SMB Lab partners with three Valley businesses

Local business owners Jaron Lodge, Mitch Goldberg, and Todd Kramer joined the SMB Lab to explore innovative solutions to business challenges.

W. P. Carey's Small and Medium-sized Business (SMB) Lab — a group of ASU faculty, business leaders, economic development professionals, Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce (SWVCC) members, and development professionals who convene periodically to focus on a specific company's concerns and brainstorm actionable solutions — kicked off its first session of the fall 2024 semester by meeting with three local businesses: B.E.S.T. Sports, Score NN', and Blind Ideas. Created by the Center for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (CSMB), the meeting marks the lab's 10th session since its founding in 2022.

"The enthusiasm to help build my business before, during, and after the lab has been incredible," says Jaron Lodge (BS Business Entrepreneurship '21), CEO and founder of the all-in-one sporting goods company Score NN'.

"The SMB Lab was an eye-opening and truly unique experience," says Mitch Goldberg, CEO and founder of the youth sports provider B.E.S.T. Sports. "Being selected to join a room full of dedicated professionals and students working together to make my business more successful was humbling and inspiring.

Following presentations by Goldberg, Lodge, and Todd Kramer, president of the multifamily window coverings provider Blind Ideas, featuring their company's strengths, weaknesses, and challenges, lab members brainstormed solutions to improve the organizations' strategic processes, fundraising efforts, advertising, and hiring and retention challenges before presenting their ideas to the lab. The discussion also included students from the W. P. Carey School of Business.

Created by Gopalakrishnan Mohan, senior associate dean of faculty and director of the School of Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, and Hitendra Chaturvedi, supply chain management professor of practice, the SMB Lab has grown every year since its founding and created an ecosystem for small businesses in the valley.

"It started small — for small business, and now it is becoming big — for small business. To see support from the W. P. Carey leadership and the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) was incredulous", said Chaturvedi after the lab.

"The importance of community when growing a business is underrated," says Lodge, a W. P. Carey alum whose presentation focused on business challenges like securing funds, forecasting inventory needs, marketing, and maintaining quality control throughout Score NN's five land and water backyard games. A lifelong entrepreneur, Lodge founded Score NN' in 2017 and has been featured in the Phoenix Business Journal and Forbes.

"I initially found mentors three years ago when founding Score NN' and it transformed my business. The lab has already helped me gain new mentors, and I can see how it's transforming my business again by helping me scale and grow," says Lodge.

Kramer first heard about the program through SMB Lab affiliates Amapola Judd-Shimp, vice president of partnerships at the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Sergio Cardenas, senior vice president of Arizona business banking group manager at Comerica Bank.

"They spoke highly of the lab and what it has to offer small business like Blind Ideas," says Kramer.

During his presentation, Kramer discussed Blind Ideas' strengths — including high-quality service, a positive industry reputation, and employee longevity — and challenges that developed with the organization's growth, like cultivating an online presence and supply chain bottlenecks that impact supply lead time and inventory.

"The exchange of ideas was such a positive experience. Everyone can't wait to get together again," says Kramer.

Goldberg described the challenges that accompany advertising after-school sports programs to parents, including social media and grassroots marketing, and employee retention.

"We wanted to get involved with SMB Lab because of its groundbreaking partnership with the business community," says Goldberg. "Each day presents challenges, but with the SMB Lab, B.E.S.T Sports benefits from a team brain trust that aids us in advancing our business without the high costs of hiring a marketing or business positioning firm."

Kramer, Lodge, and Goldberg will now decide which proposed ideas and solutions to implement into their organization's business plans. CSMB leadership will continue to assist each company's growth through support and resources, and student teams mentored by ASU faculty and subject matter experts will begin creating and executing growth projects this year.

Learn more about the SMB Lab.

Photo from left: Gopalakrishnan Mohan, Mitch Goldberg, Jaron Lodge, Hitendra Chaturvedi, and Todd Kramer.