- When Ty Muse became the CEO of Visions FCU in 2013, he brought new ideas and a new leadership style to the Empire State cooperative., , Top-Level Takeaways, Ty Muse has been CEO of Visions FCU for nearly six years. Now that he's in charge, he's had to learn some new skills and develop other existing ones. When Visions Federal Credit Union initially invited Ty Muse to interview for the cooperative's CEO position, Muse, who was satisfied with his role as CFO at a nearby credit union, declined. "I was a finance guy," Muse says. "I was living near where…, HQ:, Endwell, NY, ASSETS:, $4.2B, MEMBERS:, 199,208, BRANCHES:, 48, 12-MO SHARE GROWTH:, 1.8%, 12-MO LOAN GROWTH:, 8.5%, ROA:, 0.52% The Buck Stops Here Becoming CEO provides a new perspective from which to view the inner workings of an organization. "How many times have you said, "If I was running this place, I'd do 'this,' " Muse says. "When you're the boss, the buck stops with you." It's true; as the CEO, Muse no longer works for someone. There's no barrier between his work and the membership. He's in charge, and this…, 5 Tips For New CEOs, Ty Muse became CEO of Visions Credit Union in 2013. Here, he offers five tips for new CEOs., Have a clear plan for what you want to accomplish, but be flexible enough to adapt:, "When you meet with your leadership team and staff, you'll start to realize what you got right and what you got wrong.", Before you remove staff, understand there might be a root cause:, "When I started at Visions, I thought they didn't make decisions. But I realized there was so much talent here that wasn't provided the opportunity to make decisions. They're filled with great ideas, but they don't know how to communicate them.", Don't forget to look at the map:, "When you are moving, you often don't realize you've slightly veered off course from your principals and values. You have to make sure you're still going True North.", Understand it all starts with people:, "Don't forget your greatest product is people. At the end of the day, another financial institution can offer the same set of products. Your differentiator is the people you bring to members. Keep them happy and engaged.", Listen to Jack:, "Working at GE, many of my leadership philosophies are tied to Jack Welch's [former CEO of GE]. He says a leader should be three things: A Chief Meaning Officer, who makes sure everyone knows why they are doing something; A Chief Groomer, who makes it as easy as possible for his/her team to get things done; and a Chief Fun Officer, who helps people feel good about what they are doing." One thing…
- Connections to help you succeed, Believe it or not – we don’t have all the answers. Sure, we’re an excellent resource for financial knowledge, products, and services, but there’s more to running a business. Here are a few other resources and opportunities, unaffiliated with Visions, that you may want to consider to support your small business goals., National resources for your business, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Don’t be fooled by the name. The CFPB doesn’t just help consumers – they support business owners, too! They work to help small businesses access the credit they need and deserve by increasing awareness in the small business lending marketplace. Explore the CFPB’s site to learn about equal credit opportunities, support for starting a business, and access additional resources for minority-, veteran…, SCORE, The nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with 10,000 volunteers serving all 50 U.S. states and territories – SCORE has helped more than 11 million current and aspiring entrepreneurs start, grow, or successfully exit a business. The path to small business success is different for every entrepreneur. For some, access to small business funding and key resources is…, America’s SBDCs, “Nurturing dreams and growing futures,” America's SBDC is the association that represents America's nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). Contact your local SBDC for no-cost business consulting and low-cost business training. Use their search feature to make the connection ., Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), As a trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces. Ensure your human resource practices are up to date, develop your employee handbook, certify your hiring team, and more. Becoming a member of SHRM can provide access to tools and education that could help you build a…, Trade associations and local networks, Want to connect with successful business owners, mentors, and tools that can help your business succeed? Tap into trade networks and, invest your time in building key relationships, . To start networking, look into local chapters, memberships, and events with: Chambers of commerce Emerging leaders or young professionals Business incubators Trade associations Labor unions Also, you could expand your network and open new doors to growth opportunities by joining a volunteer board or service organization, such as your local: United Way Rotary Kiwanis Arts council Humane…, Understand your account options, Where you park your money is just as important as how you spend it. That’s why it’s critical to, establish a banking relationship with an institution you trust, . Common items to look for include: Direct deposit for your employees Long-term planning for you Merchant processing Point of sale solutions Transaction costs Visions offers a number of business account options that could suit your needs, and you can find out requirements for account opening and loan processing here . -, Visions Federal Credit Union cannot open accounts for local governments or businesses/organizations that deposit public and/or municipal funds.
