Success-Stories - Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida

Sunbeam Mental Care

Entrepreneurs and small business owners often encounter a formidable sense of isolation that can stem from starting and leading a company. Whether as a start-up or while navigating through difficult times, too many try to handle everything alone thinking that they have no other choice if they are to realize their dreams and build the business they envision. For Stephanie Cruz, founder and owner of Sunbeam Mental Care, challenges were mounting in her behavior health, counseling, and consulting company but she found the guidance and support that she needed at the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) office in Osceola County, Fl.

Sunbeam Mental Care distinguishes itself by its unwavering attention to providing a ‘sunbeam’ of hope in the form of the highest and best possible quality care and service. “We really care about people, and we really care about serving the community,” explains Stephanie Cruz, “but most of all we care about focusing on achieving the individual goals of the children, adolescents and adults, as well as couples and families, that we support and treat.”

“Originally I sought assistance through the FSBDC because my strengths are all in counseling and therapy,” Cruz recalls. “I have a lot of knowledge and training on the clinical side, about how to work with and help clients. But the business side was where I really needed support. I was in a desperate moment about how to do things right for the growth and stability of the business. That’s when I reached out to the FSBDC and had the opportunity to participate in their amazing programs.”

“When I started the process of getting help through the FSBDC,” Cruz shares today, “I had a lot of support through my FSBDC consultant Rafael Pratts. He provided so many resources, so many ideas, so many options about how to do things better. It was really, really helpful and was not just business support but also human support that I needed at that time.”

Cruz admits that Sunbeam Mental Care was struggling when she first approached the FSBDC at UCF for its advice and consultation. Pratts assisted in mapping out a strategy for performing a successful turnaround by working with Cruz to develop a business and marketing plan, including methods for managing people, boosting morale, building a budget, and uncovering ways to save money. The results have been powerful; since beginning with the FSBDC, Cruz has hired 12 new employees, won a working capital business grant from the City of St. Cloud, and is growing once again.

The FSBDC’s support didn’t end there. Cruz currently participates in the FSBDC at UCF Osceola County’s GROWTH XChange which presents top executives with the opportunity to broaden their business perspective and gain new knowledge by engaging in collaborative thinking and problem-solving – giving them the ability to more effectively lead their companies.

“The Growth XChange has been a really, really good experience,” affirms Cruz, “learning from other people about their journey and their challenges and how they have been able to overcome them. It gives you the sense that you’re not the only one going through the struggles of business ownership. I have to confess that I felt lonely at times as a business owner even though I had a very good team. All of the pressures and all of the responsibility are on you. I’m really grateful that Rafael launched this initiative because the Growth XChange has been so encouraging and has given me the motivation to keep focused and keep building my business.”

For information about Sunbeam Mental Care, please visit www.sunbeammc.com.

Maple Street, Inc.

Introduction

Achieving success in small business demands perseverance, innovation, and strategic support. For Maple Street, Inc., founded in 2003 by Michael Crofts and later joined by Teresa Crofts as CEO, the journey, and its challenges and rewards along the way, epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit and strategic growth. With the support and resources of the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), Maple Street not only thrived but successfully transitioned to new ownership, cementing its legacy as a leader in vendor management services.

Vision and Differentiation

“When we started the business,” Mike Crofts reflects, “we were able to identify a way to do vendor management that not only helped our clients meet certain regulatory requirements they had but could also significantly reduce their expenses and help them measure and improve vendor performance, two things no one else in the industry was doing or is even talking about today. It led us to be significantly different in a way that provided value to our clients.”

“We looked at the business and noticed there were already a lot of software companies pushing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions,” Mike continued. “We decided to do something very different there too and focused on being a service company that had software instead of being a software company with a little bit of service.”

Choosing the Right CEO and Strategic Growth

As the company grew, Mike discovered the need for additional leadership capacity and expertise. “At the time, Teresa was not part of the company, but was helping from the sidelines. There was a lot of things to do and I was trying to do it all. When we did finally start working with the FSBDC, one of the first people that helped us was our FSBDC consultant. He talked to us and convinced me that it was time to start hiring people to start managing other people and help with managing and growing the business.”

