Bennett Law Center, FSBDC - Lake County, Stan Austin

Bennett Law Center

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For the first three years, practicing law meant a full plate for attorney Bridgette M. Bennett of the Bennett Law Center. Between launching her immigration practice and representing more and more clients, she didn’t have time for much else. She had a nagging feeling, however, that she could be doing more to strengthen the foundation of her firm and manage its growth more effectively. It was then that Bridgette turned to the Florida SBDC at UCF’s office in Lake County. She’d heard FSBDC offered seminars that could help her answer her many business questions. And she found she had the opportunity to have a no-cost, expert business consultant from the FSBDC dedicating their knowledge and experience to guiding her and her business. Without a business background of her own, the FSBDC represented an opportunity to get, as she says, “real information and real life experience in a highly digestible way.”

And so it began in April, 2014. Bridgette attended the FSBDC’s New Venture seminar series and took classes in marketing, finance, business plan writing and more. She connected with Stan Austin, an FSBDC consultant and the Area Manager for Lake County. Together, they began an evaluation of Bennett Law Center’s current situation and the goals Bridgette had for it. She quickly came to understand “You don’t know what you don’t know,” as they say. She found no question or idea was too big or too small for the FSBDC, whether it be about human resources issues or finalizing her business plan. She enjoyed the benefits of consulting tailored to her situation which helped get her plans in focus and her actions better targeted at her long term goals.

In the short term, up first was Bridgette’s desire to refinance her mortgage on the building that housed her firm and move from a private mortgage to a commercial financing, as well as having the ability to use some of the loan proceeds to increase her working capital. However, she was afraid her credit score and the value of the property might keep her from obtaining a loan.

After Bridgette put together an initial loan application package for presentation to the lenders, she brought it to the FSBDC for review. There Stan Austin provided suggestions and answered her questions, enabling Bridgette to complete the loan application and present it to the lender. After the usual back and forth with them, with Stan at her side throughout, her application was approved and Bridgette received her $250,000 SBA-guaranteed loan, with a healthy piece for working capital.

“I’m very grateful for the assistance of the FSBDC,” Bridgette commented. “They were an invaluable resource in helping me get my business into a much stronger position. For all of you business owners out there, I say ‘Just do it; it’s a no brainer,’” Bridgette went on. “The Florida SBDC at UCF will take you through the process, help you meet your business challenges and become your accountability partner for achieving success.”

SBDC Lake County, Polyglot

Polyglot Analytics, LLC

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Keith Breedlove and his wife Cheryl had both recently retired from government service and they had an idea. They felt that, with their backgrounds, they would be able to operate a successful consulting and training business.  Keith Breedlove has an M.S. degree in Information Systems and Systems Management from the University of Southern California. After serving as a Major in the U.S. Army for 23 years specializing in electronic warfare/signals intelligence, he has served as a senior systems engineer for several major defense contracting companies  including Booz Allen Hamilton, Boeing and Northrup Grumman. Cheryl Breedlove was also retired, in her case from the Central Intelligence Agency, with extensive management experience  that they believe would enhance their consulting business.

The Breedlove’s had a clear vison of what their company  would be about. Their targeted market would be small and mid-sized businesses that want to more effectively use their business data to grow their revenues. The Breedloves’ company would provide these target organizations- U.S. and international private, commercial,  non-profit and governmental clients -with business intelligence, information analytics and business analysis consulting.

Beyond directly serving their own clients, the Breedloves also have an opportunity to serve as a sub­ contractor with a consulting firm located in Marietta, Georgia and have recently been invited to join a consortium of small firms doing marketing and business development with the Department of Defense in Tampa, Florida. And Mr. Breedlove also has the unique ability to deliver training and consulting in English, German, French and Russian, which he believes will give his company many exclusive opportunities.

With this as the backdrop, the Breedloves came to the Florida SBDC at UCF office in Southern Lake County, Florida to talk about their business idea with Dr. Dallas Garrett, the FSBDC consultant in South Lake County. Together with Dr. Garrett, they worked diligently and completed their business plan with a projected start date for their company of July 1, 2014. Their company, Polyglot Analytics LLC, is a home­ based business with very little overhead and within the first few months Mr. Breedlove attended several different training sessions and had the opportunity to deliver on two small development contracts to get his business started. They are currently working on a website and have been attending local Chamber events to develop local and regional contacts. And the company is at this time preparing a proposal on a major software development  effort that would bring them a very large contract. Additionally, Mr. Breedlove is exploring business intelligence opportunities with a network of contacts in Burkina Faso, Africa.

