Been There, Done That!

Franchise ownership comes with its own benefits and challenges.  In this discussion, Nick Choat, owner of a Sport Clips Haircuts franchise and a SCORE mentor, talks with Dennis Zink about how he selected this particular business and the processes of starting, marketing and running his franchise locations.  He also discusses the franchise model in general, and the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee.

Every business is a reflection of its employees, and selecting, training and promoting the right employees are a key factor in long term success.   Host Dennis Zink and co-host Fred Dunayer are joined by talent management specialist and SCORE mentor Howard Kilman, who shares some of his key concepts and experience in the staffing of Avenade, a joint venture of Microsoft and Accenture.  As Chief Leadership Officer, he grew the company from a handful of startup staff to thousands of high value, highly skilled employees. Topics of the discussion include the creation and maintenance of a corporate culture and the things to look for when hiring and promoting employees. Howard is now with WriteHeights LLC, specializing in Leadership Development and Business Coaching.

Managing your digital world is a key process in creating business success. In this information-packed extended recording, Mike McCormick, CEO of Full Stack Marketing Consultants, discusses how you can use all aspects of digital marketing in your business. From startups to the enterprise level, Mike shares his insights on the digital landscape. He provides practical tips on lead generation and sales, advertising and promotion, content marketing, the customer experience, social community management and business management. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources, and the Sarasota County Office of Business and Economic Development to offer this seminar as part of the ongoing Success Strategies for Business Owners Meetup Group.

Nearly all merchants need to accept credit and debit cards, and an increasing number accept other forms of electronic payment.  Pat Moran, "Master Your Card" expert, has over 14 years of experience across the entire electronic payments ecosystem. In his role with Master Your Card, a community empowerment program sponsored by Mastercard, Moran uses his deep knowledge of payment technologies to educate small business owners and advisers on how to maximize the value from electronic payment acceptance. In this discussion with Dennis Zink and Fred Dunayer, he promotes a deeper understanding of the process to empower business owners to limit the costs and headaches associated with electronic payments.

By using social media and email marketing, you can attract prospects and move them from a “shopper’s” mindset to a “buyer’s” mindset. For many businesses this sales process can be automated, freeing you to manage your business while your marketing continues working for you non-stop in the background. In this episode, Barbara Langdon, an email and social media marketing expert, owner of Market Momentum, Certified Constant Contact Solution Provider and SCORE Mentor, shares tips, tools, and techniques for growing your business by moving your customers through the buying journey in a cost and time efficient way. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources, and Sarasota County Economic Development to offer this seminar as part of the on-going Success Strategies for Business Owners Meetup Group.

Take care of your business relationships and your company will prosper.  This is the message of Andrea Nierenberg, president of The Nierenberg Consulting Group.  In this discussion with Dennis Zink and Fred Dunayer, Andrea shares her secrets and methods for building business relationships and making everyone in the company a brand ambassador  She dispenses fantastic networking advice and also gives examples of good and bad practices in networking.

Achievers throughout history have had one thing in common—they know themselves.   In this seminar on Personality Selling, Mike Lewis will share insights into the psychology of the sales process, provide practical tips and tools to understand your own selling style,recognize the buying styles of your customers and adapt your selling style to increase sales, enhance sales communications and build relationships.   Mike Lewis is a certified SCORE mentor and the Chapter Chair of Pasco-Hernando SCORE in Pasco County, Florida. Mike has been a small business owner and is an expert in selling techniques and sales communication skills and an entertaining and engaging sales trainer. His published book, The Sales Bridge, The Art of Sales Communication, focuses on why personality selling is an ideal way to interact, communicate, and sell more products and services.   SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources, and Sarasota County Economic Development to offer this seminar as

Purchasing a franchise gives you a head start towards owning and operating your own business.  In this session Mats Bengtson, a Certified Franchise Specialist at FranNet and a SCORE Certified Small Business Mentor, will discuss the items that should be considered when reviewing franchise ownership opportunities, as well as planning for business ownership and funding options. SCORE is proud to partner with Manatee County Public Library and Manatee County Economic Development Division and the speaker to offer this program.

Crowdfunding can be the entrepreneur's avenue to success.  Last year, entrepreneurs with great product ideas raised over $16 billion to launch their companies. Presenter John Montelione is CEO and Founder of J-Tech Investments and a self-described serial entrepreneur, author, mentor and lecturer.  He actively consults to startups.  John has extensive experience in developing strategic business plans and launching innovative products within the healthcare and Department of Defense intelligence and Homeland Security markets. SCORE is proud to partner with Manatee County Public Library and Manatee County Economic Development Division and the speaker to offer this program.

