Mike is the CEO and Owner of Sperling Interactive with over 15 years of website design, photography, marketing, and e-commerce experience. He built Sperling Interactive with his wife from the ground up, starting as a small office in his home with only a few employees and clients to one that has 20+ employees and more than 600 clients served all from our headquarters in Salem’s Historic District.
Mike grew up in Baltimore, Maryland where he went to a magnet school for the arts and began his study of photography. From there he went on to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where he got his degree in Photojournalism and Communications. Before founding Sperling Interactive, Mike worked his way up from staff photographer at the Eagle Tribune Publishing Company to the lead operator and manager of multiple websites for daily and weekly publications.
Mike has a deep commitment to community involvement and civic engagements. In the past few years he and members of our team have become involved in programs that assist the youth, homeless, food insecure, and families at risk through programs at Lifebridge, Paddle for Plummer, LEAP for Education, Harborlight, Bridgewell, and the Enterprise Center at Salem State.
Ever the optimist, Mike believes that there is never a problem that can’t be solved with a bit of ingenuity and perseverance. It’s this positive, can-do attitude and know-how that allowed Mike to be recognized as Small Business of the Year 2019, by the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce.
Not too long ago, business owners had to decide if they wanted to market their company on the internet via a website. Now, that is almost a prerequisite of opening a business. The updated questions, now, for business owners includes: what type of social media platform do you want to market on and, is podcasting and adding videos to your site...
We have all fantasized about it: our feet in the sand on a beautiful stretch of beach with a cocktail in hand, or maybe on the back nine of a well manicured golf course having the time of our lives. The fantasy is our retirement of course! Unfortunately, for many, this fantasy is a long way from becoming reality due...
For many family business owners, retirement seems like a tiny speck on the distant horizon. But alas, time marches on steadily and planning for the transition of leadership of the business you worked so hard to build and maintain should be on your mind regardless of how far from retirement age you are. The Entrepreneur magazine says, “More than 50 percent...
Did you know that approximately 543,000 new businesses get started each month? According to the Washington Post nearly half of those will fail within the first five years. This is a staggering number. Are you considering starting a new business venture and are frightened at the possibility of failure? One of the best things you can do is research what...
This month Enterprise Center has hosted a free Community Mapping program with Free Online Software and Simple GIS. The workshop was hands-on and geared towards helping community planners, economic developers and community organizers learn to analyze locational data, and create both interactive web maps and static paper / PDF maps. Here is a bit more on Community Mapping and how...
Research shows that feeling appreciated- which comes from recognition from others- is one of the top drivers of employee engagement and retention. Showing appreciation can come in many different forms depending upon your field of specialty. Pay raises, promotions and Employee Appreciation Days are far from the only ways to motivate and supply incentives to your team. More than half...
Regular staff meetings, team meetings or company get-togethers can be a little like herding cats. Getting all of your employees with different backgrounds and skill sets, and trying to keep them connected, productive and guided toward a common goal is no easy task. To help manage these different personalities and skills, the weekly or biweekly staff meeting is critical to...
We all know the “bad boss” types: the “micro-manager, the “know-it-all”, or perhaps the “missing-in-action” boss. These nicknames are great for water cooler talk but in the long run these business leadership mistakes can be disastrous for your company. If you find yourself in a leadership position at your company, it may be time to do some self evaluation to...
If Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn and Career Builder are the only strategies that come to mind when thinking about recruiting the best employees to your business, then you may need to rethink your process of recruiting. If you are looking for a dream candidate to fit into the skill set you need and mesh with the personality of your company you...
There are multiple studies that show that being a good corporate citizen can also be good for a company’s bottom line. But far beyond the bottom line are the vast positive outcomes for the volunteers themselves and the group for whom they are putting their efforts toward. For many companies, volunteering goes right along with the personality and ultimate mission...
