• The Inaugural Small Business Summit was a success! The Vulcan Park Visitors Center Meeting Room was full of great people and good food. Dreamland Bar-B-Q catered the event courtesy of the Project Partners. Marc Corsini, Project Partner and President of Corsini Consulting Group, delivers a plaque to Betsy McAtee, CEO of Dreamland Holding Co. The plaque featured an article from the Birmingham Business Journal announcing Dreamland as the winner of the makeover.  Betsy's presentation covered the dynamic improvements and changes that occurred throughout the makeover process and will continue for the next year and a half.

• In January, five Brock School of Business (Samford University) M.B.A. and M.Acc. students, under the direction of Dr. Darin White, Associate Professor of Marketing, worked with Dreamland Holding Company’s management team and staff to design and implement a market research study.  The primary goal of the research project was to identify and understand customers’ preferences to help Dreamland’s management make data-driven, informed decisions related to marketing and operations.  This was accomplished through a survey that was administered to customers dining at the Southside location during peak times over a six-day period.  The survey explored various dimensions of customer satisfaction related to Dreamland and perceived competitors.  The students collected and entered data for almost 300 customer surveys.  After extensive data analysis, the final result was a full report that provided Dreamland with valuable information about its customer base.

• The Inaugural Business Makeover Birmingham^SM Small Business Summit will be February 18, 2010 at The Vulcan Park Visitors Center Meeting Room, from 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Registration is required, as seating is limited. To register or find out more click here.

• Dreamland continues to receive coaching from the Business Makeover Birmingham^SM Project Partners. One primary focus has been marketing provided by Marketing 24/7, Inc. and social media provided by Samford’s Brock School of Business to further increase sales as well as enhance branding and public image. The Birmingham Business Journal follows and reports on the progress. Photos below were published on January 8, 2010 along with the article Online Dreamin’.

  

Victoria, shipping manager, restocks ribs at                            A variety of items that can easily be shipped from
Dreamland Bar-B-Que's shipping facility. Order                        Dreamland Bar-B-Que's warehouse in Homewood, AL
your next family reunion or other special                                 to anywhere in the US or Canada via their on-line store.
dinner gathering via the on-line store at
www.dreamlandbbq.com.

• Project Partner, Brock School of Business and Kara Kennedy, met with Dreamland BBQ’s management team to discuss Dreamland’s social media strategy.   The areas discussed were beginning a Mr. Bishop’s blog, email marketing, FaceBook and Twitter with the understanding that all mediums would be integrated with other publicity and marketing strategies. As a result, email marketing has since been enhanced to help drive traffic to the Dreamland website in order to help generate an increase in awareness and sales directly from Dreamland’s website and its packaged products.  In addition, Dreamland with the by-in of franchisees developed a FaceBook Dreamland Iron Bowl Giveaway during the Auburn vs Alabama game week.  Fans are encouraged to share their most memorable tailgate stories for an opportunity to win a tailgate package for six.  Click here to become a fan.

• Project Partners of Business Makeover Birmingham^SM meet monthly with Betsy McAtee, COO of Dreamland Holding Co., to move the various initiatives of the makeover forward.  In October, marketing was a major focus.  Ruwena Healy of Marketing 24/7, Inc. worked with Dreamland’s management team to further enhance the image and brand of its “online store” located at http://www.dreamlandbbq.com/default.aspx?id=177
  
  
  
  Ruwena says, “It’s critical to have the same brand image and theme in all your communications and to be consistent in your e-newsletter or e-announcements.  Little things such as having an image header that matches your website is subtle but important.”  Dreamland’s new e-newsletter that promotes their online store including ribs, sausage, BBQ sauce, sides, desserts and many other items, now has recipes, promotions, coupons and helpful tailgating tips.

• Another area of the Business Makeover that Project Partners wanted to assist Dreamland with is in the areas of human resources including communications, employment law, safety and health care.  Katie Langley, HR Consultant and Director of Client Services of Cobbs, Allen & Hall completed a preliminary Human Resources Audit & Assessment for Dreamland and compiled a number of action items.  “After talking with COO, Betsy McAtee, we are both in agreement that the HR focus needs continue to be on talent retention and regulatory compliance,” says Ms. Langley.  With that in mind, Langley is developing specific training and incentive programs designed to enhance and retain managerial talent.   Betsy McAtee knows that providing a safe and pleasant working environment is another key to retaining employees.  For this reason a safety and loss control inspection is scheduled at Dreamland in the upcoming weeks.   Cobbs, Allen & Hall is also providing Dreamland with an Internet-based employee communications tool.   “This will help Dreamland get the required information out to employees in a central location and also provide consistency in the message they send out to the employees,” says Langley.  Chris Harmon an attorney at Maynard Cooper & Gale, one of the Project Partners, says it’s critical that a company’s Employee Handbook stays up-to-date.  “The employee handbook is critical to documenting the company’s personnel policies.  If a policy in the handbook becomes out-of-date based on current legislation, the employer can find itself in some vulnerable situations.”   Bruce Denson, CEO of Cobbs, Allen & Hall is also providing Dreamland access to several online resources that will help the executive management team stay abreast and compliant with the vast legislative and legal issues relating to human resources.

• The execution of the strategic planning is underway and will evolve during the entire six months of the makeover. Marc Corsini, president of Corsini Consulting Group, LLC, continues to facilitate the planning process by utilizing the expertise of each of the 6 Project Partners.  Each month we have planning sessions and the Project Partners help Betsy McAtee and her leadership team crystallizes her long-term vision for Dreamland Holding Co.  At the end of each session, Project Partners and Dreamland are given action items to complete for the next 30 days. These action items allow each Project Partner to expand, explore and formalize plans in each of the six major initiatives critical to Dreamland’s long-term success. By the end of the six-month process, Dreamland’s vision will be documented, have focused clarity and be “top of mind” for Betsy and her leadership team.   Dean Beck Taylor of Brock School of Business, Samford University, says “This strategic planning process will identify the goals and objectives for Dreamland for the next 3-5 years, and it will create a roadmap that will help to prioritize efforts and resources to accomplish the long-range vision of the company.”

• During September 2009, Betsy McAtee, Chief Operating Officer, of Dreamland has met with the Project Partners to develop focus for the next six-month makeover.  It starts with a strategic plan where Marc Corsini, president of Corsini Consulting Group, LLC, lead these meetings due to his knowledge and expertise in this area.  The written strategic plan covers six major initiatives that will be unveiled and developed more fully in the next six months.  McAtee said, “One initiative is to continue looking at our franchise development opportunities. Dreamland has two successful franchise locations now, one in Montgomery and one in Atlanta, and we hope to have several more in the next three to five years. One way to continue to grow Dreamland strategically is through franchising and this Business Makeover will help us get the right partners in place to achieve our goals."

Marc Corsini, President of Corsini Consulting Group,                                  Project Partners, Mike Baker, CPA, CFP and Partner at
LLC, Kara Kennedy - Director of External Affairs for                                    Dent Baker & Co.; Bruce Denson, Chairman & CEO,
Brock School of Business, Samford University and                                     Cobbs, Allen & Hall; Betsy McAtee of Dreamland
Betsy McAtee, Chief Operating Officer of Dreamland                                   Holding Co. develop an action plan and goals to cover
Holding Co.                                                                                             in the six-month makeover.

• On behalf of all of the Business Makeover Birmingham^SM Project Partners, we are delighted to announce Dreamland Holding Co. (“Dreamland”), the owner of Dreamland Bar-B-Que, as the WINNER of the first-ever Business Makeover Birmingham (September 1, 2009).