International expansion can be a tall order for a small-to-medium sized enterprise. Understanding the basics of world trade; assessing your company’s readiness for exporting; conducting market research to identify market opportunities; and producing a viable and effective action plan for implementation are just a few of the crucial steps that are necessary to be successful.

Nick Nicholas, Technical Director and owner of Genesis Water Technologies, Inc. (GWT), recognized that his company would require additional resources and expertise to expand his business into new global markets. For that reason, he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its International Trade Services.

Genesis Water Technologies is an award-winning leader in specialized drinking water & wastewater treatment and reuse solutions, targeting various industries and water utilities across the world. Nearly 15 years ago, GWT began to tackle the issues of water scarcity and inadequate water treatment with innovative and sustainable water & wastewater treatment solutions and services tailored to serving communities and industrial clients.

Members of the FSBDC’s International Trade Services Team, including program manager Jill McLaughlin and international trade specialist Nerine Elattar, delivered Nicholas with one-on-one consulting services and other assistance including the development of a customized Export Marketing Plan for GWT.  Provided in partnership with Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Service, the Export Marketing Plan (EMP) focused on overseas growth strategies and supplied a roadmap for the company’s international expansion, including accessing trade mission services from the U.S. Export Assistance Center and trade promotion support from the State of Florida.

Beginning in 2013, GWT began implementing this comprehensive and action-oriented Export Marketing Plan. The company soon achieved its desired results, so much so that Nicholas asked for and received updated customized market research in 2019. “Since starting with the FSBDC we have been able to see some definite growth,” says Nick Nicholas. “The creation of a solid Export Marketing Plan enabled us to expand from the few countries that we had worked with before the FSBDC to today when we are able to sell our products, services and systems in over 43 different countries.” In fact, on the strength of this success, Nick Nicholas was recognized as the Small Business Administration’s national 2020 Exporter of the Year.

In addition to the FSBDC’s International Trade Services and the EMP, Nicholas and GWT have and continue to take advantage of other FSBDC programs and affiliates. Beginning in 2012, the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center at UCF provided the company with various federal agency contacts and bid opportunities, resulting in contracts with the Navy and Air Force. In 2019, GWT began benefitting from the FSBDC’s Advisory Board Council program, which provides a custom-fit advisory board comprised of volunteer independent business professionals to help accelerate GWT’s business growth.

“The FSBDC is a resource that is capable of serving businesses by supporting both export marketing as well as providing other services,“ Nicholas concluded. “The staff is excellent and the resources you can obtain for a reasonable or no cost are the best in our book.”

For more information about Genesis Water Technologies, please visit https://genesiswatertech.com/

“Big business starts small” is an aphorism taken to heart by many when launching a new venture. As aspiring entrepreneurs grapple with the challenges and risks of starting a new business, starting strong with as much information and support as possible is always a critical best practice.

That is why, in 2018, Erik Sharpee first connected with the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) for assistance with opening his new business, Freeway International Logistics LLC, a third-party transportation logistics provider that helps move products around the country and around the globe.

Sharpee is not a novice in the third-party logistics arena; he had been doing it for 25 years while working for world-class companies. He learned that there is only one thing that’s important in the world of transportation logistics: everything. Because the industry is dependent on both shippers and carriers, Sharpee knew there was opportunity in building a business focused on being fair to both and “trying to do the right thing,” as he likes to say, in all aspects of a transaction.

“What are the steps to starting a business?” he asked himself. That is when he turned to the FSBDC at UCF and its consultant Chuck Wheeler. “I’ve been doing this business my whole life,” Sharpee recalls. “But I didn’t have any experience getting into business, any knowledge about the state requirements, the taxes and fees, the right steps to take. It all seemed overwhelming. So, I got in with the FSBDC and Chuck was super helpful.”

Taking advantage of the FSBDC’s no-cost, expert consulting services, business training, and seminars, Sharpee moved ahead with launching his venture. “It turns out it’s not as scary if you know what you’re doing,” he continued. “Sometimes the best thing you can do, if you’re not sure about what you’re doing, is to find someone who does. And Chuck was that man for us.”

“I would absolutely advise an entrepreneur or small business owner to go to the FSBDC,” Sharpee says now. “The truth is: you don’t know what you don’t know. The FSBDC has been a valuable resource in answering all our questions and helping us understand the pitfalls of our starting a business.”

“I don’t think we’re inventing anything unique at our company. But what we do have is a group of good people who care about what they do, who have relationships with our customers, and we share a commitment to always try to do the right thing,” Sharpee says.

And doing the “right thing” seems to be working for Freeway International Logistics. They have grown from two employees and $25,000 in monthly revenues at the start to 19 employees and $13 million in annual revenue today.

“If I had to use one word to describe the FSBDC and what it does for you, it would be ‘empowering’ because they empowered me to have the belief that I could start something and get it on the right path while having someone to turn to if I had questions,” concluded Sharpee. “Going from $25,000 to $13 million in 2 years is pretty good.”

For more information about Freeway International Logistics, please visit https://www.freewaylogs.com/ .

