Maker Spaces

Michael Girdley has an office full of doers in San Antonio.

Connor Abene and Stephen Olmon share an office together. They’ve done deals together and, more importantly, become great friends. They are starting a curated office space for fun and professional development.

Reg Zeller announced a maker space that will serve the broader SMB world. I’m truly excited for this one and hope to be building some real world projects there.

Maker spaces are becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives. These shared spaces provide access to equipment, tools, and resources that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for many individuals to purchase on their own. The proximity to other business owners and potential employees can provide a number of benefits.

One of the key benefits of being located in a maker space is the opportunity for networking and collaboration. Being surrounded by other like-minded individuals can lead to new business opportunities and partnerships. It also allows for the exchange of ideas and knowledge, which can lead to innovation and growth for your business.

Another benefit is the potential for finding talented employees. Many maker spaces host events and workshops, which can be a great way to meet and recruit individuals with the skills and experience that your business needs. This can be especially beneficial for small businesses and startups who may not have the resources to conduct extensive hiring efforts on their own.

Being located in a maker space like Reg’s can also provide access to a wider range of resources and equipment. From 3D printers to woodworking tools, having access to these resources can help you take your business to the next level by enabling you to create new products and prototypes, or to improve existing ones.

Maker spaces provide a wealth of benefits for small business owners and entrepreneurs. The networking opportunities, access to potential employees, and shared resources can all help drive growth and innovation for your business. If you're looking to start or grow your business, considering a maker space may be a great option.

Thanks to Everest Brady for his help, writing, and research in assembling this week’s newsletter.

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This Week on Think Like an Owner

Our guest on this episode is Michael Coscetta. Michael has held several high-level sales roles at companies like Square, Compass, his own company, and his current role as CRO of Paxos, and through it all has become an expert in designing and managing sales teams.

This was a fantastic conversation about all things sales and building sales teams and is one Alex will be re-listening to several times over the coming years. While a large portion of Michael’s time has been spent in very large sales organizations, the principles he talks about are still widely applicable in companies of any size, and all regular listeners to this podcast are in for a treat.

Michael and Alex talk about writing high-value sales contracts, the growing importance of high-performing sales operations, how sales have become data-driven and more quantitative, how to recruit for sales, and the leadership of sales.

One final note before you listen to the episode, Alex wants to meet more sales professionals, especially in data and data software. If you, or someone you know, have expertise in data enterprise sales I would love the chance to connect. You can reach Alex on his website alexbridgeman.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or send an email directly at [email protected]. Thank you!

This episode Q&A features Matt Ryba, Vice President of Oakbourne Advisors, answering the question, "what are some of the most common issues small businesses run into with retirement plans?" Oakbourne is an independent retirement plan consulting firm that helps small companies design and implement great retirement plans for their teams.  We are joined by Matt Ryba to discuss the most common issues CEOs run into with retirement plans. Whether you already have a 401(k) in place or are looking to start one for your team, please reach out to learn more about how Oakbourne can set your people up for success in retirement at oakbourne.com/think.

This Week in SMB Twitter

Think Like an Owner is sponsored by:

Ravix Group - Ravix Group is a fraction CFO, outsourced accounting, and HR consulting firm serving small and large businesses alike. Whether you or someone you know is getting started, searching to buy a business, or building out an organization, Ravix will help on the journey. To learn more about Ravix Group, head to their website and tell them Think Like An Owner sent you.

Hood & Strong, LLP – Hood & Strong is a CPA firm with a long history of working with search funds and private equity firms on diligence, assurance, tax services, and more. To learn more about how Hood & Strong can help your search, acquisition, and beyond, please email one of their partners Jerry Zhou at [email protected]. 

Oberle Risk Strategies– Oberle is the leading specialty insurance brokerage catering to search funds and the broader ETA community, providing complimentary due diligence assessments of the target company’s commercial insurance and Employee benefits programs. If you are under LOI, please reach out to learn more about how Oberle can help with insurance due diligence at oberle-risk.com. Or reach out to the CEO, August Felker, directly at [email protected].

Oakbourne Advisors – Oakbourne is an independent retirement plan consulting firm that helps small companies design and implement great retirement plans for their teams.  Whether you already have a 401(k) in place or are looking to start one for your team, please reach out to learn more about how Oakbourne can set your people up for success in retirement at oakbourne.com/think.

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