Andi Gray Receives APEX Award For Excellence

Andi Gray Receives APEX Award For Excellence

WHITE PLAINS, New York (November 24, 2008) — Andi Gray, CEO of Strategy Leaders, Inc., a Westchester small business consulting firm, was recently honored by the Westchester County Association with their prestigious APEX Award for professional and business excellence.…

APEX Award For Excellence Andi GrayWHITE PLAINS, New York (November 24, 2008) — Andi Gray, CEO of Strategy Leaders, Inc., a Westchester small business consulting firm, was recently honored by the Westchester County Association with their prestigious APEX Award for professional and business excellence.

APEX Award for Publication Excellence

The APEX Award For Excellence is an annual awards program recognizing excellence in publishing by professional communicators.

In accepting APEX award, Gray spoke directly to the small business owners in the crowd of over 500 attendees. She said “Small business owners are entrepreneurial and opportunistic. Their names are Ed, Cory, Bob, Susan, Juilo, Reggie, Ling, Rich, Nancy, Jiao, Murshed, Terell, Isabel, and yes, even sometimes Joe. You own manufacturing companies, service businesses, wholesale, retail, construction, IT, real estate, import, export . . . You name it, you’re doing it.

“So what do small businesses have in common? 300. Each of you employs less than 300 workers. 50%. Together you already put 50% of our private sector workforce into jobs every day. #1. You are our #1 source of new jobs. And ladies and gentlemen do we ever need those jobs to need in these challenging times!

What do successful business owners have in common?

“What else do you have in common? As a small business owner, you are passionate about what you do. You are determined to succeed. Every day you put your businesses on the line. You figure out how to pay your bills and you personally co-sign for your business loans.

“And at the end of the day, when you get ready to go home, you have made real profits, not paper profits. Then you go home and volunteer for Little League, soccer, hockey, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and charity events. You form small business clubs where you help each other stay in The Game.

“All of this makes you very important to our economy. And if we can get you the tools that you need to succeed now, you can be a major part of the toolkit that gets our economy back on track.

We teach you how to stay in ‘The Game’

“Even more importantly, small business is our last untapped economic engine long term. If we can teach you to stay in The Game a little longer, make a little more money while you’re in business, and exit more profitably when you’re ready to get out, you have the potential to fuel our economy for the next 100 years. Big numbers folks! This is important!

“This is why I am privileged and committed to continuing to get to know you and your businesses. As we team up both individually and in groups: marrying what you are already good at, with what we know how to do, and teach you how to win at The Game of Business.

In closing her remarks, Gray thanked Dee Delbello of WestFair Inc. and all of the employees at the Business Journals for creating a voice for small businesses. And for backing “Ask Andi,” her column that the Business Journals have published every week for the last four years.

Andi expressed gratitude to New Castle Community TV for taking “Ask Andi” onto cable television. And she also thanked Dee Delbello, Bill Mooney of the WCA, and Jerry Klein of Mahopac National Bank for helping get that project off the ground.

“And last, but never least, I tip my hat to the Westchester County Association. You honor my company, Strategy Leaders, our marketing brand Ask Andi, our employees, and our clients. These are the people who make us great. In recognizing us, the WCA sends a powerful message about the importance of small business to the present and future success of Westchester County.”