“It was then that I made the brilliant move to hire my partner here, have her take a huge pay cut and work much longer hours by joining me in the company. That advice from the FSBDC made a huge difference because as soon as that happened, things got better. Teresa got things organized; she made it much more efficient. I focused on sales and the growth and the revenue numbers. We can go back to our financial statements and see that when Teresa joined the company and we split up duties and we took the advice of the FSBDC, the revenue line started to grow.”

Crofts further described, “At that time, we were doing about $1 million a year in revenues. Over the next 10 years of our 20-year history, we grew to over $20 million a year in revenue. We went from a few employees to the time when we sold the business when we had a team of 40. And we were continuing to grow year-over-year as well. That initial kick in the backside that we got from the FSBDC made a huge difference right at the start and then we took advantage of all the other services they made available to us.”

Utilizing FSBDC Services

Over their 20-year journey, Maple Street tapped into multiple FSBDC services in addition to its tailored, no-cost consulting, including business education and training and specialized programs for growth-oriented companies.

“Not really having extensive experience running a business (I’m an attorney by trade), I found the FSBDC’s business training interesting and started attending workshops on a regular basis and learned a tremendous amount,” explains Mike. “Essentially it was a business administration degree on the fly and those courses were instrumental.”

From there, the Crofts and Maple Street participated in the FSBDC’s award-winning Advisory Board Council (ABC), led by program manager Jill Kaufman. The ABC is a customized, no-cost board of experts providing advice to help businesses grow. The FSBDC acts as a matchmaker between established local businesses like Maple Street and area professionals who volunteer their expertise and are purposefully selected to address the specific needs of the FSBDC client.

“We had a voluntary board of advisors, much like a Board of Directors, over several years”, Teresa remembers, “and they were instrumental in helping us at an inflection point in our company where we were starting to grow more. The Board taught us to be very disciplined about setting goals and cascading them throughout the company,” says Teresa today. “They fed our thirst for some way to get organized and put some structure around the company and that was incredibly helpful.”

The Crofts also participated in the FSBDC’s CEO XChange, an executive roundtable program serving progressive chief executives and business owners in Central Florida. Facilitated by FSBDC consultant Hal Thayer, it offers a confidential setting for top executives to discuss vital business issues, opportunities, and trends with a group of peers and provides opportunities to broaden their business perspectives and gain new knowledge by engaging in collaborative thinking and problem-solving.

“I was fortunate enough to get into the CEO XChange group early on when it was first starting,” recalls Mike Crofts. “I found it incredibly rewarding on a number of levels. It was a great opportunity to learn. Just being in a room with other CEOs that were facing the same problems and challenges that I did every day was great because there was a lot of discussion about how to deal with those problems and the solutions that people had. The meetings also had a way of just getting you thinking creatively about the business. Instead of working in it, you could work on it.”

Strategic Sale and Future Outlook

Reminiscing on the sale of the company, Mike notes, “When we started on the journey, we were thinking it would take us about a year but it actually took about 3 -4 years until we finally sold the business.” He added, “We kissed a few frogs along the way and went down a few different roads, all that we found to be learning experiences in and of themselves. From all of that, we finally did find a new buyer.”. The sale closed in March 2024, Mike and Teresa have been rewarded for all their hard work, and they believe that Maple Street, its customers, and its employees are in good hands.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

When considering their experience with the FSBDC, Teresa confirms, “My advice to an entrepreneur or business owner considering working with the FSBDC would be: Do It! You’ve got nothing but upside by having access to the expertise, to the support, to the help putting a foundation in place, especially if you’re someone who’s never done it before.”

“I would echo what Teresa has said,” affirms Mike. “If you have an opportunity to work with the FSBDC, get on it. Don’t wait. Just dive in. Take advantage of everything you can. It does make a big difference. It also forces you to take the opportunities to think about working on your business instead of working in your business, especially when you’re first starting. The FSBDC helped us understand that and that made a huge difference for us in terms of growing our business over the long term.”

