Howard Helfant - Marketing Consultant

Howard Helfant became a wine expert in recent years after running a successful restaurant and a successful marketing consulting firm. He is also a venture capital investor, pouring money into worthy business start-ups and entrepreneurs to maximize his returns on investment. He has since visited the great wine producing areas of the world to find the best whites, reds, and blends he can and create a massive collection of the best wines in the world. Helfant didn’t have a taste for wine before he started on this new venture in recent years. But over time, he came to appreciate all the things that makes a great wine great.  Howard Helfant freely admits that he had a hard time not swallowing the wine the first time he tried it in the Napa Valley. He didn’t understand the term ‘mouth feel’ at all. Now he gets that in order for a true wine connoisseur to judge a wine, one has to let the wine penetrate the palate with its full flavor. And there’s no better way to do that th...

Howard Helfant grew up fishing in the rivers of northern Pennsylvania but stopped for decades as his business career took off. He found himself spending more time in Los Angeles, where he started his first business, a restaurant, which now has locations in both New York City and Florida. When the time came that he could afford his own seaworthy boat, he took that opportunity to take his family out with him on the waves to catch larger fish than he had ever caught. Helfant was blessed with the ability to not get seasick, a skill that all fishermen have to possess, and he found himself adept at deep sea fishing. Howard Helfant even donates some of the fish he catches to local markets and even some food banks that accept fresh fish in his community in Miami. Helfant keeps some of the fish for himself, of course, and for delicious fish fillets for his family whenever possible. Helfant had to go through a long process to get all of his permits and licenses in order for his own smal...

Howard Helfant bought his boat in Miami to take it deep sea fishing and tool around in the ocean with his family. He had to take many factors into consideration before he made the leap into boat ownership. As a marketing consultant, small business owner, and venture capital investor, Helfant knows the costs and benefits of investing and how to run a business. He had to weigh the benefits of a potential new boat against the costs.  Here are three considerations he made before he bought his boat:  Size and shape Howard Helfant had to think about how he wanted his ideal boat to look and handle in the water. He wanted a large boat that he could fit his whole family on and still have room to catch fish and relax.  Fit for small or large bodies of water Some boats are made to go out on the open water and some are made for smaller bodies of water like lakes and rivers. Helfant wanted a boat he could take on the ocean with his family whenever he wanted. The fin...

Howard Helfant works as a marketing consultant and venture capital investor helping many small businesses gain footholds in their various industries one step at a time. Helfant is the owner of his own small business that’s in the process of getting larger. A restaurant he opened is spreading franchise locations into several major US cities, including New York City and Florida. Howard Helfant tailors his marketing advice and principles to each of his clients, of course, but he finds himself returning to these three marketing tips repeatedly:   Segment Your Message: The Internet and social media allows companies to segment their marketing messages more readily than ever. Howard Helfant tells his clients often that they need to take advantage of this technology to craft marketing materials and messages to resonate with their target audience. Once a company has an idea of who their products and services will serve the most, they can target these markets specifically.  ...

Operating a restaurant is a time-consuming job, and many restaurateurs don’t mind working long hours. When Howie Helfant opened his restaurant in Miami, Howie Helfant knew he would have to invest a lot to get it operational. In the first few months, it was not uncommon for him to be the first one in and the last one to leave. Many restaurateurs report to work in the late morning, at which point they have some tasks to accomplish before the busy lunch period. First, they have to go through reports from other managers on what happened the previous night. The owner has to stay updated on customer complaints, food items that need to be re-stocked, and any scheduling conflicts among staff. They also have to check the accounting records on a daily basis. When the restaurant opens its doors, it’s important the owner be ready and dressed to meet customers as they come in. It’s quite important for a restaurant owner to recognize names and faces; successful restaurants can attrac...

Boca Raton, Florida is one of the wealthiest communities in the United States, and as such was recognized by Howard Helfant as a vital part of his venture capital investment efforts. Boca Raton is the corporate headquarters of Office Depot, ADT and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The relationship between Boca Raton and IBM, which began in 1967 with the building of the main complex gave Boca Raton an early reputation as a center for technological development. It gave birth to the IBM PC and later produced VoiceType Dictation, the OS/2 system and ViaVoice voice recognition software. IBM continues in Boca Raton today in its software development laboratory at Beacon Square.  Howard Helfant also values Boca Raton as a center for public and private venture capitalists due to its value as a headquarters for a variety of corporations. The GEO Group, American Media, FriendFinder Networks, Luxury Resorts, Jarden, Vitacost and BMI Gaming are all based in Boca Raton. The...