"INPACT membership is mandatory if you want to grow your business." | WCC Consulting Group

WCC Consulting Group joined INPACT in 2015 and they have been very active since then. They participated in many online activities organised by INPACT and also attended INPACT Regional Meetings in Latin America. They recently hosted the Latin American members regional meeting in Costa Rica (in August 2022). Recently, they also took the lead in launching a new initiative for INPACT members in Latin America which consists in a series of Online Training Sessions run by INPACT members where one INPACT member expert in a certain field is responsible to prepare a presentation and share the knowledge with the rest of the members in the region.

We spoke to WCC partner Leonardo Rodriguez about their experience with INPACT.

The benefits of membership

Tell us a bit about yourself.

"WCC provides services as a whole package in different areas, such as accounting, treasury, financial engineering, human resources, financial consulting and also legal services. Based in Costa Rica, we’ve been in the market for over 12 years. Today we’re proud to say we have over 200 active clients and 80% of those clients have maintained business interactions with us for over eight years. Supporting and building rapport with our clients is essential, how do we help them get what they need and grow their businesses? Our INPACT membership has been vital in serving this end, and we’re glad to say we’ve been with INPACT for over seven years so far.

"We were seeking an international alliance because we wanted to expand services particularly in the auditing side. We were exploring different regions such as Spain, Portugal and Mexico. But we just didn't feel that we clicked enough with the entities we were talking to. However, when WCC found out about INPACT, we felt a serious commitment and companionship in the alliance. The quality of the network and the interactions it offered particularly stood out."

You recently hosted the Latin American members regional meeting in Costa Rica (August 2022). Can you tell us more about that, what do INPACT events offer?

"Last year’s event was a tremendous experience. We were really impressed by the other members who we met, serious, committed professionals who are really invested in each other. As members we don’t see ourselves as competitors but rather one group united in growing together. Through INPACT, firms from other countries can provide excellent commercial references that verify your own firm’s competence.

"At the events you as a business entity are able to both share and listen to others. You can share about your experience, your background, and your strengths as well as where you need support. Whether you’re giving a public speech or just talking over coffee, the chance to network with co-members, share experiences, room for improvement etc is incredibly helpful. You see that others understand you and can back you up.

"INPACT offers the power of international projection. The opportunity to become more professional and try to sell your company, not only in the local market, but internationally. It shows you’re a serious, significant company with global reach."

"You can also learn about different trends in different countries. How do they manage their numbers? How do they manage their accountings? If there's something that you cannot do in order to comply with international standards, you can come to INPACT for help rather than feel embarrassed or just accepting your firm’s weakness in that area. In one case we required assistance from Panama because we were assessing statements required for clients there. There were legal requirements to fulfill, such as accountant’s signatures as well as other elements – the fact that we could talk about these with a co-member is so helpful. You can clear your own questions and the confidence that gives you presents a better projection to your client.

"And of course, the fact that you can also refer clients, it makes the business grow for everyone. So the way to do it is not thinking that you're gonna have a competitor, actually, you're gonna have an ally. That’s how you can grow the business."

The power of international projection

After seven years of INPACT membership, what would you say the alliance offers?

"INPACT offers the power of international projection. The opportunity to become more professional and try to sell your company, not only in the local market, but internationally. It shows you’re a serious, significant company with global reach. Through INPACT we’ve gained referrals and helped clients who've gone on to give us excellent international business references. You can expand your market beyond what you’ve imagined before, not just to your own city or nearby regions – now you can project yourself in many areas in many countries across the world."

What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about joining?

"If you're thinking about joining, I would say you need to make sure that your goal is to grow the business. I don't blame companies that maybe are quite traditional and have set up a small, local business structure because it’s more comfortable. However, if you have the desire to expand your clientele, you need to make sure that you need to invest time and money and be engaged with other members, helping them as well as benefiting yourself. It needs to be an active decision to invest in growth, not just a token affiliation. The ones who invest the most in membership, building relationships, going to events etc, are the ones who get the most out of it."

For a company that wants to grow, would you recommend INPACT membership?

"I would not only recommend it, but I would say it's pretty much mandatory. If you want to grow, you need to be part of something bigger than your own firm. We are not Deloitte, to give you an example, that’s an international worldwide firm. So if you want to grow, you need to become part of something else bigger to be able to grow. So, yes it is, INPACT membership is pretty much a requirement. I cannot encourage more business people to do this because this is just the way to do it. That's the way to do it."