Entrepreneur Spotlight - Method Savvy LLC - Jake Finkelstein

Method Savvy is a boutique consulting firm that helps businesses, entertainment companies and advertising agencies increase sales, build brand awareness and improve marketing operations.



Q&A

Q. Why did you start your business and what niche does it fill?
A. I started Method Savvy after speaking with numerous entrepreneurs and established business owners who told me that their number one problem was growing revenue in a difficult economic and competitive environment. Many businesses had grown organically during good economic times, but once the contraction hit they realized they did not have all of the expertise, established processes and existing relationships in house to adapt to the realities of the new marketplace. Furthermore, these businesses were hesitant to hire full-time employees to fill this need as they didn't want to take on the added financial risk during uncertain economic times. As a result, I saw the opportunity to start a boutique consulting firm that utilizes highly experienced, accomplished and connected professionals to help businesses and advertising agencies improve their marketing and sales operations at an affordable cost.

Q. How did you finance your business?
A. Method Savvy has been self-funded from the very first day of operation. We've been quite lucky in that we launched the company with a stable of initial clients that provided us with the capital required to grow organically.

Q. Who are your customers?
A. Our customers are start-ups, small businesses, entertainment companies and advertising agencies that seek actionable ways to build new connections with customers, increase sales, maximize brand awareness and improve marketing operations. Our job is to help entrepreneurs and established businesses communicate clearly and effectively with their customers, growing revenue and brand affinity.

Q. What are the most critical things you have done to grow your business?
A. There are two. First, no matter how busy I am in helping my clients grow their business, I always carve out time each week to network, follow up with prospects and implement our marketing strategy. This allows me to minimize peaks and valleys in our revenue and keep Method Savvy's client pipeline full. Second, I strive to surround myself with the smartest people possible. Whether employees, advisers, vendors or industry thought leaders I know that not only will they provide me with unique insights but that I can learn a lot from them as well. I firmly believe that the more brains you have thinking about a challenge the better the solution will be.

Q. How have you used social media tools like LinkedIn to grow your business?
A. Social media has been and will continue to be a big part of Method Savvy's growth strategy. Nationally oriented tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook coupled with regionally targeted tools like LinkingRaleighNC.com allow us to engage in thoughtful conversation with prospects and clients, introduce useful content, expand awareness for Method Savvy and increase traffic to our web site and blog. Most importantly, social media helps us build trust with our clients, vendors, prospects and the community we operate in.

Q. What are three pieces of advise you would offer entrepreneurs starting out today?
A. 1.) If you have the passion, drive and commitment to start your own company the only person that can stop you is you. So long as you stay positive and put your best foot forward you'll be a success. 2.) Plan your finances conservatively. Its often easy to get caught up in being successful and move too quickly to expand. Just because you're making a lot of money today doesn't mean you will be tomorrow. So always plan for the worse case scenario. 3.) Don't make your business your life, make it a part of your life. Be sure to carve out plenty of time for family and friends. And don't forget to take a day off every now and again.

Q. How does your business "give back" to the community or to society?
A.  Method Savvy gives back to our community in many ways. From encouraging our staff to take time to volunteer (and supporting them when they do) to offering free or low-cost consulting services to early-stafe start ups our goal at Method Savvy is to help people realize their dreams.

Q. How and why was it important to base your business in the Triangle area?
A. The Triangle is a vibrant and diverse community that offers many advantages to a business owner. From its wonderful mix respected educational institutions and entrepreneurial-minded individuals to having a reasonable cost of living and being centrally located on the East Coast with easy access to other major metropolitan areas, the Triangle is an ideal community for entrepreneurs to reach out and accomplish their dreams.

Exclusive offer for LinkingRaleighNC.com Readers: Method Savvy is currently offering a free one-hour consultation session (normally $250) to Triangle-area businesses to offer guidance and tips for how to increase sales in these difficult economic times. Click here for info to contact us.