SBDC at UCF Helps Solutions 1 Transport LLC Position Itself for Growth
Small Business Development Center at UCF
November 16, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, SBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@bus.ucf.edu
Orlando, FL – The Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) has partnered with Solutions 1 Transport LLC, an Orlando company, to help the company’s management obtain the information and know-how it needed to lead the company to a new level of sales and revenue expansion.
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.
Timothy 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 hundreds 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 wanted to accelerate the growth of his company, but was not certain how best to make that happen. He 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® (SBI®), marketing consulting and website analysis.
Utilizing his excellent business acumen and the SBDC’s recommendations, Timothy and his wife Aseania developed a new approach to their business and are now seeing their expanded 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. “I am so happy I sought assistance from the SBDC. I truly appreciate their helping me put my business in a position to grow faster,” he concluded.
In addition to taking advantage of the SBDC at UCF’s no-cost professional consulting by certified business analysts, Solutions 1 Transport participated in the SBDC at UCF’s award-winning program, the Advisory Board Council. The Advisory Board Council aims to facilitate business growth through the use of advisory boards for established Orange County companies. The program acts as a matchmaker between established businesses and professionals who volunteer their expertise as members of a ‘custom-fit’ advisory board. Founded in 2003, the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council is an economic development program funded by Orange County Government. Since its inception, the program has assisted 125 companies and has had more than 450 area professional volunteers.
Solutions 1 Transport also benefited from involvement in Small Business Institute®, a program offered locally by the SBDC at UCF in conjunction with the UCF College of Business Administration. SBI® is a nation‐wide program that provides high‐quality business assistance to companies in need while providing an extraordinary opportunity for university students to learn through field case studies. SBI® is a graduate‐level elective course within the UCF College of Business Administration. Students enrolled in the class provide management consulting services to local small businesses. Each student team has direct contact with the client and produces a professional case report. The report is the ultimate product of the program and is tailored to each business. Case study reports have included market research, marketing plans, competitive analysis, advertising strategy, customer surveys, strategic plans, financial analysis, human resource manuals and business plans.
–UCF–
With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center (formerly the Disney Entrepreneur Center) now located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF College of Business Administration and the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, providing business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to small business owners. The SBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains seven satellite service centers. In 2011, the SBDC at UCF helped entrepreneurs create or retain 1,517 jobs, win contract awards worth $28.9 million, acquire $17.7 million in capital formation, and increase sales by $51.9 million. The SBDC at UCF is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
SBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