“For anyone considering  or already in the process of starting their first business I highly recommend  the Florida SBDC,” commented Mr. Breedlove.  “While I had a vision of what I wanted to do, the SBDC consultant, Dr. Dallas Garrett, really helped my focus on the business, assisting with development of a coherent business plan and a realistic financial plan to support it.  He has also been instrumental in helping me develop local contacts, especially through the local Chamber of Commerce. My wife and I will also be taking advantage of relevant training courses offered through SBDC, especially those related to business taxes, whiPch is undiscovered territory for us.”

 

All Clean Pressure Washing, Business Consulting

All Clean Pressure Washing

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Like many entrepreneurs, William Scott Dau had a business idea but didn’t know the best way to turn that idea into a reality or where to turn for assistance to make his dream come true.

Mr. Dau is a retired Maryland Park Police Captain that enjoys pressure washing homes, garages anddriveways for his own home and several of his neighbors. His idea and plan was to start a business doing pressure washing jobs within a very close distance from his home in Clermont Florida.

That’s when Mr. Dau made a great first decision: he came to the Florida SBDC at UCF in South Lake County with his business idea and asked for help with a business plan. The FSBDC worked through the business plan process with him, and he shared that he had several children that would be entering college soon and that he was going to build a saving account for them with his new business.

Mr. Dau and FSBDC worked through all of the details of starting a business with him and helped him establish a limited liability company, All Clean Pressure Washing, LLC; determine the necessary local city and county business licenses; and evaluate and obtain liability insurance. Investing his own funds, he was able to purchase all of his equipment and supplies and, upon completing his business plan,  he started advertising in a church publication and local newspapers. He also began attending local chamber events. Almost immediately, he was contacted for a job that was too big for his small company. Mr. Dau had fun reviewing the offer with the FSBDC and considering the fact that he would probably  need to develop a new business plan to handle a multi-year opportunity!

“As I went to obtain information about setting up a business, I found information about the Florida SBDC at the City Hall in Groveland, Florida,” commented Mr. Dau. “I made an appointment with Dr. Dallas Garrett for counseling and assistance. He shared his personal experience with me and guided me through the entire process. Today I am averaging three jobs per week, which is exactly my goal. I am pleased to have met Dr. Garrett and I highly recommend that anyone planning to open a business make an appointment with the FSBDC,” he concluded.

“William Dau maintains contact with our office on a monthly basis and provides me with a financial update each month,” said Dr. Garrett. “He has also sent us several new clients, already has a new business idea and is now working with me on a prototype for a new window screen idea for homes.  Thanks to the right first decision – coming in to see the FSBDC at UCF – he is really on his way!”

Kissimmee Granite and Marble, SBDC, Business Consulting

Kissimmee Granite and Marble

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Reviving a failing business and then leading it to new peaks of success are challenges that are not meant to be taken on alone and without assistance from multiple sources. Balouch “Aleem” Muhammad and Tariq Iqbal wisely recognized these important facts when, in 2012, they purchased Kissimmee Granite & Marble, Inc., a ten year old company that was temporarily shut-down and, shortly after taking it over, reopened with predecessor financing and mentor support. Their goal was simple: to establish Kissimmee Granite & Marble, Inc. as a premiere manufacturer of custom granite countertops for both residential & commercial markets in all of Central Florida.

From the start, the Aleem and Tariq took action to get as much assistance as they could find and, in an effort to be proactive business owner(s), they decided to stop by the Kissimmee / Osceola Chamber of Commerce looking for strategies to help with growth and expansion of their countertop business.  Upon arrival, they were quickly plugged-in to the Florida SBDC at UCF Kissimmee office. There they took advantage of the business training, “no-cost” consulting sessions, and business data and information resources available from the FSBDC.

Almost immediately, the FSBDC consultant Rafael Martinez-Pratt started to work with Aleem and Tariq to expand the operations of the business from a 2,000 square feet facility to over a 13,000 SF facility near Kissimmee Gateway Airport.  In particular, the FSBDC at UCF Kissimmee office helped Kissimmee Granite & Marble access several economic development incentives from both the City of Kissimmee and Osceola County.  As a result, not only did Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) provide and install a much needed high voltage transformer, but also Osceola County Economic Development provided additional machine and equipment incentives for capital equipment improvements.

“The FSBDC at UCF partnered with us and helped us in so many ways, including visiting our facilities on different occasions and providing us with insights into a variety of pressing issues throughout the year. The list is endless:  a cost/benefit analysis, industry market research, human resources support, aid in securing an additional capital equipment loan, and guiding a new product expansion,” Aleem stated.

As a direct result of the FSBDC’s assistance, an additional $42,000 capital injection occurred which puts the company in a position to post strong revenue growth and make projections that the company will reach the $1 million revenue mark by end of 2014, a 275% sales increase from the previous year.

Today, Aleem and Tariq look back at what seemed to be the insurmountable obstacles they faced together, the early financial insecurities, long hours invested and hard work, as the price to pay to enjoy their current success.  And they appreciate those that assisted them, saying “thanks to the FSBDC at UCF for their continued support and unwavering commitment in helping us grow our small business.”

