Spotlight on Business
Difficult Economy Spurs New Business Venture
History seems to repeat itself, and this was evident to Rick Camacho Sr. just a year ago. He worked for a construction business that was busy eliminating departments and reducing jobs, including his. Rick worked in the Mechanical Division for HVAC & Plumbing and Sheet Metal Fabrication.
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Given Rick’s involvement in this field for years in the Scottsbluff- Gering area of Western Nebraska, he knew a lot of people and had completed work for a variety of businesses. Now that Rick was looking for work again, very few companies were hiring.
With encouragement from his business contacts, Rick decided to start up his own business. He contacted Ingrid Battershell with the Nebraska Business Development Center in Scottsbluff. Ingrid was able to assist Rick with his business plan, but finding financing for a new startup with the economy and the banking industry in turmoil was proving difficult.
Ingrid contacted Jerry Terwilliger, REAP’s regional business specialist for the area, and both Jerry and Ingrid sat down and reviewed the business plan. They downsized the financial requirements for business startup to fit within the guidelines of the REAP loan program and the Scottsbluff-Gering LB840 funding program.
Applications were submitted to both programs and approved. In June 2009, Rick and a prior work buddy, Randy Scott, opened their new company known as CST Mechanical, Inc. Rick and Randy went to work securing bids and contracts for commercial jobs and expanding into residential work.
Today, CST Mechanical (The Boys in Blue), have 10 full-time employees working with the company and are expanding to other areas of the Panhandle. The company is growing, and Rick and Randy are pleased with their progress. They admit it has been a trying year to start a business, and they thank REAP for helping with the funding to get their start.
Contact Rick Camacho, Sr. at CST Mechanical, Inc. in Scottsbluff, Nebraska at 308.633.6330.
Couple Finds Opportunity in Trying Times
Brewer’s Coffeehouse, LLC began as Minden’s first coffeehouse in June 2007. But the idea for the business started percolating in Sherri Brewer’s mind in 2003 after moving to Minden from Windsor, CO. Sherri and husband Kerry Blomme, along with their two boys, relocated when Kerry’s job transferred them to the Kearney area. They chose to live in Minden, preferring its small size over Kearney.
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Sherri worked at ACE Hardware until it closed in February 2006. Suddenly Sherri was unemployed, and, with a lack of other opportunities, she decided to pursue her dream and open Brewer’s Coffeehouse, LLC. Sherri worked with REAP Business Specialist Dena Beck on a business plan and received a loan from the Kearney County Economic Development Agency.
An active lifelong learner, Sherri has participated in many REAP trainings, including QuickBooks and Facebook for Business, and participates in PK Innovator and Entrepreneur Club meetings. Sherri recently expanded her menu to include lunch three days a week. She continues to receive REAP’s technical assistance for pricing, marketing strategies and general brainstorming.
In the fall of 2008, Kerry Blomme was laid off from his job of 13 years working for a drywall company. Kerry felt his work was well-known in the area, and he decided to go out on his own. Kerry received technical assistance as well as a REAP loan to get his business started. Brewer’s Coffeehouse was recently featured on National Public Radio’s Marketplace. From that feature, unexpected response came from across the country offering general support and services.
One of the most significant ways REAP has assisted Sherri is with an initial business plan and having continued access to technical assistance. Brewer’s Coffeehouse also features local artists and products made locally and has been the host site of several REAP trainings.
You will find Sherri Brewer and a great cup of coffee at Brewer’s Coffeehouse at 317 N Minden Avenue, Minden, Nebraska, or you can call 308.832.2739.
Award Offers Boost for Hastings Entrepreneur
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Despite an excellent product or service, Connie saw how these small businesses fell prey to late fees and overdraft penalties. In April 2004, after earning a degree in accounting, Connie launched Efficiency Counts, offering data management and accounting services to small businesses.
Three years later in May 2007, Connie had not attracted as many clients as she had hoped. Looking for networking opportunities, she went to the Rural Enterprise Assistance Program (REAP), a microenterprise development program of the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska.
Since then she has participated in REAP’s MarketPlace Conferences where she networks with other entrepreneurs and attends business training workshops. The conferences have not only increased her contacts and referrals, but have also increased her self-confidence.
At REAP she also realized she was not charging enough for her services to make a profit and found help with restructuring her fees. “I feel connected and more professional since working on my business with REAP,” Connie says.
In April 2009 Efficiency Counts got a technology make-over thanks to a $3000 Women and Co.® Microenterprise Boost Program award from the REAP Women’s Business Center. The award was used to buy a new desktop computer, printer, computer speakers, accounting software, a Blackberry and office supplies. The new technology helps Connie practice what she preaches about efficiency. It has given her more time to assist more clients and freed up some funds to hire a part-time assistant.
