Doug Jones, Director with Fahrenheit Finance. I have been with Fahrenheit since April 2011.

How did you wind up in this business?

I worked for a national firm providing chief financial officer services to small and mid-sized business which did not need a full time CFO. In that role I just offered my own services, but I kept running into assignments that needed a team approach. I enlisted the assistance of Fahrenheit Finance on several projects. It worked very well, so I decided to become part of their team.

Fahrenheit has lots of different business arms. How do you all leverage the different wings of the company to help your clients?

Constant communication across all areas! In addition to the fractional/part time CFO and controller services we offer, Fahrenheit Finance has historically provided project and consulting services (e.g. organizational structure, process improvement, internal controls, systems improvement and implementations and business intelligence), as well as search and staffing services. Recently we have expanded our service offerings to include tax director services and restructuring and litigation support. We are always on the lookout for how we can provide the right service at the right time to our clients.

How do you all separate yourself from the competition?

Giving the client what they need rather than what we happen to have available. When we place a resource with a client, they are “hiring the firm.” We want to match the right experienced resource to the job requirement. If that means pieces of two different people rather than a single person, we will do that. If it means a team for a short period rather than a single person for an extended time, we will do that. We are client driven.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned during the recession?

The organizations that reacted quickly to new realities have the best chance of survival. And that did not just mean cutting costs. In some cases it meant totally rethinking their business model.

Is there a secret to your personal success? Perhaps a piece of advice you’ve always remembered?

I strongly believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people and I try to treat everyone as I would like to be treated.

What’s coming up in the next year for you and your company? What about in the next five years?

Continued growth! Our tag line “Leveraging the Power of People When You Need Them” resonates with businesses no matter which direction the economy heads. If the economy stays slow, hiring resources on an as-needed basis is an excellent way to minimize fixed costs. If the economy ticks upwards, companies will want to be careful making commitments to full time resources in case the recovery doesn’t last. Either way, we offer a great value proposition.

What, at your business, is the most effective way to connect with customers?

For new customers, it is through referrals from people who know the quality of our work…either other professionals or our clients.

What’s the part of your job you dread the most?

Keeping track of my time. It can be very challenging when you are doing work for multiple clients in one day, sometimes in very small time increments.

What’s the part of your job that excites you the most, the thing that makes you want to hurry to work?

Helping an organization move to the next level of performance and professionalism. From a firm perspective, it really is exciting to be able to lever all the resources and expertise that I can tap into at Fahrenheit to provide my clients the best service and the right solutions.