CONTACT: David G. Johnson, (941) 870-5346, david [dot] johnson [at] epiphanymarketing [dot] com or Joe Bettley, CPA, CITP (888) 689-7772, jbettley [at] aspirepartner [dot] com
Experts Help Business Leaders Accelerate Out of the Great Recession
High-Performance Businesses Learn How Changing Times Call for Shifts in Thinking & Methodologies: Webinar Series Beginning March 18th.
SARASOTA, Florida, March 10, 2010 – Joe Bettley, for one, believes that the recession has been good for Florida’s business community. Since he’s a CPA by training – and inclined to have his nose in the numbers – this tends to shock the people he encounters in his business. But for Bettley, the numbers only tell part of the story.
“When credit markets were more liberal, there was a lot of loose cash floating around,” Bettley explains. “People were buying products and services without paying much attention, which caused companies to get sloppy. Just about anyone could appear to be successful… even if they weren’t running a great business.”
And while Bettley is the first to admit that some well-run companies were caught in the crossfire, he contends that what has occurred largely amounts to a weeding out of the companies that had more than their fair share of improving to do.
“The businesses that will survive and thrive in this environment are those that develop excellent disciplines in key areas,” Bettley says. “Understanding and managing the numbers is critical, but the best-run businesses today are also focused on their people and their communications strategies.”
And Bettley put his money where his mouth is. In September, 2008, he chose to start a new business at a time when the economy was clearly tanking. Bettley teamed up with Patrice Say – a corporate HR veteran and people person – and ASPIRE partners, LLC was born. The two founders have been busy improving internal systems and providing clients with winning strategies ever since.
The Revenue Piece
In mid-2009, the two met marketing and social media expert David G. Johnson while working on an update of their website. They instantly recognized an opportunity to round out their offering with a much-needed third component.
“Patrice and I were helping businesses increase profitability by managing costs and improving performance,” says Bettley. “Meanwhile, David had been helping companies large and small – including some well-known brands like the Ziglar Corporation – grow revenue by developing strategies with cutting-edge web and social media techniques.”
“Many business leaders recognize that Google has forever altered the dynamics of attracting new customers,” Johnson, who is the founder of Sarasota-based Epiphany Marketing, explains. “But that doesn’t mean they’ve figured out how to make it work for them. Add in the fact that now prospects and customers expect – and even demand – high levels of interaction through media like Facebook and Twitter… and you can easily find yourself without a clue where to start.”
Producing Lasting Change
Bettley contends that tackling three core areas of any business – the marketing, the numbers, and the people – is a recipe for dramatic improvement, but achieving real results requires far more than just diagnosing and prescribing.
“Most consultants can sniff around and locate problems inside a business without too much difficulty,” says Bettley. “And it would be easy to collect a fee for recommending solutions. But this is another example of the old way of thinking that got us into this mess.”
Instead, ASPIRE partners and Epiphany Marketing both utilize an approach that is intended to produce the kind of long-term change they believe is required for businesses to transition into the new economy. Bettley is tight-lipped about disclosing all the details, but their methods involve a hybrid of analysis, consulting, systems design, training, implementation and ongoingsupport.
“The beauty of our business is that our services pay for themselves many times over,” Johnson says. “It’s not hard to justify investing in something when there’s a rapid return.”
Bettley, Say & Johnson will be conducting local events in upcoming weeks that are designed to give executives and entrepreneurs a taste of what it takes to improve these three areas of their businesses at very low cost. In addition, a free webinar series kicks off of March 18th with, “How to Quadruple Your Sales in 90 Days.” Registration is available online at http://teamgearshift.com
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About ASPIRE partners, LLC:
ASPIRE partners, LLC was formed in 2008 by Joe Bettley, CPA, CITP and Patrice Say, SPHR to serve small and mid-size companies with cash flow, profitability, financial performance, tax strategies, people performance, customer retention, leadership, communication, cost reduction, and growth strategies & management. Headquartered in Sarasota, FL, ASPIRE serves the Tampa Bay area business community and clients around the globe with outsourced solutions, strategies and implementation. The company’s website is located at http://ASPIREpartner.com, with a blog at http://ASPIREpartnersBlog.com.
About Epiphany Marketing, LLC:
Epiphany Marketing, LLC is a strategic marketing consultancy that helps businesses establish and increase market presence, grow revenue, and increase profitability via training, coaching, and consulting. Founded in 1998 by David G. Johnson, the company’s clients include a wide variety of businesses worldwide, including software companies, health care organizations, I.T. firms, non-profit organizations, contractors, retailers, and internet-based businesses. The company’s website is located at http://www.epiphanymarketing.com.
