Jumpstart Inc.

Every small business is different. However, there are some basic principles that stay the same no matter who you are or what kind of business you’re trying to grow. In this episode of the JumpStart Podcast, Larry Fulton, Owner of LEFCO Worthington, Constance Hill-Johnson, MPA, Owner and Managing Director of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, Lamont Mackley, Principal of Entrepreneurial Services and Investing at JumpStart and Mike Marchetti, Venture Partner at JumpStart reveal their secrets to small business success.   Featuring:  Larry Fulton, Owner, LEFCO Worthington Larry Fulton leverages an awarding winning strong entrepreneurial background across sectors including government, banking,manufacturing and non-profits. His areas of expertise include business planning, strategic growth, financial analytics, and M&A. Larry is currently the owner of LEFCO Worthington, a Cleveland-based producer of custom engineered wood crates that sells into the defense, utilities, and general industrial markets. Co

Your website should be the hub of all your marketing efforts…so is yours a 24/7 lead generating machine or an out-of-date embarrassment? With years of digital marketing experience, the web gurus at Kiwi Creative—a Cleveland-based marketing studio for B2B software and technology companies—have seen the good, bad and downright ugly of all things website-related. In this episode, Kiwi Creative's Jen Lombardi and Patrick Zangardi share their top 10 picks for things NOT to do when building or revamping your company’s website.

Building a brand today requires more than some brochures and the occasional press release. Whether you’re wooing social media influencers on Instagram or pitching reporters in a newsroom, knowing how to find and engage the people who can help get your message to your customers is key. On Wednesday, September 20th, JumpStart welcomed Kate Lienesch, PR coordinator for Hello, a Cleveland engagement agency, for an insightful presentation on how to work with third party influencers to help amplify your brand message.

When it comes to running a business, time stands still for no one. New competitors, new customers and new industry disruptions add up over time to create one simple truth—If you stop working to stay relevant, your business will inevitably start to decline. In this session of "Scaling Up"—a new JumpStart event series focused on small business growth—a panel of entrepreneurs and small business owners talk about thinking creatively and reaching for the kinds of new opportunities that have helped them grow beyond what they previously thought possible. Panelists: Adam Fleisher - Owner, The Wine Spot Brian Gale - CEO & President, I.D. Images Dave Westerfield - General Manager, PACE Converting Equipment Company Moderated by Greg Carlin

Whether you live in Cleveland or California, building a world-class startup requires you to think on a global scale.  On Thursday, March 30th, JumpStart invited a panel of experienced NEO entrepreneurs to Bottlehouse Brewery, to share real stories and offer real advice about getting the most out of your local resources, while also keeping your eye on the big picture.

On Thursday, January 12, JumpStart hosted an IP workshop with Isaac Molnar, Assistant Attorney General and Intellectual Property Counsel, Business Counsel Unit for the State of Ohio.   This program focused on issues unique to web-based/software/app-based (“IT”) companies. The first topic, Intellectual property or IP, refers to trademark, trade secrets, patent and copyright law. Each of these areas has issues unique to IT companies including: scope of trademark protection for SaaS companies, steps to take to preserve trade secrets, patentability of software and copyright ownership rights in source code.   In the second part of the event, Mr. Molnar addressed transactional or contract issues with a focus on SaaS agreements and end-user license agreements (EULA).

Entrepreneurship can be exciting and rewarding. But the long hours and high stress can take a real toll—on you and the people who care about you. On Tuesday, December 6, JumpStart invited entrepreneurs and their families to the Great Lakes Science Center for an honest discussion about the sacrifices they make on a daily basis. Sponsored by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.

Large companies have some major advantages over startups when it comes to finding and keeping employees. But small ventures can still compete for great talent when they focus on creating a company culture that supports and inspires people. On November 16, JumpStart held a panel discussion with entrepreneurs and recruiters about using great culture to attract top talent. Featuring: Moderator: Dan Aerni, Director, Entrepreneurial Talent at JumpStart Inc. Charlie Lougheed, Co-Founder, President & Chief Strategy Officer of Explorys (Now IBM Watson Health) Alan Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Talent at CoverMyMeds Gordon Daily, CEO & Co-Founder at BoxCast Inc.  

On Thursday, October 27 JumpStart hosted a conversation about setting up a strong financial structure that can help attract investors and set up both startups and scaleups for long-term success. The panel experts provided both insight and advice, as well as stories from real entrepreneurs who are leveraging strong financial practices to drive growth.

