LOUISVILLE, Ky. — EnterpriseCorp and the Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Louisville College of Business have partnered for the third year in a row to host the annual RevIt – Accelerating Customer Growth event.
Revlt provides free, tailored marketing advice from marketing and branding experts for early-stage start-up companies in the Greater Louisville region. The program will occur over two, two-hour sessions in February and March.
“Entrepreneurs are experts in creating products that have the potential to solve real problems,” said Mary Tapolsky, Assistant Director of External Programs at the Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship. “Knowing who their target market is and the best way to reach them is critical for a company’s success. The marketing experts will be able to identify the best, targeted strategies for each company to reach their customers, giving them the marketing resources they need to grow more quickly.”
The Forcht Center and EnterpriseCorp opened the competitive application process in November 2018, selecting five start-ups that are at the right stage in their growth process to receive tailored marketing advice. From the 16 applications received for this highly competitive program, the five companies chosen to participate are:
Autymate (formerly IBEX Software) is a high-productivity, low-code platform that gives healthcare enterprise CIO’s and IT teams the ability to innovate and implement new technologies 100 times faster with more efficient workflows, timesaving automation, custom dashboards, and a 360-degree view of business.
Crypto Consulting Group provides experiential products and services that help digital investors navigate the blockchain space more confidently.
EZ-Chow provides integrated digital ordering, customized for food service industry and hospitality needs.
MobileServe reduces the cost and increases the impact of community engagement programs.
Regulation and Revenue (formerly NoticeOfIntent.com) takes the guesswork out of repossession document compliance with a streamlined process that not only creates the correct state-specific notice—it saves the user a trip to the post office, too.
To apply, companies had to be located in the Greater Louisville region and possess evidence of a certain level of customer traction and revenue. They also needed a website, digital analytics on their web traffic, and the ability to explain their biggest marketing obstacle. This information was then sent to teams of volunteer marketing experts from the Greater Louisville region who will develop customized strategies to address each company’s issues.
Marketing experts volunteering their time this year, many returning from last year’s Revlt program, are: Rebecca Brady and Amber Herndon from Blackstone Digital; Monica Edwards, Derek Kopecky, and Tom Walthall from Doe Anderson; Jane Pfeiffer from Field Trip; Sarah McCool and Alisha Wheatley from Mightily; Kerry DeMuth from RevLocal; Christy Belden from Norton Healthcare; Meredith Wilkins from Red7e; Tarik Nally from Kale & Flax; Chris Becker from Grey Hair Marketing; Jake Stephenson from Doppelganger; and Michael Fetter from Visitors & Convention Center.
“When entrepreneurs and their businesses benefit from free marketing and branding advice, the Greater Louisville community benefits as we gain new, successful additions to our local economy,” said Lisa Bajorinas, executive director of EnterpriseCorp. “What’s even better though, is that not only do the participating companies benefit from this program, but the marketing experts benefit as well by collaborating and being exposed to new marketing methods from other local experts in the process.”
Companies that have benefitted from the Revlt program in the past include notable regional names such as Wicked Sheets, Switcher Studio, Handle, Liz & Roo, Fresh Fry, Stinger Equipment, TriBlue Corp. and Vivorte.
The first installation of the 2019 program will occur on Feb. 19, and the second workshop will occur two weeks later, on March 5. During the first session the company and marketing experts will discuss goals and needs in detail, and targeted strategies will be provided during the second session. Companies will then work to incorporate these suggestions; EnterpriseCorp and the Forcht Center will follow up with the companies after six months to survey what worked for the teams, and how the process can be improved even further.
“The Forcht Center and EnterpriseCorp studied several similar programs in other cities before designing the Revlt program, taking the best elements of other programs, and creating a customized approach for our community,” said Tapolsky. “We’ve hosted this program for the past two years, and each year, we reflect on the successes of the program, as well as ways to improve it and make it even more beneficial for the next cohort.”
“With each new year of this program, we see continuing success,” said Bajorinas. “There is value in investing in our local start-ups and helping ensure that they get to where they need to be. Each year we look forward to getting to be a part of this transformational process.”
To learn more about RevIt, visit https://enterprisecorp.com/programs/revit/. Applications for the 2020 RevIt program will open mid-November 2019.
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