MAY/JUNE 2016
WWW.COSE.ORG
Mind Your Business TIPS, TRENDS, IDEAS AND INSIGHTS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
NO … I MEAN YES! “No” doesn’t have the final word in sales [5]
FIND YOUR INNER SALESPERSON Think you can’t sell? Our experts will help you find your inner salesperson [14]
LEARNING FROM FAILURE Tips on succeeding after a defeat [20]
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2 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
contents 5
4 MEMO
12 EXPERT’S EDIT
Jeff Susbauer, leader of COSE’s Strategic Planning Course, is here to help fix the mistakes you might be making in your business.
14
So your customer said, “No.” You can still land that sale.
20 LIFE AFTER FAILURE Has your company taken a wrong turn? Our suggestions can help you get back on track.
YOU CAN SELL
Sorry, if you’re a small business owner, you’re also a salesperson. We’ll help bring out the hidden sales monster that’s hiding inside you.
23
OVERCOME OBJECTIONS
THE 22 ON SCENE
Find out who took home the hardware during the 10th annual Best of Tech Awards.
Q&A
We sat down with graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program to find out what the program taught them.
MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 3
MEMO
The Dark Side Beckons. Be Strong and Resist!
Y
ou haven’t fallen victim to the Dark Side, have you? As you can tell from our cover design for this issue, the war for sales is an ongoing one. Giving up too easily after a customer
rebuffs your initial sales attempt. Not trusting your inner sales person. Staying away from bigger accounts because you’re “not in their league.” A certain short, green friend of mine might say about the above: “Impatience. Fear. No confidence. The Dark Side (of sales) are they.” Entrepreneurs face challenge after challenge when it comes to landing sales. I see and hear about it on a regular basis when I meet with our members. The sales game can be a difficult one to play for large companies and it’s doubly so for small business. That’s why we have devoted this issue to helping you identify and overcome these challenges. You’ll find plenty of other tips inside, but if I may borrow another piece of advice from my wise, little friend who lives far, far away: “You must unlearn what you have learned.” Or said in a more earthling way: Stop. Take a breath. Trust in what the Mind Your Business sales Jedis have shown, you must. And take stock of what’s working, what’s not working, and take steps to adjust the way you do things. Oh, and apply the takeaways you’ll read about in this issue to your own sales effort. May the (sales) Force be with you,
STEVE MILLARD president and executive director
smillard@cose.org | 216.592.2436
4 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
Mind Your Business
A PUBLICATION OF THE COUNCIL OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES COUNCIL OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES STEVE MILLARD President and Executive Director smillard@cose.org MEGAN KIM Managing Vice President, Membership Development & Marketing mkim@cose.org SHAWN A. TURNER Content Director sturner@cose.org DAN ROMAN Director, COSE Corporate and Foundation Relations droman@cose.org CONTRIBUTORS KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE ALLISON HALCO DRANUSKI STACI BUCK Art Director COSE.ORG CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Design and Production Services
No Way, No How TURN SALES OBJECTIONS INTO WINS WITH STRATEGIES YOU CAN TRY TODAY. By KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 5
No! N
ot interested. Thanks, but no thanks. We’ll pass. No time for this. Maybe later. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. Nope. Nu-huh. Nah. So, what now? You put yourself out there, delivered your pitch, perhaps even ushered a prospect from a cold call to a near close. But then: rejection. (It’s no easier to take today in business than it was before high school prom.) “No” is the slamming door. It’s the eye roll. It’s all of the things you can’t stand about sales. 6 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
But is No a four-letter word? (Not exactly.) “No can be a great word, actually,” says Brendan Hickey, who’s in the field of B2B payment services at Solupay in Twinsburg. “People get hung up in sales and think, ‘I got another ‘no.’ In my opinion, fantastic. You can cross that person off your list and it’s one less company you have to call on.” A qualified “No” can be a beautiful thing. (Keep reading and we’ll explain why.) Think of “No” as a stall until you uncover the real pain point. No what? No time. No money. No way to get out of an existing contract. What’s the reason why? “Turning a ‘No’ into a ‘Yes’ often happens for us eventually because of our positive reputation and continuing to learn about the client and build a rapport,” Hickey says. Next time you get a No, rethink your next sales steps with these strategies for overcoming sales objections. What we’re saying is, yes — you can turn that “No” into a “Where do I sign?”
