Small Business Matters

Connection Calendar

PRESENTED BY

July 6

Want more information and resources on this week's topics, ideas and events? Go to www.cose.org/smallbizmatters.i

SOURCE: OHTEC TECH INDUSTRY STUDY (TO BE PUBLISHED SUMMER 2015)

COCKTAILS & CONNECTONS AT AZURE SUN LOUNGE

Join COSE for cocktails and make connections at Azure Sun Lounge, Cleveland’s only sun deck and

lounge, perched 150 feet above the city streets.JULY 9

5:30-8 PMAzure Sun Lounge, Cleveland

Cost: $20 for COSE Members and Non-Members

Register today at www.cose.org/events.

SMALL BUSINESS BOOT CAMP: STAFFING, TALENT AND CULTURE

COSE’s next Boot Camp for small business owners will focus on how to better manage staffi ng,

talent and culture in your business. Walk away armed with tools, strategies and ideas that you can

immediately put into action. Steve Ellis of Tucker Ellis, named one of the Best Lawyers in America for more

than 10 years, will share his insights on why employees are a company’s greatest asset and why having the

right talent is so critical to your success.JULY 15

11:30 AM – 1:30 PMTucker Ellis, Cleveland

Cost: COSE Members $25, Non-Members $40Register at www.cose.org/events.

Check out www.cose.org/events for all the latest happenings.CONTENT PROVIDED AND PAID FOR BY THE COUNCIL OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES

11% 2010

22% 2015

Competing on price is extremely diffi cult to do. Thus, businesses need to fi nd ways to add value, along with competitive pricing, to stand apart from the competition and suc-ceed in today’s economy. “When it comes to cost savings, most organizations focus on hard dollar amounts,” says Sara Schweda, di-rector of client solutions for Group Transpor-tation Services (GTS), a third-party logistics provider in Hudson. “In today’s competitive environment, companies strive to do more and perform better while keeping operations lean. Positioning your company as the part-ner to help a client achieve these goals is an opportunity to diff erentiate yourself from your competitors and generate additional revenue streams for your business.”

Small businesses can leverage their port-folio of services and highlight their largest as-sets – their people and technology – to stay

competitive. While each of these benefi ts is considered a “soft cost,” they stress the real value received in saving both time and re-

sources. “Investments in service and technol-ogy result in substantial ROI for clients, but in order to sell these you must not only under-stand the clients’ processes and operations, but also the objectives that have been set as a company and direct your focus to helping the client accomplish them,” says Schweda.

Assigning a dollar value to items such as time savings, ease of use, or even customer service can be done if there is an under-standing of the time and resources involved. “We include this process review in our on-boarding,” notes Schweda. Ask clients how they use data to make strategic business decisions across multiple business units. “Hard dollar savings is by far the most at-tractive diff erentiator in decision making, but soft cost evaluations can provide additional value while increasing your service off erings to the client.”

52 TIPS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

#27 – Generate Revenue by Selling Soft Cost Savings

Sara Schweda,Group Transportation Services

TECH GROWTH: BUILDING SALES WITH YOUR CURRENT CUSTOMERS

Growing sales with your fi rm’s existing customers takes a coordinated, consistent and conscious eff ort.

This enlightening session features leaders of tech companies who have cracked the code to unlock

revenue from current customers.JULY 16

7:30 – 10 AMIndiana Wesleyan, Seven Hills

Cost: OHTec and COSE Members $10, Non-Members $20

Register at www.cose.org/events.

Many small businesses today are fi nd-ing success promoting their brand on social media. But for every success story there are dozens more about the ineff ective usage of social media. One of the main reasons social media can be a valuable marketing tool is that it gives businesses the ability to interact and engage with a wider audience. Big or small, everyone today is looking for strate-gies that work to gain visibility in this new marketing age.

The Art of Social Media, published in De-cember 2014, was written by Guy Kawasaki, the legendary former chief evangelist for Ap-

ple and a pioneer of business blogging and social media use for business, and Peg Fitz-patrick, a successful social media strategist.

This book off ers sound practical advice on ways to be eff ective in the digital market today and has quickly become the go-to resource for small business owners looking to up their social media game. “I am a passionate mar-keter and have seen the amazing importance of winning in the digital marketing space over the last 10 years,” says Mike Foti, president of Innovate Building Solutions. “This book is practicable and actionable and written in bite-sized chunks so you can learn some things,

put them into practice, and then pick it back up at a later date for more input/advice.”

“Small business owners all have the same challenge – time – and the reality that social media is free is a myth. It takes time to do it right,” says Foti. “This book pro-vides resources and methods to save time on social media and off ers helpful advice and important lessons that any small busi-ness owner can use to improve their social media footprint.”

The Art of Social MediaPower Tips for Power Users

WHAT’S HOT

2015 COSE SMALL BUSINESS CONVENTION

Growing Like Crazy

NEO Tech Companieswith more than $5M in

Annual Revenue

By The Numbers

put them into practice, and then pick it back

owners all have the same challenge – time – and the reality that

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There is no limit to what you can achieve as a small business owner, especially when you are equipped with a healthy attitude, a solid plan, and the right tools and support. COSE’s annual Small Business Convention is a two-day event that challenges participants to learn, experience and take action to be the best business owners they can be.

We asked COSE’s 2015 Small Business Convention Planning Committee Chairman Dr. Joe Mayer, co-founder and managing part-ner of the Mayer Business Group, to give us a sneak preview of the event, and off er his top fi ve reasons not to miss this year’s Convention.

“The Convention planning committee is extremely excited about the lineup of speak-ers and topics, exhibitors and overall size and scope of the event this year,” says Mayer. “We’ve got something for every small business to help them manage and grow their business. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Convention, and we are thrilled to be hold-ing it for the fi rst time in downtown Cleveland.”

Here are Mayer’s top fi ve reasons to at-tend the Convention:

Dynamic Networking. “No matter the type of business we’re in, small busi-

ness owners all face similar challenges. Un-derstanding how others approach those chal-lenges and how they found solutions can help you master them, too. With more than 1,000 small business owners expected to attend the event, the Conference is the biggest network-ing opportunity of the year.”

Practical Learning. “Our breakout sessions will be lead by some of Ohio’s

premier experts on topics that range from Pricing for Value and Profi ts to Developing Your Employer Brand. Our goal is to make sure that each learning opportunity off ers takeaways that you can apply to your busi-ness the next day that will make a real dif-ference.”

Inspiration. “Our lineup of keynote speakers is truly inspirational. They each

have a unique entrepreneurial story to share, as well as lessons on leadership and strategies for success.”

Expert Advice. “Where else can you seek advice from more than 80 ex-

hibitors and partners who understand the specifi c needs of small owners and stand ready to off er solutions to help you in your business?”

Refresh and Recharge. “The COSE Small Business Convention is not your

typical business gathering. Our goal is to put on an event where small business owners can come to recharge their battery and mind with two days fi lled with inspiration, fun and making new friends and connections.”

For more information or to register for the 2015 Small Business Convention, go to www.cose.org/sbc.

Two Days to a Better Business