By June 2009 she brought on four more clients, boosting her profits and putting her right on track to achieve a very viable and sustainable business. “Due to the Women and Co. award I am able to move forward in obtaining more business and in providing a professional office for my assistant and myself,” says Connie.
Family Needs Met by Entrepreneurship
Maria Alvarado opened Alvarado’s Tax Services in 2006. Driven by the need for a more flexible schedule, Alvarado has built a successful business and won the Women and Company Microenterprise Boost Program award from the Center’s REAP program.
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| Maria Alvarado moved her home-based business to a much more visible storefront office thanks to a $2000 Women & Company Microenterprise Boost Program award from the Center for Rural Affair's REAP program. |
Until recently, Maria’s business operated out of her home and offered help with tax preparation and translation services. As Alvarado’s Tax Services started to grow, Maria wanted to learn how to better manage her business and looked to the Center for Rural Affairs’ REAP Women’s Business Center for help.
Maria enrolled in several of REAP’s business training courses including Computer Basics, E-commerce and QuickBooks. She also met with a business specialist mentor and participates in roundtable meetings with other REAP business owner clients. “REAP has helped me a lot with advice and classes. If it had not been for this program, I don’t think that I would have all the knowledge and resources I have now,” says Maria.
Alvarado’s Tax Service made the move from Maria’s home to a much more visible and accessible storefront thanks to the $2000 Women and Company Microenterprise Boost Program award she received from REAP. The award also allowed her to expand the services she offers. She enrolled in accounting classes and plans to offer small business bookkeeping services in the near future.
The storefront is a much more professional setting for Maria’s business and has helped her attract more customers. Since making the move, she estimates her client base has increased by about 20 percent, and she anticipates increases in revenue. Since receiving the award, Maria has hired a part-time tax advisor who assists with immigration forms and provides translation services.
The award came at a perfect time for Maria. She says, “I was very excited and happy, because with that extra money I was able to keep my business growing.” In early 2009, Maria renamed her business Columbus American Services. She added full Travel Agency services and Money Transfer services.
REAP is a microenterprise development program of the Center for Rural Affairs that works with startup and existing small businesses with five or fewer employees in Nebraska on a statewide rural basis. REAP is the largest full-service microenterprise development program in Nebraska (rural or urban) and strives to serve all of the state’s rural areas. Find out more at www.cfra.org/reap.
Family Brings Tradition of Entrepreneurship to Nebraska
The Avalos family had been in the restaurant business for over a decade in Mexico, so entrepreneurship was nothing new to them. When they decided to pursue better opportunities thousands of miles away, Norma knew what she was good at. She wanted to continue what she’d been doing for more than 12 years, but this time in her new home of Lexington, Nebraska. When the Center’s REAP Hispanic Business Center expanded into Western Nebraska and offered business plan training in Spanish, Norma signed up.
In May of 2003, Taqueria Y Tortilleria Max was born. Obtaining permits and inspections for the restaurant was new to the couple, and it was a challenge at first. Building a customer base was also challenging since they were new to the area. Fortunately, Lexington’s diverse population included people who crave authentic specialties such as homemade quesadillas, gorditas and sopes, and this helped them develop loyal customers.
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| Norma Avalos takes a moment to look up from her busy work at her restaurant, Taqueria Y Tortilleria Max. The Avalos family had a successful restaurant business in Mexico for over a decade. |
To further expand their market, Humberto and Norma also began to sell tortillas. They always try to offer a different food item to keep their menu interesting and keep customers coming through their doors. After Norma attended the Business Plan training, she gained valuable skills in financial administration, marketing and customer service. REAP Hispanic Business Specialist Nancy Flock also assisted the couple with technical assistance and obtaining a REAP loan for working capital. As their business grows, Humberto and Norma would like to expand their current location to offer more seating.
As most entrepreneurs know, it takes lots of time and hard work to have your own business. Likewise, the Avalos have learned that it is very rewarding. Since it is a family-operated restaurant, being able to spend time with family while making an income is probably one of their biggest rewards. Norma and Humberto have a 17 year old daughter and a 12 year old son, and when they are not at the restaurant serving up authentic food, the family enjoys going on walks together and spending time at the library.
For more information: contact Nancy Flock, nancyf@cfra.org or 308.534.3508. Be sure to stop into Taqueria Y Tortilleria Max at 501 N. Lincoln St. when you are in Lexington, Nebraska. Their phone number is 308.324.5924.
