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Executive Profile: Lars Helgeson

Lars Helgeson

RESUME

Name: Lars Helgeson.

Company: GreenRope.

Title: Founder.

Revenue – 2010: $3 million.

No. of employees: 12.

Year founded: 2010.

Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1993. M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1994. MBA, University of New Mexico, 2000.

Birthplace: Los Angeles.

Age: 39.

Current residence: Encinitas.

Family: Little Buddy (a 1-year-old Boston terrier).

Lars Helgeson is the founder of GreenRope, a Web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software package which includes email marketing, sales pipeline tracking, marketing automation, project management, event management, websites with e-commerce, Web analytics, forum, wiki, and social media management tools all integrated into one platform. It can save the average small- to midsized business both time and software expenses. The system is in use worldwide by over 2,000 companies, nonprofits, and membership organizations.

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY

Essential business philosophy: Create a sustainable business providing software which provides affordable, easy-to-use, powerful software for managing marketing, sales, and operations for businesses and nonprofits.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Continuous innovation and providing the best customer service imaginable. GreenRope creates synergy between a company’s online marketing and sales, empowering growth and reducing costs. Businesses realize increased efficiency as their organization consolidates and simplifies their operations onto one platform.

Guiding principles: Empower the smallest of companies to compete with Fortune 500-level tools; always be open to feedback from our users; stay ahead of market and technology trends.

Yardsticks of success: Growth in the number of users of our software (we average a 20 percent month-over-month growth in accounts), increased percentage of market share in the CRM/email marketing sectors, and implementation of software integration capabilities never before seen on the market.

Goals yet to be achieved: While we have customers worldwide, we don’t have the nationwide brand strength — one day I’d like people to assume their businesses use GreenRope technology for their CRM, social media management, email marketing, sales automation, event management, and project management.

JUDGMENT CALLS

Best business decision: To leave working for Uncle Sam and become an entrepreneur; second-best — partnering with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Worst business decision: To not clearly define the roles of partnerships in the beginning of a business venture.

Toughest business decision: Redesigning our software from scratch a few years ago to launch GreenRope — there have been countless late nights working, but in the end, it was worth it. We feel the investment has paid off.

Biggest missed opportunity: Not hiring more developers sooner (I ended up writing more of the software than I wanted to).

Mentor: Dave Swanson, my first commanding officer in the U.S. Air Force, who taught me how to break down any complex problem and solve it systematically.

Word that describes you: Unbreakable.

TRUE CONFESSIONS

What you like best about your job: Every day’s challenges are different, creative problem solving, knowing we’re making a difference in businesses and helping nonprofits give back.

What you like least about your job: Some workdays can be ridiculously long.

Pet peeves: Laziness and people who don’t follow through.

Most important lesson learned: Not to fear bigger companies. As a smaller, customer-focused company, we are agile and able to adjust to changes in the market and technology in ways some larger, less efficient companies cannot.

PREDILECTIONS

Favorite quote: “If you can’t do something smart, do something right.” — “Shepherd Book.”

Most influential book: Sun Tzu and “The Art of War.”

Favorite status symbol: The amount of free time I have.

Favorite restaurant: Crepes & Corks in Del Mar, Station Sushi in Solana Beach.

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