Inspiring your Inner D-I-Y: Board & Brush Creative Studio, Kissimmee and Ocoee Continuing to Grow
Do-It-Yourself Wood Sign Art Studio Company Thriving with Assistance from FSBDC at UCF – Osceola County/Kissimmee
January 10, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu
Rafael E. M. Pratts, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF – Kissimmee/Osceola County, 407.847.2458 or rpratts@ucf.edu
Orlando, FL – Going it alone is an easy mistake for a small business owner to make, especially if they have purchased an existing business or franchise and are leveraging the processes, procedures and tools provided by the previous owner or franchisor. Often, however, greater success and faster growth can be achieved with external help. It’s that opportunity that persuaded Kim Campanie, owner of Board & Brush Creative Studio, Kissimmee and Ocoee to seek additional assistance and turn to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) – Osceola County/Kissimmee for its no-cost, expert consulting; business training and workshops; and access to extensive market research resources.
Board & Brush Creative Studio, Kissimmee offers three-hour, do-it-yourself wood sign workshops where guests can create any of 500 projects available in their online gallery. Catering to individuals; private, community and corporate events; and teen and kid’s parties, the emphasis is on creating, connecting with friends – new and old – and having a good time. As their website says: “Instead of do-it-yourself, let’s do-it-together. Experience not needed. Just bring your creativity and personality. We will provide the education, materials, and fun.“
“I originally sought out assistance from the FSBDC after I met my business coach Rafael (Rafael E.M. Pratts, consultant at the FSBDC at UCF’s Osceola County/Kissimmee satellite office) and he mentioned his role and the services he provides,” recalls Campanie. “From the moment we started talking, I knew he was going to be instrumental in taking me from novice business owner to an extremely successful one with his guidance and encouragement.”
“Over the last three years, I have taken advantage of so many of the amazing programs offered by the FSBDC, starting with my business coach Rafael who meets with me every month,” enthused Campanie. “He supports my marketing goals, provides resources, sets benchmarks for me. He holds me accountable, which no one wants done in business, but everybody needs,” she laughed. “It has taken me from start to finish in growing my business into the success we are today.”
“One of the areas where the FSBDC really has helped is with my online and social media presence, by diversifying beyond Facebook and making sure we have a strategy with Google, a presence on Instagram, and that I am utilizing my internal text and email resources,” Campanie stated. “Now we’re not just doing what’s easy. We’re encompassing an entire approach to make sure we cover all our bases with our customers.”
“The success that I’ve had since working with the FSBDC and Rafael has been immense. We have seen increases of 20% in revenue since we started working together – and that is through a Pandemic – which Rafeal was instrumental in guiding me through,” continued Campanie. “We certainly would not be here today having the success that we do, increasing the staff as we have, looking to grow to more locations as we are, without the support of the FSBDC.”
“If you are a business owner considering working with the SBDC, I say ‘Don’t wait. The Sooner the better.’” concluded Campanie. “The sooner you get someone in your corner who supports your goals, who understands where you are and where you want to go, the better off you are going to be.”
For information about Board & Brush Creative Studio, Kissimmee, please visit https://boardandbrush.com/kissimmee/.
About the FSBDC at UCF
Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Partnership & Innovation and the Florida SBDC Network.
The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.
In 2020, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 2,700 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 10,000 jobs created, retained or saved; $1.2 billion in sales growth; $59.1 million in capital formation; $53.4 million in government contract awards; and 86 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .
About the Florida SBDC Network
For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.
In 2020, Florida SBDCs provided 162,519 hours of professional business consulting to more than 24,100 client businesses, resulting in almost 38,000 jobs impacted; $4.4 billion in sales generated; $488 million in government contracts acquired; and $553.5 million in capital accessed.
A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com
