When integrators want to find new products or learn about new technologies, they know exactly where to look. But when seeking solutions for organizational and marketing challenges, knowing where to go to find the right business services for their company’s growth can be overwhelming.
A new company called b3pro (building better businesses) offers a new online membership site where integrators can easily access business tools, advice, and group deals from a range of service providers in the industry, all in one place.
b3pro Service Providers offer website design, digital marketing tools, business and proposal software, sales tools, accounting services, labor management tools, network design support, remote network monitoring, recurring revenue solutions, strategic planning, and more.
b3pro is the brainchild of Marilyn Sanford, a CEDIA Fellow and longtime owner of La Scala, a system integration company in Vancouver, BC. When she started LincEdge, a software solution for managing the peaks and valleys of labor utilization that debuted at CEDIA 2014, she saw how frustrating it can be for a lone service provider to catch the attention of busy integrators.
“It was always frustrating for me as an integrator to find the right service providers,” Sanford said. “I was never sure I had researched them all. Then, as a service provider myself, I felt the frustration from the other side. It made me think there must be a better way.”
She formed b3pro with another CEDIA Fellow and accounting expert, Leslie Shiner of the Shiner Group, plus a few other investors, creating a centralized online portal to help integrators find and understand the various business tools and resources available.
“Beyond offering easy access and discounted pricing on key business services, we also see the value of providing one-on-one advisement services to business owners who can often feel ‘lonely at the top,’” Shiner explained. “It can make all the difference to talk through challenges and roadblocks with an experienced business person who knows your industry.”
Sanford also enlisted the help of Deborah Smith, “because of her current activities in our industry, but also for her longtime experience with PARA, a management association for owners of retail and system integration firms.”
As of early September, b3pro’s Service Providers include: Access Networks (networking services), BidMagic (project management software), Cairnstack (inventory management and tool tracking software), CamView360 (video data center for video surveillance), D-Tools (project proposal, design, and management software), Deborah Smith Group (business and market strategy consulting), ihiji (network management and monitoring), LincEdge (managing labor resources software), Relidy (web and marketing tools), Revenew (internet marketing), Simply Reliable (project design and management software), SpringDeck (sales presentation and marketing software), SupplyStream (project proposal and product ordering platform), The Shiner Group (finance and business consulting), and WhyReboot (network services).
b3pro offers two membership levels for business owners. The first level, called Ignition ($9.95/month/$100/year), provides access to the business library, webinars, and group deals on non industry-specific services such as shipping and payroll. Ignition members can also purchase business development programs at a discount.
The second level, called Launch ($39.95/month/$450/year), provides discounted rates from all b3pro service providers, free access to webinars, Leslie Shiner’s new 12-month program, “Running Your Business by the Numbers” (valued at $2,900), as well as quarterly 30-minute one-on-one phone sessions with an expert industry advisor to discuss issues and prioritize needs.
b3pro members can also access various options for one-on-one consulting with certified business coaches. The company will exhibit at the CEDIA EXPO in booth 7924.