Conclusion

In closing, as Teresa Crofts and Mike Crofts start the next chapter of their lives with the sale of Maple Street successfully and profitably completed and a bright new future ahead of them, Teresa captured the enormity of what they have accomplished, some of it with the help of the FSBDC. All credit goes to the Crofts for taking an idea from start-up to $20 million in annual revenues in a short 20 years. It is no surprise that they were named the 2023 Florida SBDC at UCF Small Business Excellence Award Entrepreneurs of the Year, the FSBDC’s most prestigious and significant annual recognition.

Generously, Teresa also acknowledges how hard Maple Street’s success and their achievements are to do alone, although it was the Crofts’ wisdom and good sense that led them to leverage the services, support, and programs of the FSBDC. “There are a lot of disciplines in business and no one can do everything,” she summarized. “The FSBDC can give you some marketing expertise; they can give you some human resources expertise; they can give you some finance expertise; and, while you might have great ideas as an entrepreneur, there’s a lot of things that need to come together to take that idea and build it into a business. With the FSBDC, you have counsel right there that’s willing and able to help you.”

LTG, Inc.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners tend to be an independent sort of breed. From the beginning, they choose to become their own bosses and that decision most often proves to be the right choice for themselves and for their businesses, especially early on. As a company grows in revenue and head count however, the decision-making process becomes more complex and the stakes become higher. Even as employees and managers come on board, a business owner soon learns that the adage that says ‘it’s lonely at the top’ can be a truism.

Having built his transportation engineering and planning consultancy into a highly successful company boasting over 22 years of service, Sans Lassiter, founder and president of LTG, Inc., formerly Lassiter Transportation Group, was contemplating his retirement and preparing his organization for the transition to new leadership. Rather than tackle this alone, he sought counsel from the Florida Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College (FSBDC at DSC), a sub-center of the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida, and its peer-to-peer executive roundtable coaching program for senior business leaders, the CEO XChange.

LTG, Inc. specializes in transportation planning, traffic engineering design, future roadway projection analysis, urban area modeling, and much more planning work of many types. Projects that the firm has worked on include Daytona International Speedway, I-95 at LPGA Boulevard Exchange, Tanger Outlet Mall, and Trader Joe’s Distribution Center to name just a few. “What I believe sets LTG apart is its strong belief in customer service,” explains Lassiter. “We typically get most of our work by word of mouth. We maintain our client base because we believe in doing quality work, providing it on time and within budget.”

Overseen by FSBDC at DSC sub-center director Trecia Arrington, the CEO XChange is a unique program designed to connect chief executives and cultivate their leadership of established, second stage companies. In monthly professionally facilitated sessions, members are empowered to broaden their business perspective and gain knowledge through collaborative thinking and problem-solving with the leaders of other non-competing companies from a diverse set of industries. “The thing that attracted me to the FSBDC’s CEO XChange program is the fact that it brought together some of the CEOs of good-sized firms in the area to discuss issues impacting them, their companies, and their company growth,” recalls Lassiter. “It provided me with a forum to ask questions and an opportunity to share what I’d learned through my years leading LTG.”

“It came about at a time in our company progression that was very important, “Lassiter continued. “I was in the midst of development of an ownership transition plan. What we were able to discuss with other members, as well as with some of the speakers brought in to speak to us at the CEO XChange, was very helpful in allowing me to crystalize what I was looking to do in terms of eventually retiring from my firm and yet making sure the company continued on successfully.”

“The relationships that you’re able to develop with other CEOs on a personal level were invaluable, “Lassiter affirms. “We were rewarded by finding out we’re not the only ones going through whatever issues we’re having and there may be a whole myriad of potential solutions that we can arrive at or make use of in bettering our companies. I think any firm would benefit from being a member of the FSBDC’s CEO XChange.”

For information about LTG, Inc., please visit https://lassitertransportation.com/.

Airway Management

The ability of a small business to overcome adversity becomes the difference between success and failure in almost every case. There are times, however, when the market’s headwinds are so formidable that even the most resourceful and resilient business owner needs help. Such a time unfolded for Daniel Ramsaywack, owner and President of Airway Management, Inc., and he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) for support.

