Wilson Equipment, FSBDC, Valerie Wilson, Hunt Dawkins

Wilson Equipment

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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.”

Chill Pop Lounge, LaThesia Hardy, Chuck Wheeler,

Chill Pop Lounge

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LaThesia Hardy – everybody calls her “Te” – is one of the smart ones: she knows what she doesn’t know. She knows she has a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. But now she’s been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and she didn’t know which way to go or even how or where to start.

So “Te” decided to start at the beginning.  That’s when she found the Florida SBDC at UCF s office in Kissimmee/Osceola County. She attended the seminars and workshops offered by the FSBDC about starting a business and business fundamentals. As a result, she built her competence and confidence in her abilities related to the many facets of running her own business that she did not know.

Building from the base she gained in the seminars, she engaged with one of the FSBDC’s consultants and took advantage of their confidential, no-cost, expert counseling. Together with her consultant, she tackled putting together her ideas for the company she wanted to start and addressing the multiple questions about her start-up that would need to be answered.

“My experience with the FSBDC has been tremendous,” “Te” says. “It was great to go to the seminars and learn what I needed to learn and then have access to high quality consulting and mentorship outside of the seminars.”

As with all entrepreneurial endeavors, there were bumps in the road. “Te” was comfortable with writing her business plan because her vision for her company was clear and she knew she’d be able to articulate her goals and plans. But then there were the financial projections. They brought “Te” to a standstill. Without a background in finance, the prospect of doing sales and revenue and expense forecasts was daunting for her.

And so she turned again to her FSBDC consultant for assistance. “I was able to complete most of my business plan but I wouldn’t have been able to do the financials, “ “Te” acknowledged. “But with my FSBDC consultant Chuck Wheeler’s help, I was able to understand the financial end of my business, what I could afford and not afford and how to make reliable projections of my company’s financial performance.

All of “Te”s hard work and wise use of the FSBDC enabled her to launch her company, Chill Pop Lounge, in July of this year on N. Narcoossee Rd. in St. Cloud, FL. The Chill Pop Lounge specializes in gourmet frozen treats, with specialty ice cream choices this year and innovative – as well as gourmet and fabulous – ice popsicles starting in 2016. The business is off to a great start, and “Te” is looking forward to expanding and bringing new employees on board in the next few months. Her brother, Reginald Adams, who is retiring from the military, will co-manage the Chill Pop Lounge starting in January 2016.

“I would say to any would-be entrepreneur out there: use the FSBDC’s services!” concluded “Te”. “They have everything you need to start a business, write a business plan, and understand finances. If being an entrepreneur is not necessarily your forte, the FSBDC is the place to be.”

DrW Institute, SBDC, Small Business, Success Story, Dr. Wanda Bonet-Gascot

DrW Life Skills Institute

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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-Gascot 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.”

Different Perspective, Roger Greenwald, FSBDC, UCF, Hugo, Priscilla, Azzollini

Different Perspective

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When Hugo and Priscilla Azzolini founded creative advertising agency Different Perspective in 2004, internet advertising was only just picking up speed. Fast forward 11 years later and today, Different Perspective has helped hundreds of businesses develop their own unique brand, market their business online and attract customers through custom-created websites.

For Hugo and Priscilla, the secret was not keeping up with current technology, but helping businesses stay ahead of it. Today Hugo sits on the marketing board for The Orlando Philharmonic orchestra and the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, extending his expertise in marketing to local nonprofits and for-profit organizations, as well as companies from all over the world including their native country Brazil.

Located in downtown Orlando, FL, Different Perspective has developed from inconsistent year-to-year growth to a 91% increase from 2014 to 2015. Although Hugo’s steadfast vision to start the business without investors or taking on debt allowed him to take more risks and realize greater rewards. Different Perspective’s recent sales increases and 2015’s anticipated growth is attributed to the guidance and advice of the SBDC at UCF’s Growth Acceleration Consultant, Roger Greenwald.

“Roger not only provided us the support we needed to grow our business, in the areas of financial management and new business development, but he gave us insight into how to be better entrepreneurs and leaders within our own industry. His extensive knowledge and genuine commitment to our success helped our company refocus our vision, strengthen our sales strategy and personally inspired us to be more proactive within the business and in the community.”

ScreenWorks USA, FSBDC, Business Consulting

ScreenWorks USA

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For a small to medium-sized business, growth can be as much of a challenge as a revenue decline. And managing rapid growth was the problem, albeit a good problem, confronting Screenworks USA, a multi-million dollar screen printing, embroidery and dye sublimation business that supplies theme parks and other entertainment companies with customized apparel (t-shirts) and other wearables.