Many small businesses experience sales increases and decreases based on the seasons.   In this episode, John Horne, CEO of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurant group, Dylan Bower, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Sarasota Airport, and Stefan Sommerfield, a SCORE mentor with 40 years of experience in retail management, including clients such as Sax Fifth Avenue, Gimbel’s and Target, discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by seasonal business.  Hosting this session are Bob Melberth, SCORE vice-chair, and Chelsea Baker, Information Services Librarian of the Manatee County Central Library. SCORE thanks the Manatee Public Library and the Economic Development Division for its assistance in the production of this podcast.

Growing your local business by taking it online requires thought and commitment.  Danny Catullo and Dennis Zink discuss the opportunities and challenges in this wide-ranging discussion which includes finding and using both your own resources and those of resource partners like Fedex.

Learn how to increase website clicks and conversions by tweeting during live events and by tapping into followers of thought leaders for a particular genre that resonates with your target audience. In this episode, Mical Johnson of Omen Interactive, a Navy and nearly two decade digital marketing veteran shares best practices to maximize the return on your Twitter advertising investment including geo-targeting, use of Twitter Cards, automatic bids and more.  SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and the speaker to offer this program.  

The customer acquisition system is the most critical component of any business.  Using Facebook advertising, you can create a system that will be predictable and scalable. In this episode, Mical Johnson,  a Navy and nearly two decade digital marketing veteran shares best practices to maximize the return on your Facebook advertising investment.  Whether your marketing objective is increased website traffic, more leads or higher conversion, you can begin applying his practical tips to improve the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and the speaker to offer this program.

Target marketing allows you to focus your marketing dollars and brand message to increase your ROI and track your results in real time. In this episode, Raul Vielma, Channel Manager for Propel Marketing and a digital marketing expert shares multiple ways to target your customer and potential customers online. Begin applying these practical tips on mobile responsiveness, search engine marketing and optimization, social media and display advertising immediately to grow your business .   SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources to offer this program.

Welcome to another edition of the Success Strategies for Business Owners podcast series. Most business is generated by repeat customers, and new customers frequently come as referrals from those existing customers.  In this episode, Barbara Langdon, an email and social media marketing expert, owner of Market Momentum and a Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert, tells you how to use these tools to build your revenue by driving repeat business and customer referrals.  Learn some simple but effective best practices for making more effective use of your email marketing program. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and our digital marketing expert speaker to offer this program.

In this episode of our Success Strategies for Business Owners, Scott Gonnello, Search Engine Optimization expert and author of the book “Common SEO Mistakes”, shares SEO strategies and practical tips that you can apply to achieve online domination for your target market. SEO is marketing. Get answers to questions including what it takes to get and keep your website on page one of the search engines and how to know if what you are doing is delivering value for your business. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources to offer this program.

In this special episode consisting of highlights from a SCORE workshop, Barbara Langdon, an email and social media marketing expert, owner of Market Momentum and a SCORE Mentor takes the mystery out of social media.  She discusses how to build your social presence using the 5 most popular social media platforms.  Barbara shares tips to identify if your social media activities are working and insights on the time and resources necessary to support each of these platforms. SCORE is proud to partner with the Manatee County Government Neighborhood Services Department Library System to offer this program.

In this episode, our guests discuss how to select a digital marketing provider. Gretchen Miscik, a SCORE Mentor, serves as the panel's emcee.  Fred Dunayer, also a SCORE mentor, is the audio engineer. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and our panel of five digital marketing experts to offer this program

In this episode, our guests discuss search concepts, digital platforms, tools to start your digital marketing efforts, and common mistakes to avoid. Gretchen Miscik, a SCORE Mentor, serves as the panel's emcee.  Fred Dunayer, also a SCORE mentor, is the audio engineer. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and our panel of five digital marketing experts to offer this program.

In this special episode, our guests discuss why you should consider digital marketing, what you should expect from it, and how you should budget for it. Gretchen Miscik, a SCORE Mentor, serves as the panel's emcee.  Fred Dunayer, also a SCORE mentor, is the audio engineer. SCORE is proud to partner with Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and our panel of five digital marketing experts to offer this program.