Kissimmee-based Airway Management, Inc. is a home medical equipment company serving Central Florida and a leader in the delivery of professional healthcare products and services. It offers an extensive inventory of medical equipment, healthcare solutions, and supplies ranging from advanced respiratory care devices to mobility aids, all carefully selected for quality and reliability and delivered directly to the client’s doorstep – ensuring comfort, convenience, and peace of mind.

“Airway Management is unique and special because we provide individual service to our clients,” Ramsaywack says proudly. “When they call us, we pick up the phone. Even if it’s in the middle of the night, our therapists are there. Airway’s approach contrasts significantly with the big multinationals where calls go to a call center which then tries to reach someone in Florida which can be tough.”

Despite its strong business model, Airway Management found itself wrestling with difficult market conditions and a challenging insurance and Medicaid reimbursement environment. “I originally sought out assistance from the FSBDC because we were on a downward slide in sales and in margin,” recalls Ramsaywack ruefully. “We were losing money every month and it was not sustainable. We were going to go bankrupt. I needed to turn the company around and asked the FSBDC for help.

The Florida SBDC extended a full complement of resources to assist Ramsaywack. He participated in its award-winning Advisory Board Council (ABC) program, led by program manager Jill Kaufman. The ABC is a customized, no-cost board of experts providing advice to help businesses grow. The FSBDC acts as a matchmaker between established local businesses like Airway Management and area professionals who volunteer their expertise and are purposefully selected to address the specific needs of the FSBDC client.

The FSBDC’s services didn’t stop there. Ramsaywack took advantage of its no-cost consulting; its CEO XChange program, a peer-to-peer coaching group for growth-minded business leaders; and its Small Business Institute® program in which UCF graduate students work as consultants focused on defined projects under FSBDC supervision.

“The Advisory Board Council, in particular, helped me see a future for my business,” explains Ramsaywack. “It was like taking a microscope to my business to see where we were losing money, how we could mitigate those losses and turn it around. They did strategy analysis and financial projections. They reviewed the staff and our approach to human resources. They evaluated our marketing plan. They looked at so many aspects of our business and those insights helped me grow the business and turn it around.”

Significant credit goes to Danial Ramsaywack himself for his determination and willingness to be a change agent, especially through his lobbying efforts, relationship building, and service in various state level health care organizations that turned the tide for his industry on the insurance and Medicaid reimbursement front.

At the same time, he is vocal about his gratitude to the FSBDC. “Since working with the FSBDC, we have seen a growth in sales, cost reductions, improvement in gross margin and net income growth that is very positive for us,” Ramsaywack states. “We have helped people in our community as we have increased our employee base by one-third. One of our proudest accomplishments is to have our patient count grow 300% over the last four years.”

“I’m just very grateful for the support of so many people at the FSBDC and elsewhere that helped make that all possible. For me, the FSBDC was Airway Management’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit). We needed emergency help, and we got it. For that I say, ‘Thank You’.”

For information about Airway Management, please visit www.airwaymanagement.com.

Consult Nutrition

Rapid revenue growth is the target that all small businesses dream of and aim for, until it happens and new problems arise. Then, while the challenges and growing pains are welcome, they can often feel overwhelming. Suddenly what was a small operation has become a big undertaking and new issues crop up almost everywhere. It was exactly that situation that Wendy Lombard, founder and president of Consult Nutrition, encountered. Her solution was to turn to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) for assistance and guidance, and she is happy she did.

Consult Nutrition provides dietician services for geriatric facilities including long-term care, skilled rehabilitation, and assisted living. Comprised of a team of registered and licensed dietitian professionals, Consult Nutrition creates customized dietary programs focused on seniors. “We’re different from other consulting companies because we prefer to be a small company,” explains Lombard, “which enables us to really know our clients, to know what their needs are. Being small also allows us to be more of a team and work with each other to come up with creative solutions for the patients we are serving and for our clients who care for those patients.”