Feel the Pain “In the sales process, we should never be surprised to hear ‘No,’” says Joe Mayer, coach, consultant and owner of Mayer Business Group in Solon. If you forget to tune into the prospect’s real pain points — what they actually need and why — then you’re likely to get rejected. Why? People want answers to their problems. Be a part of the solution instead and begin by asking: What’s your problem? Of
course, you’ll do this more eloquently. “If we don’t understand what keeps a person up at night or what a person really needs to be successful, we do not have a good starting point to pitch our product,” Mayer points out. “Understand what the person is really grappling with,” he says. You’ll do this by asking open-ended questions and initiating conversation with the prospect that focuses on their needs. In Hickey’s case, he’s selling a solution that some businesses just don’t like to talk about. No one likes to pay for credit card processing fees, and we completely understand that, he says. Hickey has to “break down those walls.” That can mean uncovering pain prospects don’t even realize they have. “If someone is processing a transaction in a certain way, they may think they are getting a fantastic rate but they could be paying more than they should be,” he relates. Hickey asks how they are processing transactions. “How are you accomplishing this? Does it make sense to have a conversation and dive deeper?” Hickey adds, “There’s no stress or pressure.”
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Not The Right Time
Why Not?
OK, you heard “No,” but did you bother to uncover the reason why? Qualifying the “No” is critical because it will help you figure out your next steps. There are all different kinds of “No.” You must find out what those are. Get to the bottom of that “No” so you can get the prospect back on the buying track — or walk away and move on.
Find out if the prospect is engaged in a contract that he or she does not want to break. (You do want loyal clients, anyway, so this demonstration of respect is not a bad sign.) The time is not now for your company to close a deal — but what about another time? Ask that question. As you know, running a business is all consuming and the prospect might simply feel too overwhelmed with operations to really sit down and make a decision about what you’re offering. If you sense this is the case, show sensitivity. (You get it, after all!) Tell them you understand. Ask when is a better time to reconnect. Timing is everything — in business, in life. But poor timing is not a complete rejection. It’s an indication you should follow up later, at the prospect’s convenience. And, you should straight-up ask when that will be. (Next week — next year?)
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No Money Affordability is generally the last barrier salespeople should confront, Matt Williams, chief marketing officer at HGR Industrial Surplus Inc. in Cleveland points out. After you qualify the prospect, reach the decision-maker, understand the pains, educate why you have a solution — then there’s price. “Remove all of the other objections first,” Williams says. “If you don’t do that, you are never going to overcome price because there is no perceived value in what you offer.” If there is perceived value, price is just another discussion rather than a reason to say “No.” And, figure out if you can turn a pricing “obstacle” into a win. “Maybe you charge less upfront, or maybe you present a payment plan or look at a solution with fewer features that costs less,” Williams says. “There are ways to handle the price objection so everyone benefits.” We’re not suggesting you compromise the value of your offering. But if the prospect truly is an ideal customer you want to build a relationship with, showing some flexibility initially could win you more business in the end.
No Power Are you talking to the decision-maker? This seems like an easy enough question, but too many salespeople/business owners court the person who’s listening and neglect to ask if that’s the person who does the buying. “You don’t want to get to the end of the sales process and have someone pull out the management trump card and say you’re getting over-ruled,” Williams says.
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No interest This is your official “No.” The company you’re calling on has no need for your product. In Hickey’s case, that could be a prospect that does not process credit cards and accepts payment via a bank lockbox. “Those are services we don’t really provide,” he says. “So that prospect would not be a good fit for us.” Remember, “No” isn’t a bad word. It means you can stop barking up the wrong tree and dedicate your resources to prospects that want and need what you offer. And, Mayer adds, you should use this type of “No” to find other prospects. “As in, ‘Do you know someone who might have a need?’ because now you have someone who understands what you are selling. So why not see if they can provide a referral?”
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Toughen Up We say this with love. We say this because you already know the stress of running a business. You’re a builder — and sales is the foundation of your company, no matter what you CASH offer. Growing sales takes time, effort and grit. FLOW You’re gonna lose some. And that’s OK. “Sales is all about persistence,” Williams says. “Just get up the next day and have a short memory about those rejections. Don’t think so much about what you had to deal with yesterday. The No’s can inform what you offer so you can enhance that and thrive in the market.” Also remember, markets go through cycles. The “No” could have everything to do with where a prospect is in that cycle and nothing to do with your offer, price, values, any of that. For example, how easy would it be to sell chocolate to a candy store the day after Easter. “That is not the best time to call,” Hickey relates. “It’s a valley in their business, but that’s cyclical. So come the next holiday, there’s another opportunity.” MYB Need to know more about how to turn “No” into a resounding “YES!”? Visit www.cose. org/myb for more content related to this story.
