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<br />closer look at helping growth companies
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<br />For Victor Santos, CEO cif BlaturePltx
<br />LLC, strategy was a key issue.
<br />Bases in Memphis, Tenn., Nature -Flex
<br />produces nutritional supplements,
<br />medicated creams and other health -related
<br />products for dollar discount stores. The
<br />JutnpStatt team helped Santos i-eal%ze
<br />that while Nate,ePlexis in a commodity
<br />market, the company has established a
<br />niche of higher -margin, natural products
<br />tint it can expand to bolster growth. and
<br />;Ito ts.
<br />With that in mind, Santos is launching
<br />a lime of ;,ll-natural, EPA -approved
<br />Using the Keirsty Temperament
<br />Sorter, Santos And Gibbons determined
<br />the manager was an "artisan" (liking
<br />freedom and movement) while a
<br />"guardian" (who has a preference for
<br />details and deadlines) was better suited to
<br />his assigned responsibilities.
<br />In response, Santos dk,e:rted some of
<br />the manager's tasks to others., allowing the
<br />rrsnagerto play to his strengths. Santos
<br />also brought in a computer programmer
<br />to deslgit a sofhvatc application that
<br />improves communications between the
<br />firm's production and sales departments.
<br />With many -employees contributing
<br />information, the application makes it easy
<br />to see where Mt is — and where
<br />it needs to be, Santos says, 'It contains all
<br />the small details that Can get overlooked
<br />when ecnvnunicatingwith someone
<br />verbally oar even through e-mail" The
<br />payoff, fewer meetings and less confusion.
<br />Since wvorlting',vial Gibbons and the
<br />TunnpStart team, things have Unproved
<br />substantially st Nat'urePlex. "I didn't
<br />change my cote strategy, but Pm eel -tiling
<br />Santos says.
<br />Play Station or Xbox console.
<br />1IkAli-.1cion woos isniti rlly teyiug to
<br />find gamin. developers in alpha -stage
<br />development and corn-ince them to
<br />include Switchblade in their products.
<br />The Ju:mpS tart team began researching
<br />bIogs, portals and other community
<br />sites looking for cornceiutested groups of
<br />people that influence a market. Instead of
<br />game developers, the team recommended
<br />that McAltidon target end -users by
<br />setting up competitions between garners
<br />who use keyboards and garners who use
<br />controllers.
<br />"Trn the gaming; world, it appears to
<br />be about bragging rights," Gibbons say -a.,
<br />acting that opinions run hot and heavy
<br />in online blogs — peppered with plcn'y
<br />of four-letter words — as to whether
<br />a keyboard or controller provides the
<br />superior gaming expede ce.
<br />In response, -Blue Orb has begun
<br />to host local keyboard -controller
<br />competitions and is wa c rkix g on an
<br />"arena" on its website fer virtual contests.
<br />hleAlindon says the local competitions
<br />are already accelerating visibility for
<br />13lue Orb and experts stiles
<br />to increase. "),, a can see
<br />momentum building and hear
<br />people say; "4 +hws; Switchblade
<br />Pro is a great way to play
<br />games.' "
<br />DvIc, lindon says the
<br />ecanornic-gardening program
<br />differed from other types of
<br />business assistance he has received —
<br />with speed being a key hallmark. For
<br />example, when hicAlindon found a
<br />'Web developer to help build Blue Orb's
<br />online arena, he asked the JutnpStat i
<br />team if there were other firms he should
<br />investigate.
<br />"Taney got back to me the same day
<br />saying, `Here are two other companies,
<br />but the one you found appears to be best,.
<br />and here's why,' " I\k'Uirdon says.
<br />"Could I have done this research?" he
<br />;asks, "Perhaps, but it would have taken
<br />Me hvO days or longer. They got lack to
<br />me within a few hour$, which was a huge
<br />honeliit"
<br />rr like the specificity of the jumpStart teats reports, it's one thing to
<br />suggest viral marketing on Web sites, That's very differenr than saying:
<br />Here's the link, here's what they do, and here's a contact for you. "
<br />— Pete McAlfrl.on
<br />bioresticides, Santos is also using
<br />sampling to increase sales for high -margin
<br />items, such as including trial -size portions
<br />of vitamin E cream with antifungal foot
<br />Ointment.
<br />.Another concern for Santos. Although
<br />talented and larch -working, one of his
<br />managers was not detail -oriented, which
<br />was causing production problems,.
<br />"Temperament is a slotting problem,"
<br />Gibbons explains. "Every job has certain
<br />requirements, and every temperament
<br />liar certain strengths and wveakttesse.s,
<br />depending on the situation. The idea is to
<br />match the strengths of your employees to
<br />their job requirements. "
<br />Temperament was also an eye-opener,
<br />Santos adds,-. "I knew something was off,
<br />but I thought it was a matter of me not
<br />communicating, which pved not to lac
<br />the case, After meeting with Chris, it was
<br />like a bolt of lightning hit me,"
<br />For Pete h lintlon, another prr gram
<br />participant, training social media provided
<br />new insights into business development.
<br />CEO of Blue Orb in Maitland, Fla.,
<br />] IcAlindon is targeting the online gaming
<br />industry: His company's Switchblade
<br />software maps the functions of a mouse
<br />and keyboard into a controller cloys tick)
<br />that allows people. to play online games
<br />on their computers as if they were using is
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