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October 12, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

My restaurant, [Client Business Name], is a potential IPA success story. You see, we've been around for over a quarter century, but financially we've always been floundering, unable to generate the kind of profits needed to sustain us for another twenty-five years. Recently, morale was ebbing; employees weren't vested-we had no model for continuous improvement. Things just weren't working.

Several weeks ago I made the decision to invest a lot of money in restructuring my small business. The prospect was frightening, but I knew we needed to re-energize somehow. That's where you folks came in, literally, through the front door, posing questions about the restaurant-particularly [IPA Consultant], with his life preserver at the ready. He asked me, "Do you have a dream for the [Client Business Name], or do you have a goal?" He taught me that goals are attainable by measurable outcomes, but dreams remain "pie in the sky." And actually, I didn't have concrete goals for the business at that point. So I began to listen to knowledgeable, objective advice from IPA and it all made sense. Period.

With [IPA Consultant]'s help, we've corrected food costs and overhead. We've renegotiated supplier prices. We've renegotiated interest rates with our bank. We've made some changes in personnel and studied charts of projected profits, all with more to come. We're seeing figures that indicate the [Client Business Name]'s capacity to make money on a regular basis. The concept of working while making a profit at the same time is new for us. Now, when [IPA Consultant] comes in every morning, he'll invariably ask, "How does it feel to be a winner?" It feels fantastic!

My brother [Client Employee], one of my managers, is a true pragmatist. Suffice it to say he was skeptical about IPA at first, but now he agrees 100% with what we've done, saying that it has opened our eyes far beyond his expectations. He told me, "[IPA Client], you know, frankly, I hated making shortcakes for $.99. This whole process is unbelievable." He says that your company has given us a shared vision and a renewed sense of direction. The information may have come at a price, but it will prove invaluable for the [Client Business Name].

[Client Employee]'s right. I can sleep at night now. I can't wait to come to work in the morning. I'm gung ho to get going. My employees feel the same way. Everyone is excited and eager to contribute to our collective purpose. I have a sense of relief about my company that wouldn't have seemed possible just one month ago. Even though IPA might be considered the [Client Business Name]'s "highest paid employee to date," it's been worth every penny. I know with absolute conviction that I made the right choice to hire your company. You've given us what boils down to self worth, and I'll sing your praises for years to come.

Sincerely,

[IPA Client]

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IPA Restaurant Client Opinions

"IPA has been, and will continue to be extremely helpful to me."

"With [IPA]'s help, we've corrected food costs and overhead..."