NEXT STEPS OPEN THE DOOR Are you constantly missing out on opportunities because of red tape? It might be because your target customer needs to see you have achieved a certain certification before they hit the “Yes” button. “Hey, remember our resident Sales Doctors from the April Resource Guide, Marvin Montgomery and Hal Becker? (Go to cose.org/myb/ sales if you need a refresher.) Well, if you want to continue to refine your sales acumen, you might want to check out their Sales Academy, where you’ll learn more valuable tips you can begin applying to your sales game. To learn more, visit www.cose.org/salesacademy Some examples: n ISO certification n sustainable practices n various government designations n insurance and bonding requirements. If you keep getting the door slammed on you because you need a specific “paper,” then maybe you should pursue that.
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EXPERT’S EDIT
3 | |COSE MMAY/JUNE 2016 2016 12 COSEMind MindYour YourBusiness Business| |MARCH/APRIL
EXPERT’S EDIT
FINAL EXPERT TAKEAWAY Want more solutions to the problems small business owners face every day? Consider signing up for the COSE Strategic Planning Course, a six-month, resultsoriented process that delivers concentrated executive-level business education and exceptional networking opportunities. The course is designed to help you overcome obstacles while building the foundation to take your business to the next stage. Based on your business type, you’ll be matched with a course alumnus who will serve as your mentor and attend one of ten 4-hour class sessions with you. For more information, Contact Adina Magda at amagda@gcpartnership.com or call 216-592-2379. MARCH/APRIL 2016| COSE MindYour YourBusiness Business| 13 MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSEMind |4
HOW TO SELL (When That’s Really Not Your Thing)
You’re a business owner — and you’ve got to sell to live. For the non-sales-minded among us, that could be a problem. Not to worr y: We’ve got a plan to help you build the skills you need to thrive. By KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
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Y
ou’re an attorney who excels at practicing law. But selling is another story. You’re an accountant whose clients value the way you can analyze numbers. But selling is just not your thing. You’re a software developer who creates products that change how businesses operate. Can’t someone else sell it? You’re a second- or third-generation owner who grew up in the family business. You’ve been walking the walk since — well, since you could walk. Now you have to sell your story, too. Ugh. Sales. You just want to do your thing — whatever that thing is. You’re the visionary, the entrepreneur, the one who started this business and runs it every day. And, we’ve got news for you: You’re also the head of sales. No matter what your business is, you sell something. The problem is, you just weren’t cut out for sales (or frankly, you can’t stand the thought of it). “There are many business owners who are in a profession where they are experts, and they find themselves in a position where they are responsible for developing business,” says Kurt Treu, The Growth Coach of Greater Cleveland. So what now? “There is good news for professionals who don’t like to sell,” Treu says. (That’s what we like to hear.) “People don’t like to be sold.” People do business with those they like, trust and respect. You’ve heard this before. “So the best way to sell something, and this may sound counterintuitive, is to not sell anything,” Treu says. “Earn the awareness. Earn the respect. Earn the trust of those people who might buy from you. That’s the best place to start.” Diane Helbig, business adviser at Seize This Day, agrees the problem most small business owners face with sales is that they try to sell in the first place. “The truth is, it’s all about discovery,” she says. “And then, matching a solution to a problem. Period.”
YOU NEED A PLAN As humans, we thrive on routines. We appreciate the expected. We really want to know what’s going to happen next. That’s why sales can throw us for a loop. You’re putting yourself out there — and there’s no guaranteed result when you begin the process. What you need to overcome a
selling “fear” is a solid plan. Backing up, you can make the process feel more approachable by not calling it sales. “It’s no longer about sales — it’s about service, solutions and finding ways to help people with a stated need,” Treu points out. MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 15
You’re not selling, anyway. You’re building relationships. You’re developing business. That means you need a strategy to take you through that process. (That’s the plan we told you about.) Treu refers to his system as READ: Relate, Establish a need, Advance a tailored solution, Develop a commitment.
