Event Sponsors
Small Business of the Year 2014 recipient Rick Opton of Loggerhead Fitness presents "How a Small Business Becomes Small Business of the Year in a Digital World.
Every small business needs to find ways to market themselves with a small budget. Today, information is received through our smart phones, tablets and PCs. Small businesses need to recognize the importance of using low cost digital channels to brand themselves and communicate information to their clients, prospects and partners. This event will focus on one small business, Loggerhead Fitness, competing and thriving in the ultra-competitive health and fitness vertical. Discussed will be how important it is to collect data from your clients and prospects and turn that data in to revenue with low cost digital marketing solutions. Leveraging inexpensive technology is also critical and knowing who to turn to for digital resources that require special skills (Graphic Design, HTML, CRM) will be covered.Rick is an accomplished sales executive and business owner with a record of success at driving growth and profits of start-up companies in both the product and service sectors.
He is an innovative and energetic leader with outstanding planning, team building, communication and negotiating skills. An early adopter of both computers and the internet, Rick uses his deep understanding of technology to leverage his time and to maximize business opportunities for his clients.
His career began in the late 1980s working for a start-up software company marketing a turn-key software package designed to run Health Clubs, Gyms and Multi-Purpose Athletic Clubs. As director of operations he grew the customer base from 20 to over 300 clients and $1 million in annual sales. Desiring more experience and bigger challenges he went to work for a fortune 500 company, with over 1 Billion in annual sales. There he honed his management and sales skills working in the field of Enterprise Software Solutions.
Rick left the corporate world in 2005 and became a full time entrepreneur. His love of health and fitness led him to purchasing a failing health club in Juno Beach. Nine years later he has grown the club from 400 active members to over 1,600. Today Loggerhead Fitness has a stellar reputation in the community and was recently awarded Small Business of the Year by the Northern Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Rick is also president of Harvest Marketing Group LLC, a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in email marketing and low cost functional & responsive websites. In addition to providing digital marketing services to his clients, Rick is also a part-time ACT Certified Consultant. ACT is a software application that helps small businesses manage and organize their contacts so that they can provide better support to their clients and be able to prospect for new sales more efficiently.
Rick's passion for sports and fitness remains high - a semi-retired World Champion, Masters Division Ultimate Frisbee player is on his resume. He cycles weekly and works out with a certified personal trainer when at all possible. He has been married over 12 years and has a son in the 2nd grade. Rick's favorite quote: " Being successful in business is not about making money; it's about having passion for what you do. Life shouldn't be a chore"
He is an innovative and energetic leader with outstanding planning, team building, communication and negotiating skills. An early adopter of both computers and the internet, Rick uses his deep understanding of technology to leverage his time and to maximize business opportunities for his clients.
His career began in the late 1980s working for a start-up software company marketing a turn-key software package designed to run Health Clubs, Gyms and Multi-Purpose Athletic Clubs. As director of operations he grew the customer base from 20 to over 300 clients and $1 million in annual sales. Desiring more experience and bigger challenges he went to work for a fortune 500 company, with over 1 Billion in annual sales. There he honed his management and sales skills working in the field of Enterprise Software Solutions.
Rick left the corporate world in 2005 and became a full time entrepreneur. His love of health and fitness led him to purchasing a failing health club in Juno Beach. Nine years later he has grown the club from 400 active members to over 1,600. Today Loggerhead Fitness has a stellar reputation in the community and was recently awarded Small Business of the Year by the Northern Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Rick is also president of Harvest Marketing Group LLC, a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in email marketing and low cost functional & responsive websites. In addition to providing digital marketing services to his clients, Rick is also a part-time ACT Certified Consultant. ACT is a software application that helps small businesses manage and organize their contacts so that they can provide better support to their clients and be able to prospect for new sales more efficiently.
Rick's passion for sports and fitness remains high - a semi-retired World Champion, Masters Division Ultimate Frisbee player is on his resume. He cycles weekly and works out with a certified personal trainer when at all possible. He has been married over 12 years and has a son in the 2nd grade. Rick's favorite quote: " Being successful in business is not about making money; it's about having passion for what you do. Life shouldn't be a chore"
Date and Time
Thursday Dec 11, 2014
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM EST
December 11th, 2014
7:30-9:00 AM
Location
Florida Atlantic University
MacArthur Campus
Lifelong Learning Center, Classroom 158
5353 Parkside Drive
Jupiter, FL
561.799.8500
Interactive Map
Fees/Admission
Member Prices:
$20 Pre-registration
$25 At the door
Non-Member Price:
$30 Pre-registration
$35 At the door
