2009 Small Business of the Year Finalist: Heim, Young & Associates Inc.

Dennis Heim works in a tough environment these days.

As one of the founding partners of Springfield financial planning firm Heim, Young & Associates Inc., Heim has spent the last several months dealing with shaky performance and nervous investors.

But the key to navigating the tough financial environment is the same as the key to his company's strategy through the years: attention to individual clients and their differences.

"When the markets are down, people paint themselves into a corner or a position where emotion takes over and they go from the extreme of investing too much for growth to investing too conservatively," Heim said.

"Each client is a little different in terms of what they want and what they need and what they're comfortable with. So we try to tailor everything ... so we're not trying to put a square peg in a round hole."

That individualized approach has allowed the company to celebrate 20 years in business and more than double its employee numbers from 2006 to the 25 on staff.

The firm offers several financial services, including portfolio management and retirement and estate planning. Choices - and the fact that the firm is not affiliated with any national financial-products providers - help draw in customers, Heim said. But he said the real secret to the company's success with both its individual customers and corporate clients is focusing on long-term customer relationships.

"We touch base with clients several times a year, and that relationship is ongoing," Heim said. "Before they leave one review, we look at when we're meeting again. That helps people stay on track."[[In-content Ad]]