“Mayak” is a Russian word which translates to “House of Light” in English. It is the one word that Alenka Zviarovich and husband Roman Katrychenko say they would use to describe the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (Florida SBDC at UCF) and the assistance it provided them with starting and growing their business.

Zviarovich and Katrychenko are the founders and owners of Alenka Your Learning Kids Academy. It is the first Russian-speaking daycare center in Orlando. The Academy uses the Russian language exclusively at the school and offers a setting where infants and children up to age 5 are exposed to the Russian food, curriculum and culture their parents grew up with.

“When we had our first child,” recalls Roman Katrychenko, “we searched for a daycare built around our language and traditions. When we couldn’t find one, we started our own, home-based daycare center. Word got around among the Russian émigré community in Central Florida that there was a Russian-speaking daycare center. We started getting calls right away but didn’t have the space and were turning people away.”

It was then that Zviarovich and Katrychenko turned to the Florida SBDC at UCF and its consultant Elly Membreno. They started attending classes to learn how to start a business. They took advantage of the FSBDC’s no-cost consulting from Membreno who guided them through preparing a business plan, doing their financial planning and budgeting and who answered their many questions.

“My English is not so good,” says Alenka Zviarovich. “I have trouble understanding sometimes. But I could understand everything my consultant Elly said to me. She explained everything, word for word. I would come home with lists after every meeting. Roman and I would then do every step that Elly told us. We filed every form, passed every test, passed every inspection. And we opened our doors, thanks to Elly.”

Since starting their work with the Florida SBDC, Zviarovich and Katrychenko have had a lot of successes. They have moved to a new location and into their own building; they completely renovated that building to house their daycare center; they have grown from caring for three children to more than 20 today, and are expecting as many as 35 in the fall; they have increased in size to 5 employees; and financially they have reached break-even and see profitability on the horizon. All in the 6 short months since Alenka Your Leaning Kids Academy opened in January 2019.

“Working with the FSBDC opened our eyes wide,” says Roman Katrychenko “It’s a very big difference from where I was born. You help regular people at no-cost open their business.”

“When I found Elly and the FSBDC, I was so excited,” continued Alenka Zviarovich, “because I learned so much and saw so much opportunity. Elly is like sunshine. She showed me the light and the way to go. The FSBDC is a “Mayak” for us. It shone light on our path, told us what we needed to do and how best to do it. Thank you, Elly and the FSBDC.”

For information about Alenka Your Leaning Kids Academy, please visit https://alenkakidsacademy.com/home/.

Owning and running a small business isn’t easy. Certainly there are perks: you are your own boss, you reap the rewards of your work directly, you chart the course for your business and your future. But offsetting those benefits is the responsibility on your shoulders for your business, your customers, your employees and more. You have to make decisions, often with limited information and no one to advise you. It’s no wonder they say “it’s lonely at the top.”

Finding a solution to the feeling of isolation that can come with being a small business owner was the challenge that Phil Medina, President and owner of KeyCom Technologies, needed to pursue. It was within the Florida SBDC at UCF (FSBDC at UCF) and its CEO XChange program that he found the answers and support he had been seeking. CEO XChange is an executive roundtable program that offers a confidential setting for business leaders to discuss vital issues, opportunities and trends with a group of peers.

CEO XChange Program Manager Hal Thayer with KeyCom’s Phil Medina

KeyCom Technologies is a full-service design, installation, and support organization for a wide spectrum of technologies tied to carrier services, phone systems, access control, surveillance, data networks, Wi-Fi, and infrastructure utilizing fiber optics in the ground and data cables in the walls. They have been particularly strong outfitting assisted living facilities, schools, and auto dealerships, but have worked in almost all environments. At the helm of a 35 year old, fast-moving technology firm having served 5,000+ business customers, Medina has a lot on his plate.

“Originally we were a pure telecom company, doing old-fashioned phone systems,” recalls Medina. “Over the years we began casting a much wider technology net, but back in 2008-9 when the world was falling apart economically, there were different decisions to be made that required more than just tech innovation.”

“I tried other CEO groups, names you’d recognize, but they were expensive and didn’t have what I wanted,” continued Medina. “Then I discovered the FSBDC’s CEO XChange. It’s a group of business leaders who’ve been there, done that. They provide feedback loops and insight into all kinds of skin-your-knee experiences without you having to go through them yourself.”

“Since we started with the CEO XChange almost 9 years ago, KeyCom is much healthier, much happier, and seeing consistent annual growth in the areas pursued,” Medina went on. “But that almost misses the point. Although we’ve seen solid top-line growth, the really big change is our business model. We’ve transitioned from a transactional sales model to a recurring revenue model. That required a full commitment to the long-game we feared undertaking, but we gained considerable courage by bouncing the plan off of my peer group at CEO XChange.”

“The CEO XChange is a safe environment with smart people who listen to your issues, offer you feedback, and leave you with action items you can execute,” concluded Medina. “It’s been a very, very good return on my investment in terms of time, money, and outcomes. Without the CEO XChange, it probably would have taken twice as long to implement this transition that has opened the door to a much brighter future for my company.”

For information about KeyCom Technologies, please visit www.keycom.net.