Finalist
Business Services
It’s the combination of Claudine S. George’s leadership and her empowered employees that keeps ICONMA LLC growing through the economic downturn.
George started her career at Chrysler, where she watched co-workers take staffing calls on their breaks to earn extra money. That was her inspiration to start her first company, CSG, while still working at Chrysler. And in 2000, she used that experience to start ICONMA LLC, a consulting firm that provides professional staffing services and solutions to a broad range of Fortune 1,000 companies.
Her first challenge was raising funds. George, the managing member at the firm, put her own personal savings on the line and looked to friends and family to invest. Her next cash flow struggle was overcoming her inexperience with collections, so she established innovative processes such as mailing prepaid envelopes to clients requesting payment.
After a year, she rolled CSG into an increasingly self-sufficient ICONMA to create a single strong company with a diversified client base.
To make the company even more flexible, George empowers her employees to act independently and proactively. Though the company has locations in eight states and India, she has only been to one other office.
But she doesn’t plop down new locations pre-emptively. Instead, she looks for clients nationwide, regardless of potential resource restrictions. Then, with contracts signed and revenue secured, she opens offices where the clients are, keeping ICONMA flexible, diverse and positioned to survive industry fluctuations.
Because of her vision and business sense, George increased ICONMA’s revenue by 50 percent over 2007.
In addition, George strives to help other female and minority business leaders by teaching local leaders and seeking out vendors that display diversity.
How to reach: ICONMA LLC, (888) 451-2519 or www.iconma.com
