The NSSF is pleased to announce that columnist, book author and small business owner and expert Gene Marks will be hosting two segments of the 2015 SHOT Show University. Marks writes daily for The New York Times and weekly for Forbes, The Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur.com, FOX Business and Philadelphia Magazine. He’s authored five books on business management specifically geared toward small and medium-sized companies, the most recent being The Manufacturer’s Book of Lists (Create Space, 2013). A dynamic speaker, Marks has appeared on FOX News, FOX Business, Bloomberg and CNBC discussing matters affecting the business community.
Through his keynotes and breakout sessions, Marks helps business owners, executives and managers understand the political, economic and technological trends that will affect their companies, so they can make profitable decisions. He owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful 10-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses.
In his first segment at SSU, “How to Leverage the Power of Digital Marketing for Your Small Business,” Marks will discuss the many technological changes ahead everyone in the world of business faces. The next few years will bring big changes to how all businesses drive revenues, and Marks will address the decisions retailers should be making now so that they can increase revenues in the future.
In talking about these changes, Marks will tell you that it’s not just Google, Microsoft and Apple that are leading the wave. It’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media platforms, as well as the right kind of e-mail marketing, using video to connect to your prospects, taking advantage of new voice, chat and text tools to generate leads and using mobile tools for search, payment and relationship building. Marks’ questions to retailers: How are you touching your customers, your prospects? How are you making sure nothing falls through the cracks? What workflows have you created to make sure customers never leave? How are smart business owners leveraging the latest services, applications, devices and processes to maximize their revenues?
Marks’ second seminar is entitled “The Latest Ideas to Better Manage Your Cash Flow.” This presentation is for the owner and manager working in an established business and looking at the future—not next week or next month, but rather planning for the next few years. Marks explains that if you’re not thinking all the time about ways to manage your cash and grow your business, then there probably won’t be a business in the future. He emphasizes that if you think that your employees are as happy and productive as they’ll ever be, then this is where you’ll always be, and if you’re not always wondering about ways to reduce overhead and lower your costs, then someday someone is going to come along and out-think you.
During this fast-paced session, Marks will keep you on your toes with dozens of the latest methods and ideas for reducing expenses and building profits, i.e., generating more cash for your business. You’ll learn cost-effective ways for squeezing out more profits, boosting your bottom line and keeping more customers happy.
SHOT Show University is the premier event for firearms retailers. Seats are limited and this event will sell out, so retailers are urged to sign up now. NSSF Premium Retailers are offered a complimentary ticket to SSU. Additional tickets for both Premium Retail members and all other NSSF members who wish to attend is $250; non-members may attend for $500. To learn more about SSU and its many sessions, click here. To upgrade your membership to the Premium Retail level or to join at NSSF at the level that best serves your business needs, visit www.nssf.org/join or e-mail membership@nssf.org.