Passion for Energy Gets Business Moving
It all started at the energy farm in Lyons, Nebraska, and visiting with people about wind and solar energy. Ed Toribio, owner of Home Energy Alternatives, decided to start his own green business by offering sales and installation services for solar electric systems and small-scale wind turbines. Ed said, “I saw a business opportunity in renewable energy for which I already had a great passion and increasing interest.”
Prior to opening his business in April 2008, Ed participated in hands-on workshops in North Carolina for residential wind turbines, one in Iowa for residential solar, and a Colorado workshop on commercial solar systems. He also went to several small training sessions to learn more about energy efficiency, inverters, safety and technical issues for wind and solar systems.
Ed worked with REAP Business Specialist Dena Beck and received a microloan to get his business off the ground. Three months later he realized a market for his company was lacking in central Nebraska. Ed said, “There was a lot of misinformation, and utilities were not very willing to cooperate with customers when installing or being approached to install a wind turbine.”
The main focus of his business today is to create awareness within the nearby communities. Ed hosts monthly workshops to educate and reach more people. He has been busy working with the Unicameral to modify laws that will allow his customers to receive fair pricing for their generated power and provide tax incentives to help cover the initial cost of their investment.
Ed spends much of his time immersed in following the Nebraska Energy Office and the Nebraska Legislature to make sure more attention is paid to key energy issues in our state. The stimulus package recently signed by President Obama will commit money for Nebraska to execute projects aimed to build/upgrade transmission lines and put more emphasis in the development of clean energy like wind and solar.
Changing his business focus is something Ed has adapted to well. He sees the lack of information and training in our state and is working to open an educational nonprofit facility, The Center for Renewable Education. It will provide installers with hands-on training to create more green jobs and enterprises. Three different wind turbines and four solar systems will be featured so that Nebraska residents can get a close look at the technologies.
Ed feels strongly that alternative energy needs to be given a chance to compete with all other forms of energy in use today. He lives with his wife, Jennifer and 2-year old daughter Natalia in Gibbon. His education includes the electrical program at Milford, and he is at work on a business degree through Bellevue University.
For more information or to suggest ideas, visit the web at www.nebraskagreenenergy.com or call 308.293.3407.
Lopez Auto Sales Expands with Help from REAP
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| Jose Lopez is pictured in his office in North Bend, Nebraska. |
When he saw the opportunity to buy a building and relocate his business to the Schuyler area, Jose contacted REAP Hispanic Business Center Director Adriana Dungan to receive help working on his business plan and packaging the loan.
After several months of work, Jose was able to purchase the building, but not only that, he also decided to purchase the business located in the building, a liquor store. With a great plan in mind and using business skills acquired over 20 years working in a family-run small business in his native Guatemala, Jose went into his new business venture.
With an investment of over $200,000 he’s kept the liquor store up and running and has shown increased sales every month. The breakdown was just done to remodel the purchased building. Jose plans to open a new auto business in Schuyler, Nebraska, right behind the liquor store.
Jose resides in Schuyler with his wife and three children. He recently received the Center for Rural Affairs’ Entrepreneur Award. REAP is one of five rural programs offered by the Center for Rural Affairs.
LB Custom Chrome & Detail Finds Success
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| Larry Harbour, owner of LB Custom Chrome & Detail says, “We are constantly expanding LB and are very aware of providing quality service with customer relations that are positive and consistent.” |
In 2006, Larry decided to rent a shop in downtown Broken Bow. The risk paid off. For the first year, Larry’s detailing business had a 1-2 month wait list with business clients and individual customers who appreciated the high quality work and first-class customer service. The business has grown exponentially with each passing year with little debt incurred.
The way Larry sees it “We are constantly expanding LB and are very aware of providing quality service with customer relations that are positive and consistent.” For the last year, Larry has added staff to keep up with demand and avoid clients having to wait for service.
Diversifying his businesses’ income is also important to Larry. In addition to professional car cleaning inside and out, scratch removal, hard water stain removal, 3M clear coat paint film protection, he plans to add chrome plating of vehicle parts, rims, grills, bumpers, and household items or anything else a person may want to chrome plate.
In the winter of 2007, Larry heard about REAP office hours at the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce and decided to make an appointment. After months of working on a business plan with REAP Business Specialist Dena Beck, Larry was approved by a local bank for a loan to expand his business to a new location in Broken Bow.
When Larry expressed a desire for energy efficiency and operating as “green” as possible, Dena referred him to USDA Rural Development’s Energy Efficiency program. Kelley Messenger, USDA Area Specialist worked with Larry and states, “This new geothermal system will be able to assist Larry’s business by allowing him to use a renewable energy source to help improve the operations of his business.”