Drive Solutions, FSBDC, Business Consulting

Drive Solutions: Growth Acceleration Services Enable Business Expansion

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Drive Solutions Inc., a Central Florida business based in Clermont, FL is a manufacturer’s representative company in the bearing and power transmission segment selling products used in the mining, forestry, air handling and pumping industries.

Fred Louwersheimer, CEO and owner, identified an opportunity to significantly grow the business by entering the manufacturing arena producing customized small-size couplings that complement the core business, provide fast turnaround for customers and create a significant point of differentiation from competitors.

This growth initiative required “capital” in a difficult environment.

“Our bank recommended we get help from the SBDC which was the best advice that they could have given us. The SBDC Growth Acceleration consultant, Roger Greenwald command of business growth concepts and financial analysis guided us in producing an expansion plan and loan request package that greatly enhanced our understanding of the entire financial picture that impressed the bankers and helped us attain the financing we needed”; said Fred Louwersheimer, CEO and owner.

On the strength of a nearly quarter million dollar SBA Express loan form Regions Bank Drive Solutions expects to double its 2010 revenue to nearly $2,000,000 in 2012, adding 5 new jobs over the next 18 months.

Certified Slings

Certified Slings & Supply, Supplying the World

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Certified Slings & Supply has a strong tradition of innovation and service led by the Worswick family since 1978.  The company’s current leadership is made up of dedicated second and third generation family members with a combined 67 years of experience in the rigging, overhead lifting, load securement, and contractor supplies industry.  Certified Slings and Supply is headquartered in Casselberry, Florida, employs 95 full-time staff members and operates independent Rigging and Contractor Supply divisions located throughout Florida:  West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa, Ft. Myers, and Ocala. The core business of each branch is the distribution, sale and manufacture of a variety of marine, mining, industrial and general contractor supplies.

Juan Lopez, the International Sales Director for Certified Slings & Supply approached the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) with a goal of growing the company by increasing export sales. He had previously attended the Export 101: An Introduction to Exporting workshop in 2011 and heard about the Export Marketing Plan Services, a new program awarded through the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant by the U.S. Small Business Administration.  It is offered in partnership with Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the U.S. Commercial Service to assist new-to-export manufacturers in developing their international growth strategy.  SBDC at UCF’s International Trade Specialist met with Mr. Lopez and Certified Slings’ upper management in order to gather information and understand the company’s short- and long-term international trade goals.  A customized export marketing plan was crafted for the company that included industry and customer analyses along with recommended target markets, overseas trade opportunities and an action plan.

In addition to the plan, the company received a $1,500 scholarship to be used towards a trade mission, trade show or standalone Gold Key Matching Service to connect the company with potential buyers overseas.  Certified Slings & Supply will continue expanding in Central and South America and the Caribbean, and recently traveled to Trinidad and Tobago with the Export Sales Mission.  As a result of this, the company expects an increase of $120,000 in export sales over the next 24 months.  The SBDC at UCF will continue to work closely with Certified Slings to assist in implementing the recommendations from the plan.

“If your company is thinking about exporting products or services abroad, the first thing you should do is meet with a member of the SBDC.  No matter how large or small your company is, a UCF International Trade Specialist will be able to lay out a customized export marketing program personally designed for your company.  It will be filled with data, statistics and facts targeting any region your company wishes to do business with.  This is the best investment any company could make if looking for help with an international marketing program.”   -Juan Jose Lopez, International Sales Director, Certified Slings and Supply

Solutions 1 Transport

Solutions 1 Transport

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Solutions 1 Transport LLC specializes in transporting temperature sensitive products throughout the United States.   They move produce, meats, dairy products and other refrigerated products for some of the nation’s largest food growers, processors and sellers. The company operates by using a combination of company-owned vehicles as well as utilizing owner operators.

imageTimothy and Aseania Jones, both United States Army veterans, started the business 7 years ago as owner operator with a single truck.  They had a vision of hundred of trucks with the “Solutions 1 Transport” logo on every major highway. Although the dream has been modified, their hard work and dedication has not.

Timothy Jones contacted SBDC at UCF consultant Pauline Davis at the recommendation of his banker.  Although Mr. Jones had worked hard and built the business from the ground up, there were some skills he needed to develop to take the business to the next level. In addition, the economy was changing and so was the overall trucking industry.

Pauline Davis worked with Mr. Jones on in-depth financial analysis, cash flow projections, and budgeting.  She also recommended, and the company utilized, several services of the SBDC such as the Advisory Board Council, Small Business Institute®, Marketing, and website analysis.

