Heights company helps local businesses thrive in digital age

Nachum Langsner (left) and Aaron Garfunkel, the owners of Local Biz Guru.

Two Cleveland Heights residents operate LocalBizGuru, a company that helps small businesses improve their online presence, to thrive at a time when online shopping has surpassed in-store shopping.

“Our entire business is predicated on helping local businesses be found online,” said Nachum Langsner, who owns the company along with Aaron Garfunkel. Langsner and Garfunkel started the business in August 2016. Prior to that, both men worked for a dental-supply company. In 2008, the company asked Langsner to build a website. “I had to very quickly learn how to do that,” he said. “But it turned out to be a great hands-on learning experience, and the project went very well.”

Since founding LocalBizGuru, Garfunkel and Langsner have focused on helping local firms.

They will hold two seminars this month at the Small Business Development Center at the Lee Road Library, covering practical tactics and tips to improve a company’s online visibility. The seminars, Attracting Local Customers in the Digital Age, will take place March 7 and 21, 9–11 a.m.

Garfunkel, 30, grew up in Savannah, Ga., while Langsner, 44, grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Both attended college in Jerusalem and studied Talmudic law, and both now live on Bendemeer Road in Cleveland Heights.

Garfunkel said Cleveland Heights is a “warm, vibrant community. The ethics and quality of life are nice here.” Langsner added that he “loves the diversity of the community, and I feel that we, as a community, can benefit from more businesses thriving.”

“We are really trying to help small businesses,” Garfunkel said. Langsner added, “We want to let people know about the uniqueness of so many Cleveland Heights businesses. We really want to get the word out. We really just need to follow the evolution of this industry. Everything is constantly changing, especially digital marketing.”

James Henke

James Henke, a Cleveland Heights resident, was a writer and editor at Rolling Stone magazine for 15 years. He is also the author of several books, including biographies of Jim Morrison, John Lennon and Bob Marley. He is on the board of FutureHeights, and is co-chair of the Heights Observer Advisory Committee.

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Volume 10, Issue 3, Posted 4:44 PM, 02.27.2017