Co-owners Sharad Mehta, President and Brian DiZavala, Executive Vice President and COO wanted to be certain they were steering Screenworks and its growing business in the right direction. Based upon very positive past experiences Mehta had had with the Florida SBDC at UCF and its Advisory Board Council program, the company applied for and was approved for another  Advisory Board Council.

The Florida SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council (ABC) is an economic development program that creates a no-cost professional advisory service for local companies. By acting as a matchmaker between businesses and volunteer advisors, all of whom are professionals in the community, the Advisory Board Council program acts to provide companies with business expertise that can directly address the company’s issues and that would otherwise be cost prohibitive and unavailable to a small to medium- sized business.  And the contribution that Advisory Board Council assistance can make covers many sides of a business including operations, marketing, financial management, cost reduction, leadership development and succession planning, among others.

Mehta and DiZavala worked with Advisory Board Council Program Manager Jill Kaufman, who hand-picked a team of board members to address the company’s needs and manage their growth. Experts in corporate finance, operations and marketing, comprised Screenworks’ board of advisors. The Board met with Mehta and DiZavala quarterly for review and counseling on a variety of issues, including operations and growth management strategies.

Over the course of the board’s tenure, Mehta and DiZavala made some important decisions about how they wanted to grow their business going forward and took some strategic options they were considering off the table. “We had very experienced people on our board. We made sure we were well prepared for each meeting and had a clear picture of our company’s direction and our financial performance,” Mehta said. “As a result, over time a strategy for the company’s growth became clear.”

According to Mehta and DiZavala, the assistance of their Advisory Board Council has paid handsome dividends for Screenworks. “Our success has come as a result of some of the efforts of our Advisory Board and has helped us not only quadruple our sales but also increase our employee base by about 100 and build our building,” remarked DiZavala.

“I do not think any business which is growing should be without an Advisory Board Council,” commented Mehta. “Every business can benefit from using not only the services of the FSBDC but also an Advisory Board Council.  I wouldn’t want to be a company without an ABC.  And I recommend every business in Central Florida avail themselves of all the resources that the FSBDC offers.”

Jolly Roger's Guns, Gold & Pawn Umatilla, Lake County, FL

Jolly Roger’s Guns, Gold and Pawn

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After a long and respected career with Lake County Fire Rescue, Roger Minger was ready for his life’s second act. He knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and business owner. And for some time he’d had in mind opening a retail store that offered fast, safe and convenient collateralized loans as well as fire arms for sale. It had an appealing business model and Roger saw demand for its offerings in his community. The challenge was how to get started down the right path toward success.

Roger started by looking for support and assistance locally, and found the Florida SBDC at UCF of Lake County. It offered no-cost consulting, seminars and workshops and information
resources; all services that Roger thought would help him get his business started.

“I knew there was a lot I didn’t know and a lot I needed to learn,” Roger says. “And the local FSBDC and my consultant Stan Austin offered everything I needed to get my business
started.” Areas of special concern to Roger that the FSBDC could help him with included government regulation, current tax requirements and how best to market his new business.

In response to these concerns, Roger enrolled in a series of seminars and began taking advantage of the FSBDC’s no-cost, unlimited professional consulting. In so doing, he gained command of key business principles and functions and, with his consultant’s assistance, put together a business plan to guide the start-up and management of his new business.

Roger gives the FSBDC significant credit for getting his business off to a strong start. “I can’t say enough good things about the FSBDC,” he commented. “They are wonderful. The FSBDC
taught me so much and I’ve gone back and used what I’ve learned over and over again. It’s here, it’s local and it’s free. The FSBDC is just a great thing that’s hard to beat.”

Today, Jolly Roger’s Guns, Gold and Pawn Inc. is open for business in Umatilla, providing the community with much needed access to collateralized loans, as well as buying and selling
gold and firearms. He continues as an FSBDC client, taking classes and relying on his FSBDC business mentor and consultant. He often comments that the best advice he ever got, was
from the FSBDC’s Stan Austin, “Slow Down,” because he says slowing down at critical junctures saved him from making some potentially disastrous mistakes.

“I don’t think you can start a business without the FSBDC if you want to be successful,” concluded Roger. “The type of information you get and the classes are invaluable. And
assistance from experts like Stan Austin makes all the difference.”