“We originally looked for help from the FSBDC because our company had grown so rapidly that my job was transitioning from working with our clients and our patients to actually running a company,” Lombard recalls, “and dealing with all sorts of issues that I just was not equipped to handle.” Enter FSBDC at UCF consultant Sharon Smith to assist by providing the FSBDC’s no-cost, expert consulting and guidance on a multitude of fronts, including business planning, financial forecasting, access to capital, marketing, and human resources.

“When we started working with Sharon, we were initially considering what we wanted to do with the company in the future,” says Lombard. At the same time, Consult Nutrition was growing so fast that cash flow was becoming a concern. “I was focused on getting financing to make sure that it wasn’t such a challenge to make sure our staff got paid on time,” Lombard shared. “Sharon was able to help us with that and to look at other things, important things like legal and human resources considerations and not being a tiny little business that is not subject to those regulations. She also helped with a business valuation that opened our eyes to opportunities we hadn’t before contemplated.”

At the same time, having helped Lombard master Consult Nutrition’s growing pains, Smith kept asking “where do you want the company to be in 5 – 10 years?” “I was so excited about having achieved what we had achieved, I really hadn’t thought about the future. Now we are looking at how do we help this company grow and what dreams do we have about what we can turn this company into,” Lombard states.

Lombard is now on a steady course and managing the company’s growth more effectively, with revenue having increased 50% year over year, necessary funding having been accessed, and additions made to her team. “I would advise anyone to absolutely reach out to the SBDC,” concludes Lombard. “There are so many resources – much more than I had been aware of – that are available to you at no cost and that support is just invaluable when you’re a small business.”

For information about Consult Nutrition, please visit https://www.consultnutritioninc.com/.

Candelaria Eatery and Cafe

Starting, owning, and growing a small business – and serving as the “chief decision maker” – does not have to be a lonesome or daunting endeavor. The most successful entrepreneurs and small business owners proactively seek resources and assistance that support and empower their efforts. When Javier Garcia and Angelica Moncada – owners of Candelaria Eatery & Café, a new Colombian fusion restaurant in Oxford, FL – were faced with the challenges that the hospitality industry often presents while starting a new restaurant, they quickly recognized that they needed guidance and turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) office in Sumter County for help.

Garcia and Moncada came to the U.S. from Colombia on an investment visa with the plan to invest in a new restaurant and decided to start Candelaria Eatery & Café. It offers a fusion of Colombian and American cuisine in a brand-new, fresh, and modern space specializing in fresh ingredients that are cooked to order. They grind the beef for their burgers themselves daily and their classic rice & beans are homemade. “We want to introduce people to Colombian flavors and specialties in a unique space,” explains Angelica, “while offering familiar American dishes as well. Our lemonade is made to each individual’s taste; our coffee is 100% original Colombian; and we have Colombian bites that we make from scratch every day.”

While they owned restaurants and businesses in Colombia, this new venture was Garcia’s and Moncada’s first experience starting a business in the United States. “The restaurant industry is not an easy one,” states Javier, “so we didn’t hesitate to contact the FSBDC and its Sumter County consultant Jamie Mead because we needed as much information and help as we could get.” Continued Moncada, “we tried to do it ourselves at the beginning, searching the internet about how to start a business, but it was so difficult. The licenses, the permits, the taxes, the registrations were just so much that we needed guidance.”

Mead provided Garcia and Moncada with the FSBDC’s no cost consulting services and assisted them with navigating all of the necessary business start-up steps. This included discussion of state and county licensing requirements and applications; educating them about sales tax, workers compensation, payroll taxes, and income taxes; preparation of a business plan, conducting market research, and elements of human resources planning and hiring.

“It’s a long and hard path to walk through,” recalls Javier, “so thanks to Jamie everything was easier, and we can say that we made it because we have opened successfully and we are full of hope for the future. It’s good to have someone you can rely on and tell everything to, about your doubts and your fears,” he affirmed. “Maybe the hardest part as a business owner is the anxiety that you have when you are opening. At the SBDC you can ask as many questions as you have and visit as much as you need, all at no cost. It helps you build up your confidence and become sure that you’re doing everything the right way every day.”

