Global Trading & Sourcing Corporation
Global Trading & Sourcing Corporation (GTS) has “put the pedal to the metal” and is significantly accelerating its growth despite a balky economy. With assistance from the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) and its Growth Acceleration Services, the company is experiencing double-digit growth in its revenues. A specialized procurement services company located in Orlando, GTS delivers cost-effective original equipment manufacturer (OEM) solutions by shortening the supply chain and enhancing customer procurement performance.
In October 2011, GTS was in a period of expansion and sought out the assistance of the SBDC’s Growth Acceleration Services to assist them in achieving their full growth potential. The Growth Acceleration services are designed to provide in-depth professional business consulting at no cost to qualified emerging and growth businesses in Florida, delivering the tools, strategies and expertise businesses need to accelerate the growth and success of their business in today’s competitive market.
The SBDC Growth Acceleration consultant worked with GTS by performing a detailed business health assessment, including an in-depth financial analysis that identified strategies to enhance cash flow to support further growth. After receiving the health assessment from the Growth Acceleration Services consultant, Andrew Vandendriessche, President of GTS, said, “It was invaluable for me to get an outside and impartial opinion on what we are doing well and not so well. The SBDC’s recommendations are very practical and achievable and we will be focusing on implementing them as we move forward. Not only is the content of the report very useful, but also our Growth Acceleration consultant’s opinions and analysis while discussing it helped put a lot of things in perspective.”
GTS took quick action in implementing many of the recommendations provided by the SBDC Growth Acceleration consultant. Since the initial meeting with the SBDC, the Company’s sales force has increased 30% and it is on track to exceed sales targets for 2012. “The information and tools provided were instrumental in quantifying what we needed to do to achieve our growth goals.” said Vandendriessche.
The Florida SBDC’s no-cost Growth Acceleration services are available to companies throughout the state. To qualify for the services, the company must have growth as a goal, be in operation for at least three years, have annual revenues ranging from $500,000 to $10 million, and employ five or more workers. Florida SBDC Growth Acceleration consultants are available statewide to provide assistance to qualified emerging and growth business who are looking to advance. Specifically, the SBDC at UCF Growth Acceleration services consultants will provide high level consulting of 50 – 100 hours (fair market value of over $10,000) to help qualified SMEs develop sustainable growth strategies.
For more information about the SBDC’s Growth Acceleration services, contact SBDC at UCF Regional Director Eunice Choi at 407-420-4850 or echoi@bus.ucf.edu.
