For many small business owners, being great at a product or service is only part of the equation. Building a successful business also requires knowing how to find customers, communicate value, follow up with prospects and ultimately turn conversations into revenue.
A new four-week workshop at the Ocean County Library’s Toms River Branch is designed to help local entrepreneurs strengthen those skills.
“Think Like a Salesperson and Succeed Like a Business Owner,” presented by 1ARK Enterprises, begins Thursday, October 1, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library, 101 Washington Street in Toms River. The program is being promoted as a four-week sales workshop focused on helping participants increase revenue and grow their businesses.
Turning Sales Skills Into Business Growth
For entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, selling isn’t simply one department within a company. It is often a responsibility that falls directly on the owner.
That can mean generating leads, networking, explaining services, following up with prospective customers, handling objections and asking for the business—all while managing the day-to-day responsibilities of running the company.
The upcoming program is intended for small business owners and entrepreneurs as well as sales professionals, career changers, veterans and unemployed individuals interested in developing stronger sales skills.
The idea behind the workshop is straightforward: business owners who learn to approach growth with the skills and discipline of a salesperson can become better equipped to generate the revenue their businesses need to succeed.
Meet Presenter Stephen Lesce
The workshop will be led by Brick resident Stephen M. Lesce, SHRM-CP, of 1ARK Enterprises.
Lesce brings a background that combines sales, sales management, coaching, training, business consulting and human resources. His professional profile lists services including training, business consulting, executive and career coaching, corporate training and HR consulting. He also holds the SHRM Certified Professional credential and a Master Certified Sales Professional certification.
According to the Ocean County Library’s program description, Lesce’s experience includes serving as an individual contributor, sales manager, sales coach and trainer, and he has coached hundreds of people as they worked to rebuild or advance their lives and careers.
That combination of sales and business experience could make the program particularly relevant to local entrepreneurs who know their industry well but have never received formal sales training.
Who Should Attend?
The program isn’t limited to people with “sales” in their job title.
It may be particularly useful for an Ocean County contractor who needs to convert more estimates into projects, a professional service provider trying to attract new clients, a new entrepreneur who isn’t comfortable selling, or a solopreneur who has reached the point where referrals alone aren’t producing enough growth.
The Ocean County Library specifically identifies small business owners, struggling sales professionals, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, career changers, veterans and unemployed individuals among the intended audience.
For established business owners, it can also provide an opportunity to revisit how they approach sales and business development rather than assuming that simply delivering a good product or service will automatically generate new customers.
Four Weeks to Focus on an Essential Business Skill
One of the advantages of the program is that it isn’t being presented as a single introductory seminar. Participants are being invited into a four-week workshop, creating an opportunity to spend more time developing the sales mindset and skills associated with business growth.
For local business owners who frequently attend networking events but struggle with what happens afterward, or who generate inquiries that don’t consistently turn into customers, dedicated sales training can provide a different perspective on where opportunities may be getting lost.
It also reinforces an important lesson for entrepreneurs: selling is a skill that can be practiced and improved.
Register for the Small Business Seminar
“Think Like a Salesperson and Succeed Like a Business Owner” begins:
Thursday, October 1, 2026
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Ocean County Library – Toms River Branch
Home Town Dairy meeting room
101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753
Registration is currently open through the Ocean County Library. Space is limited; at the time NJBusinessList.com checked the library’s registration page, 14 seats remained.
Register for Think Like a Salesperson and Succeed Like a Business Owner
Local entrepreneurs can also learn more about workshop presenter Stephen Lesce and his professional background through his LinkedIn profile.
Connect with Stephen M. Lesce on LinkedIn
For Ocean County business owners who want to grow but know that sales remains one of their biggest challenges, this four-week program offers an opportunity to dedicate time to one of the most important skills behind sustainable business growth.
Lisa Mazzuca is owner of On Your Mark Designs, a digital marketing agency working with small business clients throughout Ocean and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey and beyond. Lisa has been a webmaster, content marketer, and SEO specialist since 2001. Mazzuca serves on the board of directors of the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce, and the local non-profit organization, A Need We Feed. Lisa is also the Vice President of the Ocean County Business Association, an industry exclusive business networking and referral group.