What Started as Online Jewelry Concept Evolves into Woman’s Fashion Boutique

Mar 14, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL –    Entrepreneurs often don’t end up where they expected to.  Often the original plan evolves and the business they thought they were inventing transforms into something different. That was the case for Evie and Jack Valerio; what started as a hobby has evolved into a full-scale business, and they couldn’t be happier and more excited about their future.

Evie is an artist. She creates amazing polymer clay jewelry. She started crafting necklaces and other pieces in her home. And then she claimed the spare bedroom and an artist’s studio was born. While friends and relatives craved her work and eagerly purchased her creations, over time they grew in number and she began to consider how to make her jewelry available to a larger audience.

The original idea was to launch an online business. That evolved into a desire to “take the show on the road” and sell at craft fairs once a month. Then the idea of a retail store popped up. The evolution of the business from part-time, online venture to a full-blown retail store was moving very fast, in fact a little too fast for her husband Jack’s comfort.

Jack will be the first one to tell you he is a very cautious person. He makes sure to do as much research as he can before he moves ahead with something, especially something as massive as opening a retail store. In this case, he started out by asking around to see where he could get help. As a career school administrator, he felt out of his element in the world of business and wanted to find professionals who had been successful owning and running a retail store.

Initially, Jack turned to the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce, his local chamber, where he found valuable resources. Perhaps most valuable, however, was their referral of Evie and Jack to the Florida SBDC at UCF office in Kissimmee.

At the FSBDC, they found business training and no-cost, confidential, expert, one-on-one consulting assistance. They learned the mechanics of starting a business, how to write a business plan, the basics of bookkeeping and more. Chuck Wheeler, an FSBDC consultant based in the Kissimmee office, worked with them, answered Jack’s questions and helped guide them through the steps to opening their business.

And open a business they did, just nine months after starting with the FSBDC. ELEGANCE by EV, a charming boutique featuring women’s fashions and accessories and, of course, Evie’s wonderful jewelry, launched at the beginning of 2016 in Historic Cocoa Village, one of Cocoa Beach’s most popular destinations. They are off to a good start and Evie is already planning the expansion of their business.

“My advice to other entrepreneurs is to use the FSBDC and all the consulting and training they offer,” says Evie. ”It’s invaluable. And do it first, before you jump into being in business.” “Don’t wait until you have problems,” continued Jack. “Do a pre-emptive strike and learn from the FSBDC before the challenges of running a business come at you.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2014, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 8,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 12,387 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.70 billion in sales growth; $26.1 million in capital formation; $39.7 million in government contract awards; and 105 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2014, the Florida SBDCs served almost 30,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 42,644 jobs created, retained or saved; $5.8 billion in sales growth; $142.5 million in capital accessed; $210.2 million in government contract awards; and 486 new businesses started.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

 

Custom Selected Board of Volunteers
Make a Difference at No-Cost

Monday, February 22, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL –    Law firms are more than a group of lawyers coming together to practice the law. In fact, they are businesses that face many of the same challenges as other kinds of businesses; how to manage growth, deal with human resources issues, improve financial performance, drive marketing effectiveness and more.

Cohen Grossman Attorneys at Law is precisely that kind of law firm: a business entity comprised of a group of lawyers engaging in the practice of law. Led by founder and owner Harvey Cohen, the firm has practices across multiple legal specialties, including insurance claims, personal injury, criminal law, family law, wrongful death, renters’ rights and the list goes on.

Cohen Grossman is a successful firm and was becoming more successful every day.  And that success was demanding that more and more of Harvey Cohen’s time be spent managing the daily operations of the company. As he became more businessman than attorney, Cohen started to ask himself how he could make himself the best business owner possible.

Through networking and a friend, he was referred to the Florida SBDC at UCF and its Advisory Board Council (ABC) program. “My friend told me she’d really enjoyed her Advisory Board and that it had helped her business tremendously,” remarked Atty. Cohen. “I was intrigued and my friend put me in touch with Jill Kaufman, a consultant at the FSBDC as well as the program manager of the ABC program.

The Advisory Board Council is a no-cost board of experts providing advice and council to help businesses grow.  It acts as a matchmaker between established local businesses and area professionals who volunteer their expertise as members of an advisory board, with the volunteers selected to address the specific needs of the FSBDC client.

“Jill Kaufman put a great board together for me,” says Atty. Cohen, “and we had our first meeting in July of 2013. Since then, my Board has been an invaluable resource and gets some of the credit for our ongoing success. We’ve been growing rapidly: we have seen a 167% revenue increase from 2012 to 2015; our employee base has grown more than 160% over the period; and very recently we moved our firm into our own, 33,000 sq. ft. building.”

