SBM Business Accelerator

BUILD A BETTER BUSINESS IN ONE DAY

Introducing the SBM Business Accelerator — a special hands-on learning experience at the St. Louis BizExpo.

Running a business is complicated. Knowing what to focus on next can be even harder.

That's why we created the SBM Business Accelerator: five practical sessions built around the fundamentals every growing business needs to get right.

Spend the day with us and work on five critical areas of your business:

BUILD YOUR VISION
Get clear about where your company is going and what you want it to become.

BUILD YOUR SALES STORY
Create a compelling story that explains why customers should choose you.

BUILD YOUR MARKETING PLAN
Identify your marketing priorities and create a more focused plan for reaching customers.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
Better understand your financial statements, the numbers that matter and what they're telling you about your business.

BUILD BETTER SYSTEMS
Identify operational bottlenecks and create systems that can help your company grow more efficiently.

COME TO ONE. OR COMPLETE THEM ALL.

Each session stands on its own, so attend the topics that matter most to you.

Or spend the day in the SBM Business Accelerator and walk away with the foundation for a stronger, more focused business.

Five sessions. Five critical areas of your business. One day to start building a better company.

SEMINAR SESSIONS (Room 101)

BUSINESS ACCELERATOR — Build a Better Business

10-10:30

Building a Vision For Your Growing Business

In this session, each business owner will gain the tools to build a vision for their business. Where is your business headed in the future? Building your company vision is one the most important components of building a successful business. We’ll show how to build your vision with 14 questions to get you started. If you don’t know where you are going, it will be impossible to stay focused on growing your business?

Presenter: Ron Ameln, SBM

10:30-11:00

Designing A Sales Story That Differentiates Your Company From Others

Nothing differentiates your business like your sales story. In this session, we'll help you build your unique sales story. Remember, it is not what you do that is important, it is what you do for others. We have a series of questions that will help you design your unique sales story. You’ll share your sales story in your sales pitches, website, social media posts and marketing materials.

Presenter: Ron Ameln, SBM

11:10-noon

Building A Winning Marketing Plan

Marketing Maps - How to choose the most direct path and stay on track

There are hundreds of marketing options and it's easy to go bankrupt spending on tactics that don't work together to generate results. Participants leave with 3 priorities that usually translate into a 90-day plan.

Presenter: Carolyn Green, C.Green & Associates

12:10-1:00

 "Know Your Numbers"

Your Income Statement and Balance Sheet will be explained in simple, easy to understand terms in about 20 minutes.

Then, during the next 30 minutes, you'll learn how to read, analyze and optimize your business' financial results. All in an engaging, entertaining way with no financial gobbledegook.

Presenter: Bill Collier, Arch Engraving and Business Coach

1:10-2:00

From Chaos to Clarity: Your Journey From Spreadsheets to Systems

In this no-nonsense session, small business owners will gain a practical, repeatable framework for making smarter technology decisions. We will identify the subtle operational bottlenecks caused by over-reliance on manual processes and spreadsheets.

Participants will learn why many technology projects fail—and how to protect their investments before they are made. Rather than pushing for a daunting "big-bang" overhaul, this workshop provides a realistic, phased roadmap for scaling from spreadsheets to integrated systems. Attendees will leave equipped with a vendor evaluation checklist and a clear, actionable next step to move their business forward confidently.

Presenter: Lovelina Bhagat, Kanalogic

With over several decades of deep-sector experience across the IT landscape, Bhagat has built a career at the intersection of technical innovation and business strategy. Her expertise spans multiple verticals, where she has specialized in embedding herself within business departments to uncover the hidden operational gaps that slow down growth. Her approach is holistic, ensuring that the adoption of technology is balanced with rigorous governance, data security, and ethical frameworks. By bridging the communication gap between business stakeholders and technology, she has empowered organizations to move beyond the hype and achieve measurable, secure digital transformation.