Caskey's Mower Shop, Gravely, eXmark, Stihl, Dixie Chopper

Caskey’s Lawn and Garden Center

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Business owners have many choices when it comes to growing their company. Among the many available options, they can choose sales and marketing initiatives, adding to their product or service line or even strategic partnerships. For Jason West, owner of JWO Land Management Inc., the choices were few; results from the marketing of his lawn care business seemed to have plateaued, he had extended his line of services as far as he could and he didn’t see strategic partnership opportunities that would materially contribute to growing his business.

What to do? In Jason’s case, he decided that diversification of his business beyond lawn care was his best route to growing his company. And, as luck would have it, an opportunity arose for him to acquire a lawn and landscape equipment dealership and repair facility, Caskey’s Mower and Garden. It had all the elements he was looking for: a business in his industry that is an established Lake County company which is both profitable and has a strong reputation locally. Now Jason’s challenge was to find the financial resources to buy the business.

“When I decided I wanted to get into this new business, I wanted to make sure I did it right, “Jason says. To do that, he went to the Florida SBDC at UCF’s Lake County office to understand the steps necessary to purchase the business and get the assistance he needed to make the right decisions in this purchase. At the FSBDC, Jason enrolled in several workshops and connected with Stan Austin, an FSBDC consultant and the area manager. He helped Jason get his arms around the financial side of the business, prepare a business plan and approach lenders with the best application possible.

“It was amazing. Stan was a lifesaver. He spent countless hours guiding me through the purchase process, helping me pull together the necessary financial information and then establish the decision criteria for making the purchase or not,” commented Jason. “And once I made the decision, Stan was there to help me obtain the financing I needed to close the transaction.”

Today, JWO Land Management Inc. is a thriving lawn and landscape service business with a full service equipment dealership and repair facility for all makes and models of small engines. He has two separate sources of revenue that compliment themselves in good markets and bad. And he has his consultant Stan Austin and the FSBDC behind him for future support and consultation.

“The FSBDC is probably one of the best kept secrets in Lake County,” says Jason. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be standing here. My whole experience with them has been excellent. Anyone who owns a business is crazy not to take advantage of what they offer. Almost anything you can think of, they can help you with – all at no charge!”

Pauline Davis, Michele Daniele, All Star Property Services, Small Business, Consulting

AllStar Property Services

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For Michele Daniele, CEO of AllStar Property Services, it was a time to rebuild her business. From its founding in 1999, AllStar had been a successful, full-service commercial property maintenance company serving Central Florida. Its services included power sweeping, porter services, pressure washing and window cleaning – all of the services a commercial property owner needs to keep their buildings and grounds in top shape.

In 2006, however, Michele was mobilized and served her country in the military until 2012. When her deployment was over, she returned home a service-disabled veteran, only to find that her company had suffered during her tour of duty. Between her absence and the downturn in the economy, the business had withered. Her time away left her feeling an immense disconnect from it. Michele knew she had to do something and she knew she needed help.

And so she went to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs looking for assistance. They referred her to the U.S. Small Business Administration who in turn referred her to the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF). There she found the help she was looking for.

“The FSBDC helped me tremendously. They helped me make a fresh start. I went back to the basics and enrolled in their New Venture (now Business Fundamentals) Seminar Series which gave me a new perspective on my business,” said Daniele. “And they opened my eyes to important steps I needed to take to get AllStar growing again, especially the value in writing a business plan.”

After producing a draft of her plan, Daniele began working with FSBDC consultant Pauline Davis to bring it to completion. “With Pauline’s assistance, I was able to understand how to grow my business,” commented Daniele. “The business plan allowed me to see the future of my company.”

The work with the FSBDC has paid off. Since beginning with them, AllStar has grown significantly. It now has 12 employees, more than 130 contacts and sales have tripled. “I wasn’t sure if I could succeed or not when I restarted my business,” Michele says today. “But the FSBDC guided me and influenced me, and helped me find the way forward. I can truly say ‘Thank You” to them for giving me the advice I needed to build my business to where it is today and the encouragement to take my business where I want to go.”

As Michele looks ahead, she is excited about the opportunities she sees in diversifying her customer base to include selling the company’s services to the government, another place the FSBDC can help. “I have come to understand the value of government certifications from the FSBDC and the programs and seminars they offer to help me find and win government contracts,” said Michele.

“Don’t hesitate. Go for it,” Michele said when asked what advice she’d give entrepreneurs about the FSBDC. “They have the ability to grow your business to your highest expectations.”

 

 

Sandra Saft, Sandi Saft, Window Interiors

Window Interiors

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When buildings are constructed today, there is heavy emphasis on energy efficiency, both to lower costs and be as green as possible. Beyond architectural design and glass treatments, one of the most important tools to strengthen or improve a structure’s energy efficiency is the use of shade systems. At the same time, window shade systems can add important interior design elements that make a space more visually appealing. We may not realize it, but window shade systems are an important part of creating beautiful interiors and energy efficient buildings.