“For me, one of the best benefits of my ABC was that it forced me to focus time on my business. Anyone who manages a business knows how hard it is to take time away from dealing with day-to-day operations, away from working in the business,” said Atty. Cohen. “My ABC made me take the time, with their help, to evaluate myself and my performance while sharing exemplary ideas to help the firm’s business. The Board’s different perspectives and experiences contributed significantly to how I run the firm today and how I will run it even better in the future.”

“I would recommend the Advisory Board Council to everyone, and I have. It can only help you. I can’t imagine where we’d be without it,” concluded Atty. Cohen. “I think it is such a valuable resource for small businesses that I have even gone a step further and become an ABC volunteer advisor myself.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2014, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 8,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 12,387 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.70 billion in sales growth; $26.1 million in capital formation; $39.7 million in government contract awards; and 105 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2014, the Florida SBDCs served almost 30,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 42,644 jobs created, retained or saved; $5.8 billion in sales growth; $142.5 million in capital accessed; $210.2 million in government contract awards; and 486 new businesses started.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Release Date: December 17, 2015    Contact: Nayana Sen 904-443-1933

Release Number: NFL 16-05

 

By Cassius F. Butts, Regional Administrator

U.S. Small Business Administration

Word Count approx.: 690

The economy added 211,000 jobs in November, 2015, marking the strongest three years of job creation since 2000 with 8.1 million jobs added. Our businesses have now added 13.7 million jobs over 69 straight months, extending the longest streak on record.

These records are possible thanks to America’s small businesses. Small businesses create nearly two out of three net, new jobs and account for almost half of America’s private nonfarm GDP. Besides being the force behind our economy, they are the unique fabric of our communities.

Recently, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation published a Main Street Entrepreneurship Index. It compares entrepreneurship rates among different demographic groups in all 50 states and America’s 40 largest metro hubs. If we want Main Street small businesses to flourish, we need to know where they stand. The Kauffman Index allows us to see which cities and states have fostered the right conditions for growth.

According to the Kauffman Index, small business activity is on the rise in 49 of the 50 U.S. states and 38 of the top 40 largest metropolitan areas this year. Efforts like the Kauffman Index provide a roadmap for state and local officials seeking to foster a climate for small business growth. I find this information extremely useful for our Southeastern small business communities.

Other valuable takeaways in the report:

• In 2015, the index experienced the second-largest year-over-year growth in more than two decades;
• Businesses owned by women, minorities, and immigrants are increasing;
• The number of small business owners with college degrees is increasing, from 34% in 1997 to 39% today;
• Despite the dynamic leadership potential of our Millennials and veterans, young entrepreneurs (ages 20-34) and veteran-owned firms are actually declining.

Several specific SBA initiatives target areas of concern identified by the Kauffman Index. SBA launched the My Brother’s Keeper Millennials Initiative to promote youth entrepreneurship in the nation’s underserved communities. We are partnering with community colleges to expose young people to innovative pathways to start a business, and we’re promoting a Business Smart toolkit to train nonprofits and faith-based organizations to teach financial literacy.

SBA’s Boots to Business initiative gives post-9/11 transitioning service members a tutorial on the basics of business ownership. The program is now active at more than 180 military installations worldwide and has introduced 32,000 service members and spouses to potential careers in entrepreneurship as they rejoin the civilian workforce. We also launched Boots to Business: Reboot to open up this innovative curriculum to veterans of every era.

SBA is partnering with cities on Startup in a Day to create an easy-to-use online tool that allows entrepreneurs to apply for all licenses and permits needed to start a business in less than a day.

Working with our resource partners in communities across this nation, SBA manages the world’s largest network of free small business advisers. We’ve also eliminated borrower and bank fees on small-dollar loans, so more Main Street entrepreneurs can get the working capital they need to hire and grow. Last year, SBA achieved record lending of $23.5 billion under our flagship 7(a) loan program, with loans up 18% for women, 23% for minorities, and 101% for veterans.

The North Florida District experienced an almost 40% increase in the number of loans 7(a) loans in FY2014 from 627 loans worth $344 million to 877 loans worth $420 million FY2015. The district increased lending for Veterans from FY2014 to FY2015 by 122%, from $16 million to $37 million. The increase is attributed to the Veterans Advantage Initiative, which reduced all upfront fees to zero for veterans on loans up to $350,000 in FY2015. The initiative will continue in FY2016 for loans under $150,000 and will be reduced by 50% for loans greater than that.

Helping more Americans start and grow Main Street businesses is a core mission of the SBA. We hope you reach out to jumpstart and scale up your small business. Check out sba.gov/local for your nearest SBA local office.

FSBDC Assists with Purchase and Addition of Financial Controls

November 23, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu

Orlando – Buying a business can be fraught with risks, even if you already work for the company. And that was the case for Valerie Wilson. She and a partner owned Wilson Equipment Etc., a company in the business of selling water filtration systems for food service equipment. The filters perform a crucial function by removing the taste and odor of chlorine from the water used by equipment like ice machines, steamers and soda systems while at the same time reducing or eliminating the amount of scale build-up inside the machines which reduces their efficiency. The partner wanted to sell her half of the company and Valerie was interested.