“I want to say thank you again SBDC because everyone has been so nice and so helpful. Since the beginning, they have guided us every step of the way,” Angelica concluded. “We know we can keep counting on the SBDC as well, so we’re very happy to have found them and we will keep working with them as much as we can,” added Javier, thereby confirming that working together, not alone, is once again a proven path to success for a small business.

For information about Candelaria Eatery & Cafe, please visit https://order.toasttab.com/online/candelariaeaterycafe.

Kings Service Solutions

No small business or entrepreneurial venture is guaranteed success. The obstacles and challenges are innumerable, and the dedication and work required is not to be underestimated. What can make a success story truly remarkable, however, is ‘how’ it was achieved. There is evidence, in fact, that the most profitable companies in America are the ones who connect what they do with a greater good. There’s also a saying that applies: “A good company makes a profit; a great company makes a difference.”

For Yanet Herrero, the Chief Servant Officer of Kings Service Solutions, the company’s achievements are all about the ‘how’. By focusing herself and her organization on meaningfully serving others including customers, employees, partners, and the community, Herrero has built a trust-based commercial cleaning powerhouse headquartered in Orlando, Fl. Working with her and her team, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is proud to have contributed to their success.

“Our product is trust,” shared Herrero, “and our core values are our DNA. “We start with Integrity – we do the right thing even when no one is looking. We prize our Consistency – in our processes, our people, and our performance. Harmony is central to us – we do things with joy, as a unit, as one team. We embody the spirit of Excellence and constantly strive to deliver nothing less. And last, but not least, we live in Gratitude. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve others, to create new jobs, to be part of the economic development conversation and positively impact our community.”

Kings Service Solutions began working with the Florida SBDC at UCF and its Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) government contracting affiliate, now called Florida APEX Accelerator at UCF, in 2010. At the time, the company had a staff of 6 full time and 37 part time employees and leased a 1,700 sq. ft. office. With the help of the FSBDC’s no-cost consulting services and its Advisory Board Council program, over time they established an effective organizational structure and refined their systems, resulting in enhanced financial management, Human Resources policies, quality control, and risk management – all driving the company’s growth.

The company utilized Florida APEX services to assist in connecting with key government agencies and prime contractors, leading them to secure contracts with Lockheed Martin, Walt Disney World, and others. Having an established foundation, Kings Service Solutions recently accessed significant capital infusions including a PPP Loan and its forgiveness during Covid, an Employee Retention Tax Credit, and a Small Business Administration 504 loan to purchase their new 13,000 sq. ft. headquarters. Today, along with that new headquarters, Kings Service Solutions has over 700 employees, revenues in the many millions, and ever-increasing profits.

“My experience with the FSBDC has been an incredible journey,” Herrero affirms. “I remember walking into their offices shaking, wondering whether or not our organization would be good enough to apply to receive their amazing resources and be selected for such support. I also remember being reassured immediately and was convinced that this is the right place if you want to see your organization grow, if you want to develop new strategies, if you want the best of the best, the experts to guide you. It was with that level of intentionality that we have become who we are today and we are just so grateful for that. One of our greatest responsibilities is understanding what is our impact and influence in our community, and the FSBDC helped us realize that.”

Not surprisingly given Herrero’s and her company’s commitment to serving her community – whether by annually sponsoring and partnering with a nonprofit, or enabling broad-based employee volunteering activities; its company culture of helping and serving; and its outstanding business results – Yanet Herrero has received national recognition from multiple organizations. This year, the Florida SBDC at UCF nominated her for the most prestigious state small business award possible: the 2024 SBA State of Florida Small Business Person of the Year – and she won! It is a well-deserved reward for defining success as being about serving others, making Kings Service Solutions’ accomplishments, and ‘how’ they were and are achieved, even more laudable and extraordinary.

For information about Kings Service Solutions, please visit https://kingsservicesolutions.com/ .