The entrepreneur in Sandi Saft, founder and President of Windows Interiors, saw the opportunity in window shade systems. And she found the Florida SBDC at UCF to help her realize her vision. Fast forward to today and Sandi and her team have built an impressive company and been named Small Business Person of the Year for North Florida, in recognition of her business accomplishments, strength under adversity and contributions to the community.

It was more than 25 years ago that Sandi started her company and she began by taking advantage of the FSBDC’s new business seminars to build and expand her business knowledge and perspective.  With that support, she founded Windows Interiors and, with her team at the company behind her, has built a highly successful company.

Window Interiors is a sub-contractor that provides attractive and energy efficient window covering systems. The company works with general contractors, health care systems, national restaurant groups and building management companies. The company has contributed to the beauty and efficiency of a broad range of buildings, including Florida Hospital’s Ginsberg Wing, the Amway Center and, very recently, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, among others.

Sandi is the first to say she hasn’t done it alone. She credits the Window Interiors team for much of what has been accomplished. She is also vocal in her appreciation of Pauline Davis, her consultant at the FSBDC at UCF, who has assisted with focused, one-on-one consulting. “The FSBDC has been very, very helpful. I have been able to rely on its resources and Pauline’s counsel, whether it be about budgeting, human resources or managing growth,” Sandi says. “You don’t need to be a start-up to benefit from their help. The FSBDC has an accumulation of knowledge and experience that every business can call on and benefit from, all at little or no cost.”

And the business results at Window Interiors supports Sandi’s enthusiasm. The company stayed the course through the Great Recession, retaining its employees in the face of the downturn. Today the company is in hiring mode with the largest sales pipeline in the company’s history and a long list of bid requests awaiting a response.

“The award of Small Business Person of the Year is a real honor for me, and for the whole team here at Window Interiors,” Sandi commented. “I would say to any entrepreneur or business owner out there: Go for it! The FSBDC will make sure you are going in the right direction and will provide the help you need.”

Doug Worswick, Certified Slings

Certified Slings & Supply

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Doug Worswick, CEO of Certified Slings, Inc., had a balancing act to do: survive the “great recession” of 2009 while continuing the tradition and legacy from Doug’s Dad by applying his simple philosophy: “Be humble, take care of your team. Your team will take care of our customers and everything else will take care of itself.” Doug was determined to continue to provide quality service and the highest quality products with the team of employees who had helped him build the company.

Certified Slings is a distributor and manufacturer of slings, rigging, overhead lifting, load securement and contractor supplies. In all cases, safety is the highest priority. It counts as its customers the construction, mining, power utilities and theme park industries, as well as the U.S. military.

As he watched many of customers, competitors and partners go out of business during the recession, Doug jumped into action and looked for ways to weather the storm. By doing so, he found and was able to take advantage of the many resources available to businesses in Central Florida, including from the Florida SBDC at UCF.

Although the company had some success internationally, in 2009 Doug went on the offensive and began aggressively pursuing export sales. Despite the perceived risks presented by international markets, Doug invested in the export opportunity and hired a Director of International Sales. The company targeted Latin America and the Caribbean markets and, by uncovering opportunities, building relationships and establishing its brand, it generated positive momentum.

Momentum wasn’t enough for Doug, however, and in 2012 he turned to the FSBDC at UCF to help achieve even greater export success. The FSBDC, with support from Enterprise Florida, produced a customized Export Marketing Plan for Certified Slings that identified new markets, recommended marketing strategies and facilitated in-country contacts.

With the Export Marketing Plan in hand, Certified Slings had a game plan. Doug chose to expand his international team and focused them on effective market entry strategies based on the needs and characteristics of each market and each customer. Doug sought assistance from his FSBDC international trade consultant who, as Doug says, “guided them down the path.”

Today, Certified Slings has seen a 100% increase in its international business and has a strong foundation for the future. It has 110 team members providing quality service and quality products. And, on the strength of his leadership, business success and team-centered philosophy, Doug has been named Small Business Exporter of the Year for the North Florida District, State of Florida and Southeastern United States (Region iv) by the Small Business Administration.

When asked how the FSBDC has helped him, Doug said, “The FSBDC has been great from Day One. The Export Marketing Plan set the standard and now, as the journey continues, every time we have a question or hit a roadblock, they are there for us. The have been helpful, responsive and provided the resources we need. They have been just a tremendous support.”