As she looked at purchasing the business from her partner, removing or at least minimizing the risks in buying were a top priority for Valerie.  Questions like “is it the right price?”, “are the cash flows adequate to cover a loan?”, “how do I obtain a loan?”, “am I prepared to run this business alone?” describe the risks she saw that needed answers. Fortunately, Valerie knew where to turn.

Based on her own previous experience, as well as that of her father from years ago, Valerie turned to the Florida SBDC at UCF. Initially she wanted help with producing a business plan, but then the opportunities offered by the FSBDC quickly turned her initial goal into much more. And Valerie couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

“My experience with FSBDC at UCF has been very positive on multiple fronts,” says Valerie. “My FSBDC consultant, Hunt Dawkins, was my cheerleader. He helped me determine a fair value for the company, see opportunities for growth, and find ways to make myself a better business owner. We developed strategies to make the business more profitable and put in place financial controls like budgets and forecasts that made the numbers make more sense for me.”

And the results have been extremely positive. Valerie was able to buy the company. Profits are up at Wilson Equipment Etc. and she has put the company on a consistent growth path. She has found new ways to leverage the fact that hers is a certified woman-owned business. By partnering with a much larger manufacturers rep company who could take advantage of her company’s woman-owned status and who could add her filters to a vast product list that will be put in front of customers that would probably not have found Wilson Equipment Etc otherwise, Valerie has found an important new sales channel for her products.

When asked what she would say to other entrepreneurs and business owners considering seeking assistance from the FSBDC, Valerie didn’t hold back. “The FSBDC is a great resource. Do it. Run to them,” she says. “I myself have referred people to the FSBDC and gotten nothing but great feedback. When I bought the company, my role changed from sales to business owner and it was the FSBDC gave me the business knowledge I needed and taught me how to run a successful business.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2014, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 8,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 12,387 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.70 billion in sales growth; $26.1 million in capital formation; $39.7 million in government contract awards; and 105 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2014, the Florida SBDCs served almost 30,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 42,644 jobs created, retained or saved; $5.8 billion in sales growth; $142.5 million in capital accessed; $210.2 million in government contract awards; and 486 new businesses started.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Florida SBDC at UCF’s Kissimmee/Osceola County Office Provides Vital Assistance

November 3, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu

Ever wonder how that colleague of yours at work always manages to successfully navigate around the day-to-day drama that seems to exist in every modern company?  Have you wished you had more of what they have? In fact, you probably have more of that special quality than you think.

That special quality is called emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict.

Dr. Wanda Bonet-GascotIt recognized that EQ is an under-emphasized skill set in today’s business and personal life. Seeing that gap, she undertook to build an emotional intelligence educational institution that would teach EQ coaching skills and help create careers for EQ coaching professionals. And from there, the EQ coaches and trainers could begin training individuals and corporations in emotional intelligence skills that will help them manage their personal relationships and improve their leadership abilities.

So was born the DRW Life Skills Institute, based in Kissimmee, Florida. Like all new concepts, it was an uphill fight at the outset. Although DRW joined the UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee and benefited from their support, as time passed the company found it was having trouble attracting audiences to their seminars and didn’t know what next to do.

It was at that moment that Wanda decided to step back and look for additional assistance. She decided she wanted to work “on’ her business, not just ‘in’ her business is how she describes it. She turned to the Florida SBDC at UCF’s office in Kissimmee/Osceola County for the help she needed.

It started with her attending a FSBDC seminar where she learned about its services: no-cost, confidential consulting, seminars and workshops, and extensive information resources. Wanda latched onto the consulting services and made an appointment to meet with Rafael Pratts, the FSBDC area manager for the Kissimmee/Osceola County Office.

“I decided that brainstorming with an expert like Rafael was my best option,” says Wanda, “and I was right.” They reviewed DRW’s business plan, assessed new options and dug down into the company’s value proposition. “They are so welcoming, honest, calm, thoughtful, and analytical,” Wanda states. “As an entrepreneur, I rely  upon the FSBDC to help me with guidance to make better decisions about where I want to take the Institute.”

Based on their discussions, the company set out on an expanded path built around offering a complete emotional intelligence curriculum aimed at those wanting a career in EQ and a meaningful return-on-investment from their Institute tuition.  And the transition has worked. The DRW Life Skills Institute is looking forward to graduating 25 coaches in December 2105 and is looking at international and domestic expansion plans.

“The FSBDC has been and is an amazing resource,” concluded Wanda. “For those entrepreneurs and business owners looking for that push, that mentorship, that information which will get them over hurdles in the market and up to the next level of success, the FSBDC is the place to go.”