During a lengthy and rewarding career in professional property management, Patricia Ross spotted a glaring need that none of her competitors seemed able to address. So she took the initiative. Today, her customers are reaping the rewards.

As principal for P.H. Ross & Associates in Winnipeg, Ross leads one of the most accomplished property-management teams in Manitoba, supplying a complete range of corporate, management and administrative services for small to mid-sized property owners across the province.

Those services run the entire gamut: P.H. Ross does it all, from preparation of mortgage proposals to contract negotiation to budgeting and financial reporting to building maintenance and rent collection.

But here's what sets Ross and her team apart from the crowd. Unlike the vast majority of her competitors, Ross does not insist on signing an all-or-nothing service contract with her customers.

On the contrary, she specializes in a piecemeal approach, breaking down the service package and doing ONLY those jobs that suit the customer's requirements.

"Yes, our approach is quite a bit different than you'll find in the rest of the market," explains Ross, who is justifiably proud of her 17 years of exemplary work in the field of commercial real estate.

"We specialize in specific projects and services. For example, if a customer requires help with leasing, I will assist.

If they're looking for a hand on the budgeting side, we'll take care of that as well," she adds.

Naturally, P.H. Ross & Associates is happy to oblige property owners who prefer to avail themselves of the company's full suite of turnkey services. But Ross's niche-market approach has also paid dividends. Owners and operators of shopping centres, office buildings and retail strip malls have found the piecemeal strategy is just what the doctor ordered.

It's all part of Ross's commitment to an ageless maxim: Give your clients what they want and they'll come back for more.

"We're targeting the smaller investor who has one or two properties, but who isn't interested in going around collecting rent, for example," Ross explains. "We're happy to sign a full-service contract, certainly. But we're also ready to tackle the specific bits and pieces that give a customer the most trouble."

Countless investors have already learned how valuable Ross's service package can be. Her highly trained team takes care of the essentials, with no detail left unexplored.

Naturally, that includes the day-to-day management and operation of the property: Keeping an eye peeled for leaks in the roof, making sure the HVAC system hasn't gone down, looking out for the customer's interest at every turn.

"It's a matter of maintaining the property, of making sure everything is running smoothly at all times," Ross says.

Examples: Say your tenant reports a leak in the roof of your Winnipeg dry-cleaning shop. No sweat whatsoever.

"That's when I step in," she says. "It's my job to get the appropriate contractor on site and get it repaired. Then I take care of the store interior, making sure that everything's cleaned up and that the tenant is satisfied."

Or take leasing as another example. Plenty of brokers provide leasing services, but larger firms invariably lack the personal touch. And few Winnipeg brokers are as familiar as Ross with the legal ins and outs of commercial leasing agreements.

It should go without saying that Ross is a very busy lady. Nevertheless, she insists on taking personal responsibility when it comes to customer satisfaction.

That's part of her pledge to the clients of P.H. Ross & Associates - a custom service package designed to suit every need.

"I take full responsibility on behalf of my corporation," she says. "I do delegate, but I always make sure that I stay involved in every aspect of the business.

I stay involved in absolutely everything and make sure things are running efficiently."

Naturally, financial matters remain uppermost in the minds of Ross's customers. But they've long since ceased to worry.

She and her team take care of everything, including the collection of receivables and financial reporting, on a monthly or quarterly basis, depending on client needs.

"We also prepare operating budgets, while providing projections for leasing vacancies, operating costs and expected revenues," Ross adds. "We really try to stay in tune with the markets."

Since many of Ross's customers fall into the category of "private investor," each is more than happy to turn over the detail work to P.H. Ross & Associates. Why? Because they offer the best custom service package in town.

For details, stop by the website: www.phrossassociates.ca.

And feel free to contact the office via telephone (204.943.0222), fax (204-943-0459) or email (patriciaross@phross associates.ca)