and earned my Masters in business administration with a concentration in operations management in 1990.
I left W.R. Grace in 1993 and took a contract position with a piano manufacturing and restoration company in Haverhill, north of Boston where my function was to research, review, select and implement an ERP system. Macola software was selected and implemented.
I found another opportunity about a year later with Epoxy Technology, a company that needed an ERP system for its subsidiary, PolyOrganix in Newburyport MA. I took the plant controller position and implemented Macola software again.
During these implementations, I worked closely with the Kent Group, the consulting firm that was the reseller of Macola software. In mid-1994, they offered me a position as a manufacturing consultant. I worked for the Kent Group until the end of 2000. I was working with a Boston area reseller of another ERP system when many of my old Macola clients began calling me to work with them. After waiting out the non-compete period from the Kent Group, I established Karp Consulting, I also developed subcontract relationships with several other Macola resellers. I have maintained my Macola ERP certifications and made many road trips throughout Massachusetts and New England to introduce my services to companies that have Macola software. I offer competitive rates and terms, with a significantly higher value index. My business model has worked reasonably well. I am in my 17th year.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have to earn my consulting engagements by finding companies that use Macola software, visiting these companies and arranging courtesy site visits where I review there system implementation, training, use of report writer tools, etc., then prepare and present written analyses and project proposals. Some companies will not respond; a few others did not engage my services. Perseverance, phone calls, and repeat visits help. Clients have also found my website when searching for Macola Software Consultants, resulting in several engagements.
In the early years, there were slow periods with few projects, but I also worked through other resellers who kept me reasonably busy.
If I didn’t have work, I was on the road looking for engagements. There was no time to sit idle. When my schedule was heavily booked, I still needed to take time to market my services. The challenge was to keep the future pipeline full while effectively managing current projects and supporting clients.
Managing cash flow is a challenge, there are no steady paychecks when you are self-employed. My wife did not start her career until after our children got older, around 2007. I had to pay the health insurance premium, payroll taxes, mortgage, car payments and all the other household expenses.
It is almost impossible to schedule vacations beyond long weekends. I always have my cell phone turned on to support my clients, and often use my laptop with remote screen sharing software to solve client issues online. This can take hours out of vacation days, but my wife is supportive and understanding.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Karp Consulting – what should we know?
Karp Consulting provides ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) consulting services to companies that have Macola ERP software.
We implement, re-implement, train people at all levels in accounting, inventory, purchasing, sales orders, manufacturing, and manufacturing planning which include MRP (Materials Requirement Planning) and master scheduling, (sales forecasting, forecast consumption).
We use tools like Crystal reports and Excel to develop reports, queries, and pivot tables.
We use tools like Access to upload and modify data to save inordinate amounts of time if done manually.
We provide cost accounting services and physical inventory functions including tag uploads, count audits, and reconciliation.
We work with companies CPA firms to provide data downloads and analysis.
We help companies move to other ERP systems when they get acquired, etc. by downloading the required data to Excel so it can be easily converted and reconciled.
We can work remotely and share screens to solve problems and save our clients resources.
Our reputation, value index, and 24/7 support differentiates us. We really care about our clients and are very fair in our billing practices.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My technical and accounting support people have been invaluable. They have written utilities in Access, queries in Excel, helped during a period and year-end closes stood by me during difficult and complex software upgrades, and resolved numerous software and data integrity issues.
My wife deserves credit for supporting my decision to become an independent consultant and is understanding about the travel commitments, weekend work and interrupted vacations.
Another major factor was having spent over 15 years in salaried accounting and finance positions with countless uncompensated overtime and weekend hours, plus certain bosses that made my life extremely difficult. I have a strong need for independence, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Contact Info:
- Address: 19 Sherman Street Beverly MA 01915
- Website: www.karpconsulting.net
- Phone: 508-479-0165
- Email: j.karp@comcast.net
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