Dear Linda

Dear Linda

A Gulf Coast advertising guru is expanding her horizons. Now, Linda Gross is all

about giving advice to other businesses.

By Mark Gordon | Managing Editor

Linda Gross sure chose a tough time to get a serious case of career burnout earlier this year: The advertising and marketing firm she founded in 1997, with just a desk and a computer in a tiny storefront on St. Armands Circle, had finally surpassed $1 million in annual revenues.

"I've been at this 10 years non-stop," says Gross. "I just kept staying at it."

Gross' perseverance resulted in building the firm, Adworks Communications, into one of the go-to advertising firms in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, where the hyper-competitive advertising industry is made up mostly of small players and a few big firms. Adworks, now based in Lakewood Ranch, grew 80% in 2007, from $650,000 in 2006 revenues to $1.17 million in revenues last year.

Gross' burnout was so severe that she sold her ownership stake in Adworks to Michael Biglin, a longtime advertising executive from Michigan. And while the firm will live on locally under Biglin, Gross is already moving on to her next venture: She founded a new company and just like advertising, she's entering a hyper-competitive field by starting a businesses consulting and strategy firm.

The new company, aptly, is called advice. By working with some of the region's top business leaders over the past decade, such as Lakewood Ranch homebuilder Pat Neal, Sarasota developer Randy Benderson and Sarasota banker Neil McCurry, Gross says she learned one key business truism: While developing a niche in a particular industry is essential on the front end, the back end requires a little more finesse at being good at lots of different things.

She plans on running advice using that philosophy. "It's not only about advertising," says Gross, although she will offer advertising and marketing expertise. "It's about operations, management, procedures, and how to be better at everything."

Gross has spent most of her business life picking up pieces about how to excel at each of those disciplines. A native of Kentucky, Gross worked in executive advertising positions for national restaurant chains, including McDonald's and Shoney's, before opening her own firm. At McDonald's, Gross ran a $10 million ad account for the chain's Florida Panhandle stores.

While growing Adworks, Gross' reputation in the local business community as a savvy marketer also grew. She has worked on a few political campaigns, including one for Florida State Rep. Shirley Brown, D-Sarasota. And she has also been regularly recognized by her peers: Her awards include being named Ad Woman of the Year by the Suncoast Advertising Federation and being named to the Review's Women of Influence list.

Advice, please

Since Gulf Coast advertising and marketing veteran Linda Gross named her startup business consulting firm advice, it follows that she's ready to dispense some.

For instance, a good marketing plan, says Gross, will only succeed as a second or even third step in building a business. The company must first have its systems and procedures down pat. "I learned this comment early on in my career," says Gross, "and I still use it: Marketing can make a good operation better but it can also make a bad operation a lot worse."

Besides dispensing advice, Gross has also seen some companies, both big and small, make a few mistakes along the way. Here's Gross' advice for avoiding some of the biggest mistakes a business can makes:

• Don't overlook seemingly small details: For example, keep track of all credit card charges. Gross says "you would be surprised at the thousands of dollars in incorrect charged items," a company can rack up when it's not paying proper attention. Also, make sure the right amount of office supplies are ordered, balancing the line between having the right backups and not over-buying;

• Be ready to sell the business: While the urge for Gross to sell her Lakewood Ranch-based advertising business was somewhat sudden, she had been prepared for it. Make sure the books are always in good shape, so that it doesn't drag down the sale price, Gross says;

• If not selling, have a secession plan: "Most companies do not have this plan," Gross says, echoing the thoughts of many other business consultants. Ignore proper preparation - and, especially, communication - in this area at your peril, Gross tells executives. Indeed, Gross recalls working for a small, family-run dry cleaning business where the son and daughter both held senior positions. It turned out that the son didn't want the top spot, while the daughter did - information that was never communicated among the family prior to Gross' arrival.