Amada Senior Care

Entrepreneurs who are navigating the early stages of building a business often discover that obtaining financing can become one of the biggest challenges to overcome. Lenders and investors want to see a track record of growing revenues and profitability before they will make capital available. Dell Gray, owner with his wife Veronica, of Amada Senior Care Orlando had successfully launched their licensed, private duty, in-home caregiving company in 2022. They were off to a good start and were growing and saw opportunity in expanding which would require additional funding. For assistance with finding financing and accessing such capital, he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF).

Taking a consultative approach to elder care and senior care services, Amada Senior Care Orlando provides well-trained and compassionate caregivers who are a perfect fit for their clients or their clients’ loved ones. While specializing in at-home care, the firm can also identify the best local senior housing options and offer supportive elder care management services. “We get in and do all the heavy lifting for the client. Our team of senior care advisors will provide expert guidance and emotional support throughout the entire process to give you the home care services — and the peace of mind — your family needs,” Gray states proudly. “

“One of the things we do for our clients that we’re really proud of is what’s called a ‘Benefit Review’,” explains Gray. Comprised of an in-depth overview of insurance coverage, client education, and benefit verification, followed by claims process management and acceptance of an assignment of benefits, clients are assured they or their loved ones will receive the full range of services they are entitled to, free from fear of benefit cut offs or other problems.

Dell Gray is also a savvy businessperson who quickly noticed growth opportunities via an expansion strategy. “When I originally came to the SBDC, we were essentially a startup. When we went looking for financing we found that, even with great credit, even with a phenomenal background in the industry, we were a new business and that makes it challenging to get access to funds,” Gray recalls. “I turned to the SBDC to help me get financing that otherwise was very difficult to get frankly. They pointed me in the right direction and helped me with expanding the company from a financial perspective.”

By assisting Gray with the full gamut of loan application preparation including a business plan review, market research, competitive analysis, loan package development, and capital access guidance, the FSBDC at UCF helped Amada Senior Care Orlando position itself for loan approval. “It’s been great working with the SBDC,” he claims. “They were able to help me get financing for a big project that we’re working on. Their consultants, including Sharon Smith, were able to guide me toward resources that paid off for me and, as a result, we are able to expand and potentially hire 40-50 new people this upcoming year.”

“To any entrepreneur who is considering working with the SBDC, I would say stop considering it and do it,” concludes Gray. “It has been for me one of the best business decisions that I have made.”

For information about Amada Senior Care Orlando, please visit https://www.amadaseniorcare.com/orlando-senior-care/.

Crypto Tutors

Foreseeing the future and taking the risk to act upon that vision is both a curse and a blessing for many entrepreneurs, especially in the world of technology; a curse because of the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring but a blessing for the promise and rewards that success can offer to society and the entrepreneurs themselves. For Nina Blankenship, CEO and Lisa Francoeur, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Crypto Tutors, a Web3 cryptocurrency educational platform, their vision for future-proofing the workforce through upskilling and re-skilling via research, education, tools, training, and consultation was crystal clear. Their challenge was attracting capital and generating revenue, starting with government contracts. To accomplish this, they turned to Florida APEX Accelerator at the University of Central Florida, the government contracting affiliate of the Florida Small Business Development Center at UCF (FSBDC at UCF).

Crypto Tutors is an online cryptocurrency educational platform founded in 2020 by a diverse group of professionals, offering e-learning courses and specialized tutoring services to individuals, businesses, and communities desiring to increase their knowledge and understanding of cryptocurrency. Through a secure employee portal, Crypto Tutors provides multi-modal education through live tutoring for new hires to C-Level Employees, e-learning, interviews with diverse leaders, and educational resources. Their mission is to up-skill all employees across Web3 from blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse.

“What makes us unique, what makes us different,” explains CEO Blankenship, “is we understand that emerging technology is not just the future, it’s the present and we’re devoted to ensuring that corporations, governments agencies, and others understand what the enterprise applications and consumer applications of blockchain technology are and ultimately how to derive value from it.”