The expansion will allow LB Custom Chrome and Detail to add two additional jobs. Larry credits Dena Beck for her knowledge. “Dena truly was a huge help being accessible with regular office hours (in Broken Bow). She has good connections and ideas that allowed me to assess whether my project would be worth pursuing.”
LB Custom Chrome and Detail LLC
1335 South B Street
Broken Bow, NE 68822
308-870-0243
lbthoroughly@hotmail.com
Quilting Hobby Transforms into Business
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| Phyllis Hamaker is shown in front of one of her quilts at The Quilter's Cottage in Kearney, Nebraska. |
Before she could open, however, much work needed to be done to the little house. They painted, cleaned, and took out a wall. She used one room for fabric and supplies, one for a classroom, one for cutting fabric, and one for displaying quilts and more fabric. Phyllis opened The Quilter’s Cottage in January, 2001. After purchasing more inventory, she found herself needing additional working capital and needing to make improvements to the store. A REAP loan was approved in 2004, and the business continued to grow. They put in a floor with patterns that looked like quilt blocks!
In September of 2007, Phyllis moved The Quilter’s Cottage to 2220 Central Avenue in downtown Kearney. She started in the front half of the building. A used furniture store was located in the back half. In February 2008 she was able to expand into half of the back, and in April 2008 she expanded into the whole level of the building. She has lots of fabric inventory, patterns, books, and supplies to sell. Phyllis realizes she has more customer base in Kearney than she had in Curtis. Also, with gas prices on the rise, she believes her location in Kearney will remain more profitable than it would have in Curtis.
Phyllis also holds many classes. She loves to teach quilting to those who don’t know how and share the joy she experiences from the art. Check out the class schedule on The Quilter’s Cottage website -- www.quilterscottage.net -- and see how busy she is. She offers mail order service on items available.
Phyllis has been a vendor at the “Threads Across Nebraska” event and the Quilt Nebraska State Convention for many years. She has exhibited and won awards at local, area, and state events. She has participated in the “Shop Hop” since 2002.
The challenge that Phyllis has been experiencing echoes what other small business owners have indicated. It is difficult to find reliable, part-time employees. To her advantage, a machine quilting business is located upstairs and a machine embroidery business is located downstairs in her building.
These complementary business owners consider themselves the “Tri-Level Mall” and do assist one another at times.
Phyllis belongs to the Kearney Downtown Association and participates in the business community promotions. She and husband Bill have two grown children. Their daughter’s family lives in Central City and their son’s family is close by in Kearney. She enjoys her grandchildren.
“My quilting started out as a hobby, then became an obsession, and now it’s my business. It’s great to have a business you love,” says Phyllis.
Karen Runkle and Lil’ Ladybug Greenhouse and Gardens
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| Karen Runkle of Lil' Ladybug Greenhouse and Gardens is pictured in her greenhouse in Hay Springs, Nebraska. |
Karen Runkle’s true passion and talent is gardening, and Karen knew a customer base eager for fresh, local produce and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) existed. She had the drive, land, commitment, and determination to succeed; all she needed was a little training and some money to invest in her idea.
Karen contacted REAP and attended 15 hours of ‘Business Plan Basics’ training before she opened Lil’ Ladybug. At last year’s MarketPlace small business conference, Karen attended a Bookkeeping session and learned to keep good business records. She also networked with others and acquired new customers.
“I attended a business planning workshop put on by Jerry Terwilliger (REAP business specialist) before I started. He has been very helpful and supportive,” said Karen. “The MarketPlace seminar in Kearney was a great place to learn and rub elbows with others.”
While the classes and seminars broadened Karen’s business skills, she still struggled to gain momentum with Lil’ Ladybug. Through the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, REAP was able to offer Karen a Women and Company Microenterprise Boost Program® cash equity award of $2,000. With this, Karen purchased valuable equipment that gave her the edge she needed.
The road to successful entrepreneurship is seldom easy. In her first year, an early frost devastated Karen’s 400 tomato plants. The Runkles rolled up their sleeves, replanted, and had produce available that summer.
The following year, golf-ball-sized hailstones and 90 MPH winds destroyed the outside garden. With the assistance of neighbors, Karen filled half the greenhouse with bedding plants for customers, and, remarkably, Lil’ Ladybug realized a profit for the year.
In fact, sales for 2006 doubled, and Karen expects sales for 2007 to double again. Her CSA clients increased from seven to 30, and five more have requested to be added for 2008. Weekly sales at the Farmer’s Market are twice what they were, and the Greenhouse business has tripled.
The key to Karen’s success is her devotion to her customers. Her website, www.littleladybuggardens.com has online ordering, and she writes a weekly Lil’ Ladybug Column for the local paper. “Business,” says Karen, “is all about relationships.” Relationships, a boost, and really good tomatoes.