“
“
n
Never assume that you know what the client needs or wants, because whenever we do that, we are wrong. KURT TREU, The Growth Coach of Greater Cleveland
Relate
Be an active listener. Show interest in what the prospect is saying, and ask follow-up questions so you can begin to qualify whether the person is a potential customer. n
Establish
This is the qualification process. “Never assume that you know what the client needs or wants, because whenever we do that, we are wrong,” Treu says. “If we ask great questions and then listen, the opportunities will rise up. It goes back to the old 70/30 rule. You should be listening 70% of the time.” Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, Treu adds. “They listen with the intent to reply, and that’s where you can get in to a jam.” Tune in. Don’t think about what to say next or how to respond. Listen. Process. Let the opportunities “rise up,” as Treu says. If you hone in, you’ll begin to understand the person’s needs. n
Advance
Find a tailored solution that will help you avoid a temptation to outfit a person’s need with a product you offer. “Every customer is not your customer,” Treu points out. By forcing your solution, you could end up with a dissatisfied customer because what you offer just isn’t the answer. (And we all know what unhappy clients do. They talk. To everyone. About you.) “Don’t sell the feature, sell the benefits,” Treu says. Benefits might be protection, peace of mind, pleasure, pride. “What is it they are trying to accomplish that they are unable to do right now?” n
Develop
Convert the prospect into a customer. “First, you summarize the needs that were agreed upon, and the potential solutions,” Treu says. “Then, it’s as simple as asking the client: ‘What would you like to do next? I’d love the opportunity to help you. How do you want to proceed?’”
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THE ASK You already developed a rapport. You established a need. You built trust. So, it’s time to ask for the sale. “You’re looking for where-do-we-go-from-here?” Treu says. You’ve arrived at The Ask—that point in the business development (remember, you don’t have to call it sales) process where you need a “Yes” or “No.” This is the part so many business owners avoid. “We don’t ask because we don’t want to hear the answer,’ Treu says. But you literally have to ask for the business. You’ve got to ask for the sale, or you’ll lose momentum—you’ll lose the prospect. “If you don’t know the answer— yes or no—then you don’t know what the next step is,” Treu says. “Yes” means deliver on the promise and continue building the relationship. “No” means—well, see our story on Page 5 for how to turn that rejection into a positive. By adopting a process for business
development, you can track your progress with each prospect. You know what do to when. You know where you stand with prospects in your sales pipeline. You don’t have to think about sales because you’ve got a routine you follow. The key is to adopt a process that suits your business, says Abhi Goyal, director of business development at Blink Signs in Cleveland. “Everything can be sold 50 different ways — you have door-to-door, partnership selling, online selling…” he says. “Know your strengths so you can make the sales process easy.”
“butt-in-chair” method of forcing yourself to complete the task. For example, think about setting aside time to make 15 outbound calls to new prospects in one day. Group these calls together and turn it into your dedicated “calling hour.” Setting achievable goals for each day makes the sales process feel much more approachable, Goyal says. “Having small wins every day creates a culture of confidence so you can do the tough parts, such as cold calling,” he says. Mix the cold calling and relationship-building efforts with existing clients or warm referrals. “Vary your methods,” Goyal says.
SET A TRAP Still struggling with business development? You can trick yourself into getting it done by setting traps. We’re talking about creating mini goal/reward systems for calling on customers and other sales activities. A trap is basically a
STAY TRUE As you develop your business development skills and fine-tune a process, remember to continue building strong business operations. “With good business practices, the pressure is off because you
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will get repeat business and you’ll gain confidence,” Goyal says. “If the company is great, even an average salesperson can be successful,” Goyal continues. He admits that when his business first started, it took more effort to close sales. “Now, our processes are solid and we have a really good structure, which helps all aspects of business. It’s easier to sell and to recruit people.” And, if after all of this, business development is an aspect of your operation you struggle with to the point that it’s stalling your growth, consider partnering with someone who can manage it. You can learn it (public speaking classes, sales coaching), you can conquer it (set traps, build a process) or you can delegate it to a partner you trust. MYB Have we sold you? Not yet? How about if we direct you to cose.org/myb for more tips on how the non-sales-minded can start selling like a seasoned veteran.
