Hartford Business Journal

Programmatic B2B LLC INDUSTRY: Digital Advertising TOP EXECUTIVE: Chris DeMartine, Chief Commer- cial Officer HQ: Ridgefield ANNUAL REVENUE: $450,000 EMPLOYEES: 1 WEBSITE: www.programmaticb2b.com CONTACT: chris@programmaticb2b.com Q&A talks with Chris DeMartine, chief commercial officer of Programmatic B2B LLC. Can you describe your business? Programmatic B2B builds custom audiences, delivers interactive creative content, and facil- itates relevant, cost-effective B2B marketing communications with cross-channel consis- tency and complete transparency. Everything we do is backed up with comprehen- sive reporting and analysis. Our account-based reporting provides clients with the specific companies, job functions and seniority of users who are engaged on their websites. The provides seamless integration of sales and marketing by linking opportunities with digital advertising campaigns for deal-based marketing as well. Most importantly, services are built for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot afford the high minimums required by account- based marketing platforms. How did you get into this business? In March of 2019, my previous employer closed its doors on our division, sending home everyone on our team the day before we were scheduled to close on our Connecticut lakefront dream home. It was decision time. Do I repeat history and opt-in for a steady paycheck, unrealistic sales goals and persistent pressure to perform, or grab my domain and attach it to 25 years of B2B sales and market- ing experience as a limited liability company? The motivation was freedom, and the reality was that no job description would leverage my strengths more than that which I would create. How has your business grown in the past year? Programmatic B2B revenues grew by 27% in 2023 compared with the prior year. Our company just landed several new major accounts for which we expect growth to continue at an even higher rate this year. Due to our extremely low overhead, strategic application of digital advertising technology, and overall agility, our return on assets is 319%. Our biggest accomplishments are our organic website optimization and B2B lead generation for new client acquisition. In the past year, our website generated 979,005 organic Google search impressions and 38 new prospects. What's a major challenge your business has overcome in the past year? Our greatest challenge for the business was generating recurring revenue from existing clients. Clients primarily use our services to run digital advertising campaigns, and when the campaign ends, so does the client relationship. Many would come back, but revenue was inconsistent. Therefore, in the last several months, we have migrated 90% of our clients from digital adver- tising and email marketing to a new custom account-based marketing solution for small to mid-sized businesses. Eighty percent of clients are now continuing long-term with us, whereas prior to this solu- tion, we retained less than one-third of them beyond three months. Scott Allen & Brigid Allen WATER-FLO INC. INDUSTRY: Water Purification HEADQUARTERS: Clinton ANNUAL REVENUE: $1.75 million EMPLOYEES: 9 WEBSITE: www.waterflo.com CONTACT: scott@waterflo.com Q&A talks with Scott Allen, owner of Water-Flo Inc. Can you describe your business? Water-Flo provides water treatment instal- lation and services, as well as well pump and tank installation. The company's Radon Solutions of CT division provides radon testing and mitigation. Our targeted customer base is residential and commercial clientele located in New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties. How did you get into this business? I purchased Water-Flo at the end of 2019 from the previous owner. I had worked as an employee of Water-Flo for 5.5 years prior to purchasing the business. Brigid Allen has been employed as Water-Flo's office manager since 2016. How has your business grown in the past year? At the time of purchase in 2019, Water-Flo's revenues were approximately $1 million. There were no retained earnings held in the business and a total of four employees. Since buying the company, we have focused on improving efficiency, profitability, employee development and retention, and growing our commercial service offerings. At the end of 2023, we achieved our total revenue goal of $1.75 million, with a total of eight employees. What's a major challenge your business has overcome in the past year? In 2023, we faced increased operating costs, which challenged our goals of continuing to invest in the business and capital improvements. We continue to focus on profitability, by minimiz- ing expenses and optimizing our processes. Last year, we upgraded our technology and fleet, which has helped to make our team more efficient and allowed us to maintain our high service standards for our clients reliably. What major strategic plans do you have in the next few years? We plan on moving from our current leased space to a new location nearby, where we have recently purchased property. Our goal is to have a headquarters that will support our growth and improve our services. The location is ideal for our employees and equipment. We were recently certified for radon testing and mitigation for schools, and plan to expand radon services to that customer base and also reach more residen- tial customers. We will also pursue an operator's license to be able to broaden our commercial services. Our focus remains on developing a strong team that meets our high customer service stan- dards; we want to be an employer of choice. Arrowhead Leadership Consulting LLC INDUSTRY: Leader Development TOP EXECUTIVE: Colonel (Ret.) Eric Lopez, Owner HQ: Hamden ANNUAL REVENUE: $300,000 EMPLOYEES: 6 part-time contractors WEBSITE: www.arrowhead-leadership.com CONTACT: eric@arrowhead-leadership.com Q&A talks to Eric Lopez, owner of Arrowhead Leadership Consulting LLC. Can you describe your business? Arrowhead Leadership specializes in trans- forming managers into effective leaders who drive outstanding results and foster a positive organizational culture. Our team is comprised of six seasoned leader development coaches, all veterans with extensive experience in lead- ership both in the military and civilian sectors. Our suite of services includes keynote speaking, leader development workshops, one-on-one coaching, group coaching, as well as strategy and operational planning. We cater to a diverse range of clients, includ- ing businesses, organizations and nonprofits, seeking to enhance their culture and cultivate leaders who can enhance team efficiency and profitability. How did you get into this business? My passion during my 25-year career in the Army was developing young men and women into leaders of character, and I wanted to continue to focus on leader development after I retired. When I became part of the civilian workforce, I saw a real need for leader development in many of the businesses and nonprofits that I encountered. So, I started with one client and helped coach one of their employees who was being promoted into a critical leadership role. Subsequently, they asked me to coach two more of their employees, and Arrowhead Leadership grew from that point. How has your business grown in the past year? In the past year, Arrowhead Leadership experi- enced significant growth and achievement. We expanded our team by welcoming one new coach, and we successfully onboarded four new clients. However, our proudest accomplishments are our volunteer and pro bono efforts, especially in the New Haven area. I spearheaded the Leader Prep Academy, a program dedicated to aiding urban, minority youth in improving their test scores to qualify for enlistment in the Army. This initiative yielded tangible results, with two local women successfully enlisting in the Army. Moreover, I actively volunteered by coaching a local basketball team, providing strategic planning assistance to various nonprofits, and serving on the CT Office of Workforce Strategy Veterans Committee. What's a major challenge your business has overcome in the past year? The biggest challenge we faced in the last year was formalizing our business structure and operations processes. As Arrowhead grew, we were deliberate about building a formal operating system to set clear goals, delegate tasks and establish priorities. While this endeavor proved to be a challenging and time-intensive process, investing the effort upfront yielded excellent returns in organiza- tional efficiency and effectiveness. Category Winner YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR Category Winner VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Category Winner MICROENTERPRISE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MAY 13, 2024 29

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