Robert Klein has grown Safeguard Properties from a business operating out of a basement office to one with almost 400 employees.
Safeguard is a property preservation company, addressing the needs of mortgage servicers in preserving and protecting their collateral once a loan goes into delinquency, either until the loan is reinstated or through completion of the foreclosure process, when the property is sold or conveyed back to the investor/insurer.
It’s a niche that Klein recognized and has worked hard to fill.
“The key to success is hard work,” Klein says. “As the business grows, it is incumbent on me to make sure the work ethic and philosophy doesn’t get removed from the company. Sometimes when you grow, you can lose focus on what you are trying to accomplish, and that can be dangerous.
“Part of the challenge is to make sure the key people in the company have the same philosophy and will keep the company on the same route.”
Klein says that one of the biggest challenges to growth is to make sure you find those people that can help you reach the vision for your company.
“The management team is you,” he says. “They represent you and the product you are providing.”
Another key to managing growth is communication.
“I’m always making sure my program managers communicate with each other,” Klein says. “As the business grows, different departments will develop, especially when you are in the service industry. It’s important that managers in those departments not just focus on their world. They need to interact with others and keep those lines of communication open. Each manager needs to be up-to-date on what the others are doing. A change in one department might have a tremendous impact on another one.”
How to reach: Safeguard Properties, (800) 852-8306 or www.safeguardproperties.com