Visit cose.org/myb
Questions about your business? Get answers from the COSE Expert Network. The COSE Expert Network features experts who: • are available to answer questions • provide 60-minute, in-person consultations • connect via email or phone to provide feedback or information • are vetted and reviewed by COSE
To get answers to your business questions or to set up a consultation with an expert, visit www.COSEexpertnetwork.org today!
18 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
NEXT STEPS
HOW TO FILL YOUR PIPELINE One of the best ways to fill your pipeline full with potential sales is by doing a little prospecting at conferences. And lucky for you Northeast Ohio is chock full of events where you can spread around your business card. Visit www.cose.org/myb/networking to listen to a webinar all about how to network effectively at conferences and grow your business. And for a
list of upcoming COSE events at which you can try out your newly acquired skills, visit www.cose.org/ events and www.cose.org/signature (to view a list of COSE’s signature events, such as the Small Business Convention.) Looking for even more events to show your face at? Visit www.cose.org/myb/eventfinder for a rundown of more conferences and conventions.
COSE extends a warm welcome to the following new members: 1Direction, Inc. Accounting for Action ACE Learning Garden LLC Advanced Auto Glass Alternalite Electric, Inc. Aqua Engineering Arc Seals, LLC Artistic Impressions Atrium Medical Group Auto Dealer Designs Baci Bar 25 LLC Beautiful Lawns & Snowplowing Bedford Metal Recycling, Inc. Belvoir Consultants BOOM Nutrition, Inc. Brakey Energy Inc. Brookpark Design-Builders, LLC Brunswick Family Medicine Burton Scot Contractors LLC CDW Service Center Censeo Group LLC Charles Morgan Chetan Patel, M.D. CK Insulation By SHAWN Clemson Towing Inc Cleveland Business Consultants Cleveland Special Tool Inc.
A.
Account Name All Disaster Services Be My CFO, LLC Beck Electric Blossom Hill Foundation City of Painesville Cleveland 3PL Essex Digital Platform Food Equipment Manufacturing Corp. Full Throttle Parts, Inc. Global Technical Recruiters Healthiest You Chiropractic Center LLC Ideal Home Health Care, Inc. Imaging Systems & Services Inc. Lake Park Tower LDR Americas LLC Lodox NA LLC MCL Resources, LLC North American Bancard One Source Business Lending, LLC OneCommunity OPT Solutions Pediatric Practice Inc PHILLIP S STAMBAUGH & RAY ECHLER Pickands Mather Coal Company TURNER Plum Cafe and Kitchen Quality Landscaping Inc. ReCreation LLC
SecureState LLC SMRE America Ltd SoftwareONE South Star Corporation Spencer Flora Llc State Farm - Alec Hagan, ChFC State Farm Insurance The City Club of Cleveland The Credit Junction Vekeda LLC Columbus Warwick Communications Willory Affordable-IT Air Equipment Rental Corp. ASHTA Chemicals Inc. Automated Laser & Fabrication Co Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Ohio Blink Signs Center for Dental Health Interstate Kitchen Supply James G Zupka CPA Inc Merlene Enterprises, Inc. O’Connor’s Towing Service, Inc. Primo Vino, LLC ShortstackPrinting.com SpoonDrawer Media Group, LTD Stand Sure, LLC. Village of Fairport Harbor
MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 19
FAILURE’S NOT FATAL By SHAWN A. TURNER
N
EWS FLASH! We here at Mind Your Business want you to be successful! (Hence all the tips and tricks in this issue on kicking your sales game up a notch.) But we recognize there are times, despite the excellent tips and suggestions we put in your hands each issue, that the stars are just going to align against you and you will fail. But no need to rip our magazine in half pledging to never read it again (really, don’t do that!). During a recent COSE WebEd Series webinar, Stacy Ward-Braxton, the chief learning and engagement officer at The Significance Group, laid out three things that will help you learn from failure — and keep your Mind Your Business issues all in one piece.
IT STARTS WITH INTROSPECTION “I always tell people, ‘Get a Ph.D. in the
study of you,” Ward-Braxton said during the webinar titled “The Art of Failure.” She said it’s easy for entrepreneurs to strategize, and carve out the things their business needs to do, but too few small business owners take the time to actually reflect on themselves. She said having a firm grasp on what makes you tick (and not just what makes your business tick) can enhance problem-solving skills, increase resilience, and lead to overall better decision making. Increased introspection will also help you identify the traps you might fall into, which can lead to failure. For instance, do you try to be too perfect? Are you suffering from burnout, which can lead to mistakes? Are you trying too hard to live up to what you perceive as being the public perception of you?