Utilizing his excellent business acumen and the SBDC’s recommendations, Timothy and his wife Aseania are seeing the business strategy finally paying off.  They are now better prepared to take the business to heights not previously thought of.   According to Mr. Jones, “I have come to see and fully appreciate the value of my business. I no longer make decision without careful cash flow analysis, and fully embrace the phrase ‘cash is king’.”  He is very optimistic about the future of his business and believes he will exceed his 2012 sales projections.  He truly appreciates the assistance of the SBDC.

AITC, Gabriel Ruiz, Advanced IT Concepts, Business Consulting, FSBDC

Advanced IT Concepts, Inc.: Business Life After Retirement

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Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel (Gabe) Ruiz retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2006. Since then he has leveraged a military career in information technology and an entrepreneurial spirit as owner and CEO of Advanced IT Concepts, Inc. which provides IT consulting services and value added resale of computer hardware and peripherals to both the government and private sectors.

AITC, Inc. was not an overnight success; Gabe spent four years as a consultant assisting telecommunications companies do business with the DOD, and concurrently engaged with CDW (an $8 billion business-to-business technology infrastructure and computer resale enterprise).  Blending his military, consulting and corporate experiences Gabe and his wife Sandra founded AITC, Inc. in 2010; AITC, Inc. is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and has recently earned its 8(a) certification.

Since incorporation the company has achieved outstanding results with sales exceeding $1.5 million in the first fiscal year. Year two was a breakout year which saw sales nearly double with a net profit margin exceeding 12.5%. Sales in this current year will again double exceeding the $5 million milestone. In the three year period {2010-2013} the company has added 11 full time employees reaffirming the fact that “small business” is this country’s economic engine.
The company’s rapid growth has been accompanied with business challenges and Gabe turned to the Small Business Development Center at UCF.

In Gabe’s words; “The SBDC at UCF has been a true and invaluable partner to AITC. From our first meeting with Growth Acceleration Services consultant Roger Greenwald who showed a true caring attitude and superb business knowledge we have received expert advice in areas such as Marketing, Business Development, Budgeting and Forecasting, Operational Effectiveness and more. Additionally, the SBDC at UCF has facilitated AITC’s participation in the SBDC’s Advisory Board Council program which has provided a team of senior business experts that provide guidance in all business areas. Today, we are a much improved, stronger and better positioned company in great part to the outstanding support and guidance provided by the SBDC at UCF”.      

Benchmark Glass & Mirror, Palm Coast, FSBDC, Business Consulting

SBDC at UCF Gives Benchmark Glass Clear View to Success

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The decision to start a business was an easy one for Tom Bird, an experienced installer of shower glass, decorative glass, sliding doors and mirrors. Finding customers proved more challenging.

By the time Bird visited the Small Business   Development Center at University of Central Florida’s office in Palm Coast last May, he was feeling discouraged about the future of his business,Benchmark Glass. “Nothing seemed to be working in finding customers, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to seek another point of view,” Bird said.

“Tom was questioning his own commitment to his business and was having difficulty finding customers, and by the end of our session, Tom seemed overwhelmed at the tasks at hand,” said Joe Roy, area manager of both the SBDC at UCF and the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center (BAC), of their first meeting.

imageBenchmark Glass’ problem was not one of growth, but rather one of survival. That day, Roy outlined the steps Bird needed to take. Six weeks later, Bird returned to the SBDC at UCF with more information. Benchmark Glass was having some difficulty understanding job costing, selling strategies and value for service. It was clear Bird was offering a quality product and service, Roy said; hence, “there was a good foundation on which to build this business.”

By early July 2012, Bird returned again to the SBDC at UCF, now fully committed to building his business by providing quality products and service at affordable pricing. Bird began to understand how his costs affected his selling price. Rather than raise prices, Bird found ways to reduce his costs while increasing his productivity – allowing him to keep his selling price very competitive.

Working with the SBDC at UCF, Bird created a sales strategy to increase his success rate of quotes provided to customers. Now better equipped to understand his costs, Bird increased his customer quote success rate from 3 per 10 quotes to 6 per 10 quotes – a 100-percent increase.

Benchmark Glass has added one part-time position and is on track to grow sales revenues by 50 percent compared to 2011. Since meeting with the SDBC at UCF, Benchmark Glass has developed a business plan including a marketing and sales strategy.

“I’m now better equipped to grow my business,” said Bird. “I’m far more focused on my costs and my customers than at any time in my business. I can’t believe how much working with the SBDC at UCF has changed my outlook on daily operations.”

Benchmark Glass represents both the challenges and opportunities of our small business community, said Roy. “Tom has turned a corner and is now growing a competitive business providing exceptional quality products and service. You can see his passion in his eyes and it’s translating into a great customer experience at very competitive pricing,” he said.

If you have a question about your business, stop by the SBDC at UCF and meet with Roy. Like Benchmark Glass, your “Journey to Business Excellence” begins at the Palm Coast BAC and the SBDC at UCF.