FAQs About Sharper Management Company
Company Overview
Sharper’s leadership team is made up of two owners with unique backgrounds and skill sets, which we
believe serves you well:
Dan Cunningham, Esq. – Chief Executive & Operations Officer
Nick Schilling- Chief Financial & Information Officer
Sharper has over 40 full-time core employees and 30 on-site staff.
Sharper was formed and has been in association management since 2009.
We are a “younger” company, with ownership and key managers ranging in age from 30-50 years old. We
pride ourselves on creating an environment of ambition and innovation, backed by key managers and
leaders with a depth and breadth of experience.
Current Client Overview
We manage just over 200 Associations consisting of 11,000+ units in the Twin Cities Metro area.
Turnover is low, with an average of three contracts terminated per year- some by the client and some
by Sharper.
We manage dozens of properties with pools, and over 50 properties with other shared amenities such as a
clubhouse or guest suite.
References are available upon request.
Financial Management
We believe our accounting systems and approach are the best in the industry. Accuracy,
transparency, and accessibility are our ultimate goals. Our system allows 24/7 real-time accounting
to all Board members, ensuring complete transparency and ease of use. Reports such as Income
Statements, Balance Sheets, etc. can be pulled at any time by any Board member. Expenses and
income are tracked in real-time. Financial audits, reviews and taxes are handled by a number of
independent CPA firms-many of whom have access to our system to expedite the process.
The budgeting process and timing depends on your Association’s fiscal year and Governing Documents.
Typically a draft budget is prepared by the manager 60-90 days prior to the fiscal year end, including
a list of line item variances and description of any increases/decreases. The final budget is then normally
proposed and approved by the Board at a meeting 30-45 days prior to the fiscal year end – allowing us to
provide the typically required 30-day notice of dues change to homeowners.
We require that operating funds be held with Alliance Association Bank. Their system efficiently interacts
with our system and there is no fee for banking with them. Reserve funds may be held wherever the
Association chooses.
Community Managers
It is no secret that this is a tough industry and qualified Community Managers are hard to find and even
harder to keep. We are proud to report that half our managers have been with us for over four years, and
the majority of the others have been with us for over two years. A few have been with us for a decade. We
credit this success to our formula that provides our Community Managers with support they need and a
manageable work load.
Our Community Managers come from a variety of backgrounds and diverse skill sets. Nearly all come from
some sort of customer service background then enter our 2+ year training process to become Community
Managers. Our Community Managers also receive training and certification through Community
Association Institute and other organizations. Board of Directors Support
Board Of Directors Support
The number of meetings per year is negotiable with the Management Agreement and is often dictated
by your Community Association’s Governing Documents. In addition, our Community Managers work hard
to keep owners and Board members up-to-date on all activities surrounding your Association through
emails, announcements on the website and thorough Board Meeting Management Reports.
Board training and education is very important to us. Our Community Managers strive to teach their
Boards how to be an effective and efficient governing body. We also provide quarterly board training events
and quarterly newsletters for Board members – touching on important topics and helpful hints.
We typically do not get involved in Committee activity unless the Management Agreement spells it out. We
always recommend a Board member liaison to committees.
There are a number of common issues today facing Associations. Reserve funding and planning is always
an issue when setting annual dues. We recommend the Board engage in a professional Reserve Study, if
they do not have one, and our Community Managers are well versed in how to implement and advise the
Board to use it. Contractor pricing and availability is also rapidly becoming an issue as the economy
changes. As a respected management company we are well-positioned to leverage and manage
contractors. We also have a vast network of contractors from various fields that allows us to ensure
necessary work gets done. Finally, the legislative landscape of Common Interest Communities in Minnesota
continues to evolve. We work hard to be involved and stay as in-the-loop as possible to ensure our
Associations are operating appropriately.
Vendor Management
First and foremost, project scope has to be determined before going out to bid. Our Community Managers
work with the Board to advise and mutually develop the scope. Depending on the complexity, a detailed
RFP would be generated and sent to at least three contractors to solicit “apples to apples” bids. Again,
depending on the scope and complexity, a Bid Analysis and/or Bid Comparison document may be created
by the Community Manager to share with the Board and aide in the decision-making process.
We have an extensive list of vendors from a wide breadth of fields that our Community Managers utilize
and bring to the Board for their engagement on special projects as well as regular services. We are also
open to utilizing any current vendors you use, provided they are licensed and insured properly.
Supervision of vendors and projects come from our efforts to train managers on the importance of being
on site as often as possible. We firmly believe that successful management of a community comes from
routine physical engagement and through communication with all stakeholders. One of the primary duties
of our Community Managers is vendor management.
Homeowner Interactions
Through our 24/7 phone line, email system and website capabilities we provide homeowners with
various avenues of communication. We have a 24 hour policy on returning phone calls and a 48 hour policy
on returning emails.
One feature we are proud of and feel gives us a unique competitive advantage is our “Task” system
Homeowners, Board members, or Sharper staff can create a task online, and then it assigned to the
appropriate party in our office. That task is then updated and tracked during each step for the originator
and all involved.
We have a fully-staffed and in-house Client Care Department answering calls and emails all day, every day.
Expedited communication is a core value.
Payment can be made by coupon book
Miscellaneous
Our 24/7 emergency line allows homeowners to reach the appropriate person when an emergency occurs.
Once the issue is identified as a true emergency the Community Manager will be contacted to determine
the appropriate action.
All homeowners in the Community are provided web portal access that we maintain. The secure website is
only accessible to owners of the Association and is owner specific to their account. On the website, they
can view their dues balance, pay dues, access Association documents, view Association contracts, monitor
or create Tasks, and more.