Need business advice? Meet the experts.

When it comes to bootstrapping your startup, we know there are always more questions than answers. Innovate New Albany is home to 30 small businesses with entrepreneurs and leaders who share their business expertise at no cost during our monthly Expert Office Hours.

Am I missing any necessary business documentation?
How can I make a (quality) company website on a budget?
What is the best way to spend my money to ensure success?

The experts will answer your questions about finance, design, web development, marketing, business, and more!

Schedule your 30-minute session below:

Rick Mescher | Porter Wright
Patent & Trademark Law

Questions you might ask Rick include:

What factors should I weigh in deciding whether to obtain a patent?
What is the value of securing registrations for patents, trademarks, or copyright?
How can I best protect my own or my business’ intellectual property on a limited budget?
Do I own intellectual property rights for things I created while employed by another person/company?

Rick Mescher is a partner in Porter Wright’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice groups. His practice involves all aspects of intellectual property law and focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. Rick has extensive experience with domestic, international, and foreign patent applications, as well as technology transfer and licensing. Prior to law school, Rick was a design engineer for satellite imaging instruments. He has been an adjunct faculty member of the Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law since 2006, and currently teaches patent preparation and prosecution. From 2000 to 2005, Rick taught patent practice and procedure at the University of Dayton School of Law, and from 1997 to 1999 he taught patent law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Schedule 30 minutes with Rick using the form below.

 

Andrew Cooke | Cooke Demers, LLC
Business Law

Questions you might ask Andy include:

Liability – How do I protect myself and my business?
Business Entities – What is available and why should my business care?
Written Contracts – When and why should my business use them?
Red Tape – What should my business be filing?
Great Ideas – What is IP and how is it protected?
Attorneys – Should my business love them or hate them (and how do I manage the cost)?

Andy is a principal with Cooke Demers, LLC, a general practice law firm in downtown New Albany. Licensed in Ohio in 1988, Andy focuses his practice on small business litigation and transactional law. His practice includes appointment as Special Counsel to the Attorney General of Ohio and work for the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Andy and his wife Beth, a clinical professor at The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, live in New Albany and have a daughter and a son that attend New Albany High School. Andy received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, his Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and studied international law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

Schedule 30 minutes with Andrew using the form below.

 

Jurgita Fumo | Eventspot, LLC
Event/Meeting Planning

Great questions to ask Jurgita:

Can you create events that will help reach my sales goals?
Can you help me create events that will communicate my organization’s unique positioning in a crowded marketplace?
Can you create events to help employees understand their efforts are appreciated?
Can you free me up to spend quality time with my event guests?
Can you free me of the burden of managing multiple vendors so everything is on time and my goals are met on event day.

Jurgita Fumo is the Founder of Eventspot LLC. She has 12 years of experience in corporate and individual event/meeting planning. Jurgita loves helping others and she has created a business that enables her to do that professionally! Eventspot helps businesses, non-profits, and even families create and execute unique, personalized events. If you have a business, ask Jurgita how you can raise your profile above the noise of the “regular marketing programs” everyone else is running.

Schedule 30 minutes with Jurgita using the form below.

 

Andy Effler | JLL
Commercial Real Estate

Questions you might want to ask Andy:

Why does it matter if your agent is a dual rep vs exclusive tenant rep? 
What challenges do startup companies face when leasing office space?
What workplace strategy trends are you seeing today?
As office rental rates rise and new construction develops throughout Columbus, how are businesses planning for their occupancy need in the future? 
What accompanying costs should I be aware of when preparing my budget for my next office?

Andrew (Andy) Effler currently serves as a Senior Associate at JLL where he specializes in tenant representation and real estate advisory for office tenants and investors in Central Ohio. His market knowledge, strategic advisory, and negotiating skills permit him to effectively implement his clients’ goals and objectives, while maximizing their negotiating leverage in the marketplace and minimizing their occupancy costs.

Schedule 30 minutes with Andy using the form below.

 

Roberta Winch | Ohio SBDC
Growth through Exporting

Great questions to ask Roberta:

I don’t have a product! How can I export my service?
Is it possible to “export” with the US?
How can I finance and ensure I get paid for my exports?

Roberta Winch is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional with over 15 years of experience in international business. Her private sector experience includes the international luxury and aspirational fashion industries where her business travels took her throughout Asia and Central and South America. She has worked and resided in New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Tokyo, Japan and Brussels, Belgium. Her current role as the Ohio SBDC, CSCC Director, Export Assistance Network has allowed her to assist a variety of industries with a diverse range of exporting initiatives. Roberta holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University in Washington D.C. and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Schedule 30 minutes with Roberta using the form below.

 

Glenson Etienne | Nohvech
IT & Cloud Services

Below are topics you might discuss with Glenson:

What are the advantages for my organization to use services in the cloud?
What should I consider in a cloud service provider?
Where is my data located when I moved to the cloud?
What about security for cloud applications?
Where do I find help if things are not working?

NOHVECH, Inc. is a privately owned and operated company located in New Albany, Ohio. We provide Information Technology as a Service (ITaaS) that empowers small to medium sized businesses to achieve the most from their IT investment. For over a decade, we have built up our capabilities, and we have the know-how to effectively deliver valuable services such as planning, implementing, managing, and supporting business technology hardware, software, and cloud systems. We are committed to high-level service agreements and industry-leading technology solutions for all your complex and evolving business needs.

Schedule 30 minutes with Glenson using the form below.

 

Emily Journey | WP Artisans
WordPress & SEO Strategy

Have questions about your business website?
Below are topics you might discuss with Emily:

WordPress for business
Website problems
How SEO really works
What to look for in a website developer
Website Security

Emily Journey is a national WordPress Trainer. She works with companies all over the United States and calls Central Ohio her home. She teaches professionals to manage and update their company websites. Her training clients include Marketers, IT Management, Real Estate Agents, Administrative Support Staff, Website Managers, and independent business owners of all types. “When you understand technology, you can leverage it to make a greater social impact and increase sales.

Schedule 30 minutes with Emily using the form below.

 

Kevin Hammond | Ohio SBDC
Small Business Strategy

Kevin Hammond has been a business management consultant for 13 years, mostly focused on small businesses and start-ups. Kevin has been on the SBDC team for almost ten years as a consultant. Prior to consulting Kevin was in financial services at Chase Manhattan. Kevin has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University and an MBA from Capital University.

The Ohio SBDC is part of America’s SBDC national network comprised of over 1000 Centers across the U.S. including 28 in Ohio. The Ohio SBDC Network provides one-on-one advising, by Certified Business Advisors, at no cost and conduct no or low cost business training.

Schedule 30 minutes with Kevin using the form below.

 

 

*Please note that if you register and don’t attend, that time slot doesn’t get filled, keeping other entrepreneurs from getting expert advice. If you have registered and need to cancel, please email Neil Collins at info@innovatenewalbany.org.

[app_service_providers select=”Please choose an Expert:” empty_option=”Select an expert to show available times” service=”1″]

[app_monthly_schedule date=”2018-06-01″ title=”

Expert Office Hours schedule for START

” logged=”Click a free day to book an appointment” service=”1″ require_provider=”1″]
[app_confirmation]