The Expert Edge

PATCA Gets its Name in Inc.

PATCA is very excited to be recognized in the October 19, 2010 edition of Inc. Magazine: How to Get the Most out of Consultants. 

Here's a sample of the story, written by reporter Evan Klonsky:

"Consultants work hard to preserve longstanding, credible relationships with their clients to uphold their reputations. Suraiya Ahmed, president of the Professional and Technical Consultants Association, says that a consultant must also be willing to expand the horizons of your business. In essence, this means seeking to deliver beyond the task he or she is brought in to complete.

"What you're looking for is really a package deal," says Ahmed, who also founded Spectrum Insights, a consulting firm based in Union City, California, that specializes in small-company performance. "Not just a veteran consultant, but one who has either a network of connections or a bucket of expertise."

Read the full article here.

PATCA Joins VC and Private Equity Roundtable

PATCA has joined the VC and Private Equity Roundtable, which is comprised of about 60 venture capitalists, angel investors, and other parties who have interest in the growth of start-up companies. PATCA's role is to connect fledgling companies with consultants and share "the expert edge" on a pro bono basis.

Here's how it works: When a Roundtable member has a need for consultation with an expert consultant, a request will be sent to the PATCA office. PATCA members who have the required skills will be invited to provide advice or assistance on a pro bono basis. 

Participation is voluntary, however PATCA and its members receive valuable exposure to an influential group of investors. Past President Walt Maclay represents PATCA, and has had several opportunities to speak to the entire group about our organization and generate interest. 

Watch for more news on this program in the coming months.

PATCA Member Spotlight - Mac Marshall

Mac Marshall runs his company, Metatechnic Systems, from a home office in the Santa Cruz mountains where he designs firmware and develops embedded products for microcontroller systems. While many consultants work from home, Mac's situation is unique because his home, located at the end of a four-mile dirt road, has no utilities. Keeping home and office running smoothly while off the grid is one of Mac's hobbies, and thanks to a battery-operated generator, propane and a cell phone signal, Mac manages to keep things humming.

 

With a Ph.D in particle physics, Mac has had a lifelong interest in figuring out how things work, and he enjoys getting to the heart of a problem. Mac's typical clients are small companies and fledgling startups, and he thrives on challenging projects with undefined or open-ended requirements. For example, he is currently developing firmware for a medical device that interacts with an external computer, a project that involves working with multiple engineers and an entrepreneurial project manager.

 

Mac's background has been a valuable asset to PATCA's website committee, which he joined recently as a volunteer. He's the go-to person when there's a technical problem with the site, often troubleshooting and resolving complex problems himself. A member of PATCA for nearly three years, he previously worked for a number of Silicon Valley companies. He joined PATCA on the advice of a friend, and has learned through osmosis by listening to other member consultants describe their own lessons learned. Mac is also a member of the IEEE Consultants Network of Silicon Valley.

Member Spotlight: Theresa Shafer

Theresa Shafer of SKMurphy follows a "Do it! Done!" methodology to manage a long list of action items.

 

Shafer works with lots of start-up companies, helping them to sell such intangible products as software and consulting services. She guides young firms as they develop their products and begin to grow. She often becomes a virtual member of a client's team by pitching in and helping to get things done. 

With a background in hardware engineering, her work has taken her across diverse industry sectors including electronic design automation, proteomics, text analytics, legal and medical services automation, Sarbanes-Oxley analytics and workflow. One of Shafer's strengths is her ability to organize complex systems into a streamlined flow that is clear and easy to understand - a skill that is important to initiatives of many different types.

 

In addition to business strategy, She especially enjoys developing sales and marketing material for highly technical audiences. She has managed mailing lists, developed tests and testing scenarios, created use cases, and implemented lead generation campaigns.

 

An associate member of PATCA for about a year, Theresa will be a co-presenter at PATCA's June dinner meeting when SKMurphy hosts a website peer review.

Introducing the Expert Edge!

The Expert Edge is PATCA's new blog!

PATCA is a Silicon Valley based organization of professional and technical consultants whose skills and experience cross all business disciplines. This blog is for PATCA members and their clients, and for anyone considering becoming or hiring a consultant.

PATCA delivers:

• Experience. For more than thirty years, PATCA members have developed professional solutions for clients all over the world.
• Excellence. Our growing membership is comprised of highly credentialed consultants and principals who are experts in their fields.
• Business connections. Members and clients alike benefit from critical connections to collaborate on successful joint ventures.
• Targeted talent. PATCA consultants offer a broad range of technical and non-technical expertise, including engineering, software development, marketing, management, research, human resources, plus a host of other specializations.
• Timely results. PATCA experts are often called in to jumpstart a company's business practice improvements, product innovation, or recovery