“I originally was introduced to Kara Vernon (Florida APEX Accelerator at UCF specialist) by attending a webinar about winning government contracts and grants, including how to register to do business with the U.S. government through its System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website,” recalls Blankenship. “She helped me understand how to navigate the website and gain a registration. Without that registration, I would not have been able to apply for government grants. Her help was instrumental, and I really appreciate her patience and kindness. Kara and the APEX Accelerator team have been like family, have become great mentors to Crypto Tutors and been leading us to success.”

Thanks to Crypto Tutors efficacious registration on SAM.gov, success has recently come to the company in the form of winning a prestigious $275,000 National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant aimed at helping ensure university students are qualified to gain Web3 careers. “To have been awarded the National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I award was a tremendous victory for our organization and a tremendous validation,” CRO Francoeur states proudly. “It has given our organization the motivation, the inspiration, and the drive to continue to build for the future. As a disadvantaged, minority-owned business, it is extremely difficult to ensure you are set up for success. As a result of the partnership, the collaboration with APEX Accelerator, we were able to identify a clear path to transact with the government. It’s one of the main reasons why we have such an appreciation and such an affinity for APEX Accelerator” she concluded.

“I’m really excited to see where the future of Crypto Tutors goes,” adds Blankenship. “5 years from now we’ll be able to tell that story and I just know that APEX Accelerator is going to be part of it.”

For information about Crypto Tutors, please visit https://www.cryptotutors.com/ .

Acai Express Osceola Parkway

Nurturing an idea into a profitable business is an entrepreneur’s dream. Turning that dream into a reality can be as challenging as it sounds, however, especially on your own. Sisters Peggy Dawas, Kattia Dawas and Katty Velez wanted to open their own business together but didn’t know how to begin. Fortunately, Peggy recalled her experience working with the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its office in Osceola County, FL, so they turned there for guidance. Today, they are glad they did, having become the proud owners of a very successfully launched Acai Express franchise at East Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee.

At Acai Express, the mission is to serve the best tasting, highest quality superfood bowls that go hand- in-hand with a lifestyle based around health and fun. “Our main ingredient is Acai,” describes Peggy Dawas, “a premium, Grade A, 100% organic fruit. It has a lot of flavor on its own, pure form at the same time it is healthy. Who can beat that? It’s what makes us different from all the rest.”

Acai Express’ menu is varied. “We have Acai Bowls of all types. Our top seller is the Valentine Bowl with Acai, granola, banana, strawberry, coconut oil, coconut flakes, and Nutella. It’s delicious and an explosion of flavors. It’s so good!” Peggy continued, with Katty adding “it’s everyone’s favorite” and Kattia chiming in “actually it’s my favorite too.” Other menu items include mango-based dragon fruit, artisan toast, coffee, Pikole premium popsicles, and lemonades.

“We sought assistance from the FSBDC because we had an idea and always wanted to own our own business. It was something we always talked about,” explains Katty Velez. “Peggy previously worked with FSBDC consultant Elly Membreno and said that ‘Elly can help us, can guide us, can give us all the information we need’ and that’s when we contacted her.”

“Our experience with the FSBDC was great,” Peggy shared. “They helped us with their consulting, with their training, with getting us all the tools we needed.” Jairo Batista, a second FSBDC consultant and its digital marketing expert, was brought in to assist with marketing. “We didn’t know where to start so he guided us on that aspect as well so we can promote our business,” Katty added.

Obtaining an SBA-guaranteed loan was critical to the sisters purchasing their Acai Express franchise, and the FSBDC assisted with that as well. “For us, what was a lot of help from the FSBDC was everything to do with the loan,” recalls Kattia Dawas. They helped us put together our loan package, from the business plan to the marketing plan, the financial information, everything, all the documents we needed. We had no clue at all how to do it and they helped us every single step to have the loan approved.”

Acai Express Osceola Parkway opened October 6. They reached break-even after three months, have hired eight employees, and sales continue to increase. “The feedback we have from our customers is amazing. Our plan for the future is to open a second store and also a third,” gushed Katty. ”Of course, we’re going to stick with the assistance from the FSBDC again,” she concluded, with Kattia and Peggy happily saying “yes” to that plan.

For information about Acai Express Osceola, please visit https://www.instagram.com/acaiexpress_osceolaparkway/