HAVE AN OPEN MIND The route to success in business isn’t always necessarily black and white.
NEXT STEPS For links to these and other skills assessment programs, visit www.cose.org/myb/skillsassessment. And to listen to this webinar in its entirety, visit www.cose.org/myb/failure.
20 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
There can be more than one solution to any given problem. Given that, WardBraxton urged that small business owners should keep an open mind and be thinking about other ways to do things. Also, be willing to be flexible and adaptable as your (or your company’s) situation changes. ‘WE, NOT I’ “Nothing great was ever accomplished alone,” Ward-Braxton said. Surround yourself with people who are going to challenge your way of thinking, and not people who will just blindly agree to whatever strategy you’re prepared to embark upon. Relatedly, ask “brutal” questions of your team and don’t be concerned about coming off looking too harsh, Ward-Braxton said. After all, you need to get to what is best for your company.
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MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 21
ON THE SCENE
Herb Schilling and the team from NASA Glenn accept the award for Tech Team of the Year. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ELAINE MANUSAKIS OF EVERY ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY
OHTec Celebrates 10 Years of the Best of Tech On April 21, OHTec celebrated the 10th annual Best of Tech Awards — or the #NerdOscars as some attendees (lovingly, we think) put it on Twitter. The Best of Tech Awards represented but one of the 22 events held during the “12 Days of Tech” April 13 to 24. Did you miss out on all of the Tech Week fun? Here are some photos of our Best of Tech extravaganza to help whet your appetite until next year. Learn more about OHTec’s mission by visiting www.cose.org/technology.
A total of 224 people attended the Best of Tech Awards on April 21. 22 | COSE Mind Your Business | MAY/JUNE 2016
In total, the 22 events held during Tech Week attracted nearly 2,000 attendees.
Nine awards were handed out during the awards ceremony.
OHTec Chairman Gabriel Toerek addresses the Best of Tech crowd.
Q&A
3 of the 10,000 Reasons to Sign Up for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program You’ve read a lot in this issue already about sales best practices. Continue the learning process by applying to be part of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, where you’ll also learn about the art of negotiation, marketing best practices and employee management.
MONICA GREEN
CEO, So Curly, So Kinky, So Straight, The Salon The Take Away: I learned adding a new salon isn’t the only way to grow. The Result: I just obtained the Beauty and Barber Empowerment Center, which will have cosemetology, bartering and advance training programming. This will help me train others who can help me expand my business.
MATT RADICELLI
Owner/founder, Rock the House Entertainment The Take Away: I learned that while anyone could be your competitor, anyone can also be your partner. The Result: I teamed up with one of my former biggest competitors. Instead of worrying and watching my back for this guy who is gaining on me, I thought, ‘Let’s work together. One plus one equals three.’
ELISABETH SAPELL
Owner/founder, All City Candy The Take Away: Sometimes, it’s best to take a step back and look at things from a new perspective. The Result: Collaborating with other small business owners has helped me to gain unique perspectives on the challenges facing my business — and to find the solutions for those challenges.
Interested in learning more about how the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program can help your business succeed? Visit http://www.tri-c.edu/10ksb/. MAY/JUNE 2016 | COSE Mind Your Business | 23
PRESENTED BY:
IN COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
YOU ARE INVITED
JUNE 8, 2016 8 AM - 6 PM THE TERRACE CLUB AT PROGRESSIVE FIELD
WWW.CLEVELANDBTOBMATCHMAKER.COM
FIND THE PERFECT MATCH
The eleventh annual Cleveland Business to Business Matchmaker Event is a unique small business contracting event, which presents a great opportunity for small businesses to gain access to buyers that represent millions of dollars in purchasing. The goal of the event is to create future contract opportunities for your small business through one-on-one sessions between buyers and sellers. Date: June 8, 2016 Time: 8 am – 6 pm Location: The Terrace Club at Progressive Field Cost: Free for buyers/$159 for suppliers Registration: Register online at www.clevelandbtobmatchmaker.com For additional information, contact the COSE Events Team at 216.592.2376 or events@cose.org | www.clevelandbtobmatchmaker.com PRESENTED BY:
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