Relocating to Cleveland’s reimagined Health-Tech Corridor (HTC) offers tremendous opportunities for innovative biomedical, healthcare and technology companies. On Wednesday, October 19, JumpStart and BioEnterprise hosted a discussion on the opportunities available in the HTC, as well as an overview of the resources and funding available through both organizations.

On Wednesday, September 21st, JumpStart hosted Jacquie Chakirelis, Senior Digital Director at Advance Ohio, for a discussion on the foundation of building a strong personal brand. In this podcast, Jacquie examines why the process of cultivating and managing a personal brand is so valuable for both entrepreneurs and business leaders, and also gives tips to help you start separating yourself from the competition immediately.

Ryan O’Donnell understands that great ideas don’t sell themselves. As co-founder and CEO of Cleveland-based SellHack, a sales prospecting and lead generation tool, he has set out to ensure the profitability of great products and services. On September 14, Ryan led an interactive discussion, How To Get Your Next 100 Sales Leads, where he explained how technology can eliminate time-consuming manual processes—freeing time for entrepreneurs and sales teams to build relationships and close deals.

Did you miss this standing-room only session at Startup Scaleup 2016? Did you leave the session looking for even more information? If so, now's your chance to listen to a second edition of “How to Take Your Business From $2M - $10M.” In this podcast, you’ll meet a whole new lineup of experienced entrepreneurs who share stories about growing their own businesses, including the challenges they faced and the resources they found most helpful. Participants include: Sally Schriner (moderator)- Venture Partner in JumpStart’s Entrepreneurial Advisory Services & Investing program. Eamon Larkin- Chief Financial Officer at Budget Dumpster, a fast-growing Westlake company that specializes in providing local dumpster rentals to homeowners and contractors in 46 states. Jeff Leo Herrmann- Chief Revenue Officer at Fathom, a digital marketing agency based in Valley View that is focused on sustainable growth and inspired transformation. Pattie Wagner- Founder and CEO of Release Yoga, Inc.,an Akron-based yoga studio and bo

Raising capital is hard enough, but did you know that only 2.7 % of venture capital investment goes to female-founded businesses? On Thursday, August 18th, JumpStart hosted an insightful panel discussion examining how female founders are defying the statistics and finding creative paths to funding. This event, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, featured an all-star line-up of entrepreneurs, investors and change makers including Michelle Murcia (West Capital Advisors), Reka Barabas (Bad Girl Ventures), Wayne Wallace (Mutual Capital Partners), Natasha Pongonis (OYE! Business Intelligence), Audrey Wallace (Komae) and Cathy Belk (JumpStart).  

On Wednesday, May 18, JumpStart and the Women’s Business Center of Ohio welcomed a panel of successful business owners for a discussion about women-owned, minority and disadvantaged business certifications. The group explored the pros and cons of each certification type, and talked about how to leverage your certifications to gain additional business. Sponsored by the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.

On Tuesday, April 19th, Citizens Bank and Growth Opportunity Partners hosted a conversation about the best ways companies can position themselves to become anchor businesses in their community. The discussion, sponsored by Citizens Bank, centered around Cleveland’s historical assets, how those assets have changed throughout the city’s history and how companies can use them as a key driver in business growth.

From introducing a new product to entering a new market, a comprehensive approach to market research can help reduce the risks involved in growing your business.  On Tuesday, March 8, JumpStart's Market Research Analyst, Jaclyn Sommers, hosted an informative seminar on how to validate product and target market assumptions across varied industries and technologies, and the importance of market research for startups and small businesses. Sponsored by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.

In this presentation, Joe Pulizzi, author of the new book Content Inc., details how many of today's most successful businesses started, and how they have become some of the fastest growing businesses on the planet. Better yet, the presentation breaks down what you can learn from these companies, and how you can use these strategies to grow your business.

On Tuesday, January 19, Citizens Bank and Growth Opportunity Partners hosted a discussion with Dr. Ken Mayland on economic forcasting in 2016.  Dr. Mayland discussed the data and trends related to job growth, impact of a rising interest rate environment, GDP growth and general economic trends, and how the changing economy could influence the financial strategy for your business this year.

To take your business to the next level, you need to grow; and to grow you need highly effective marketing and sales strategies to improve your bottom line. Building these kinds of strategies takes a comprehensive understanding of the market, including your customers’ needs and the unique value your product or service brings. With so much on the line, it can sometimes be hard to know where to begin. On Wednesday, May 20, JumpStart hosted an open discussion on how to get started evaluating, planning and executing successful marketing and sales strategies for small businesses. Sponsored by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.