Success Stories

Dr. Sue's Chocolates

Dr. Sue is an uncharacteristic entrepreneur.  Not because doctors don’t think of better devices or start new ventures.  No, Dr. Sue is different from most entrepreneurs in that she didn’t begin her business with the intention of leaving her day job.

 

Dr. Sue really likes her job as a doctor, but she also has another love as well, cooking.  Trained by her mother in cooking and making candies, she had long been entering her creations into the county fair.  But, after becoming an internal medicine doctor and spending time talking to patients about leading a more healthy lifestyle, she discovered that dark chocolate actually had health benefits.  She shared “It was exciting to me that we might be able to give people permission to enjoy something like chocolate.  Chocolate is fascinating in and of itself.  It is beautiful, challenging, and there is lots of science in it.”

 

She became intrigued and enrolled in a course for would be Chocolatiers.  Soon after completing her course, she was making chocolate bark (slabs of dark chocolate with fruit or nuts or chilies or flavors in them) for friends.  Friends would say, “You should sell that.”  She recalls laughing at the thought, "Yeah I'll get right on that second job."

 

Dr. Sue continued to make tasty treats giving them to friends and family as gifts.  It was a solid hobby.  She had been making chocolate bark; she had recipes, but hadn’t sold a thing.  She was giving it away.  But, the hobby was growing and bigger and faster than she expected.  She needed to make it a real business.

 

Owner/Founder
Dr Sue Williams
My Location
Dallas TX
United States
My Successes

About Dr. Sue’s Chocolates

We make chocolate that people feel good about eating. Our chocolate tastes rich, delicious and luxurious, but has the added benefit of all-natural, local and organic ingredients rich in antioxidants and flavanols. We exclusively use dark chocolate because of medical research suggesting its potential health effects when consumed daily in small amounts

Dr. Sue is only getting started.  She is in the middle of her first significant expansion project, building a “cold” kitchen and purchasing equipment to meet projected demand in the 2012 holiday season while at the same time expanding presence in their retail partners' networks. She has hired her first full time managing director and is happy to be able to donate money to events that support the Dallas Farmers Market and programs that educate the community on nutrition

How SCORE Helped

Dr. Sue hadn’t been an entrepreneur before.  Lacking business experience she turned to researching how to start a small business. That is where she learned of SCORE.  She was amazed to learn that the SCORE volunteers are free, knowledgeable, and experienced.  She joked, “You have got to be kidding me. You just have to make an appointment?

Dr. Sue recalls that the volunteers at SCORE were encouraging from the start. “They thought this might work.  I brought in my first business plan, knowing it was grossly inadequate.  I fully expected to be laughed out of the room. Instead they were totally supportive.  They were very kind, very nice, and tried to show me how to play to my strengths.”

Dr. Sue attended a SCORE workshop, How to Start a Small Business, and after a couple of initial meetings was assigned a Mentor, Chuck Rudnick.  Though it started with inception and a business plan, Dr. Sue is now working with her SCORE mentor structuring expansion and growth, bringing in other people, and developing systems to stay organized and keep execution on track.

When asked if she’d recommend SCORE to other entrepreneurs, Dr. Sue said, “I would absolutely recommend them. I literally think it is one of the best assets out there for anyone, but especially those that lack experience like me.  They are honest, kind, straight shooters. Experience is expensive, it is hard to find.  To be able to call or email somebody and ask ‘what do you think?’ that is priceless.”

 

Serenity Incorporated

Donna Thrasher is no stranger to entrepreneurship.  She has successfully started and operated a business before. 

She became inspired to start her second business when her mother became ill.  She remembered, “My dad was trying to help my mom but wasn't prepared.  I saw the need to help him but, I also knew this must be a situation others faced too.  People aren't trained for this and with an aging population the need for assistance would only increase.”   She added, "I thought I should create a business to meet this need, so that’s exactly what I did.”

Donna was able to combine her sales and marketing background with her experiences in real estate and accounting to create Serenity Incorporated, where she offers personal business manager services.   She explains, “I primarily work with seniors in their homes.  My role with people evolves over time.  It might start out as answering questions about bookkeeping, credit cards, or medical bills, but I usually become much more involved and central to their finances.”

She adds, “I often help clients to find in home health care providers, a place to live, even make the transition to assisted living and hospice, helping them to sell off tangible assets along the way. I’ve been the liaison between tenants and property managers and the owner. My experiences are so varied to match the clients' unique situations.”

While Donna had been running a successful practice, helping manage the affairs of her clients, her husband accepted a new position at a biomedical and imaging company in Coppell, Texas.  Donna eventually had a decision to make, “Do I start over, do I commute, or do I start something new?”  She recalls this being a difficult decision since she had clients and was traveling back and forth between two states.

Owner/Founder
Donna Thrasher
My Location
Dallas TX
United States
How SCORE Helped

 

Donna said, “I had a successful business with clients in another state.  But, I needed to understand how to make the business work in Dallas.  I had practical questions about business formation - I was an S corporation but, did I need to change my formation to operate in Texas?  Also, I wanted to gain insights about my prospective customers so I needed to connect to people familiar with the community.  SCORE was very helpful with that."

When asked what advice she’d give another entrepreneur, Donna said, “I think anyone who is starting a business should definitely use SCORE as a resource. It can save you a lot of time, headache and frustration; it is a resource you don't have to use only once or twice. As you start to perform, become profitable, and have new issues and questions, you will find yourself using them over and over.  They care about your success and it is always nice to have a sounding board to run ideas by.”  

She added, “It is remarkable that successful retired business people are dedicated to volunteering their time toward helping you succeed.”   Much like the SCORE volunteers that help her, Donna is a connector and a resource to her clients.  This is what she loves to do.  It is inspiring that she built a business doing what she loves!

Pink Frosting CupCakes

What if you had the flavors of New Orleans readily available in Dallas?  You know the flavors -  Bananas Foster from Brennan’s Restaurant, Bread Pudding with Vanilla Rum Sauce, Pralines and Cream, Southern Sweet Potato, and Cafe Au Lait from Café Du Monde.  What if?  Well you do have it thanks to Antoinette Lafayette, and Chef David Carter, New Orleans natives that are supplying the city of Coppell with those wonderful flavors of The Big Easy.  In June of 2012 Pink Frosting Cupcakes opened its doors to treat seekers looking for flavors not commonly found.

This is a long time coming for Antoinette.  She’s been baking since she was a child. She was inspired by her late grandmother who was an executive chef for the Federal Reserve Bank for 27 years.  There was nothing out of a can or box for this baking duo.  Everything was from scratch and at Pink Frosting Cupcakes it still is. There is no canned sweet potato in Pink Frosting Cupcakes; only the real thing.

Apart from being inspired by her grandmother, Antoinette wanted to bring something from her New Orleans heritage to her Dallas community.  She discovered plenty of bakeries in her community but found none of the tastes from back home. She was also motivated to avoid being the empty nester with nothing else to do except stalk her children.  As she put it, “I wanted to prepare for this time of life. I wanted to let my kids go freely. I didn't want to stalk my children once they’re gone. I figured it would be easier to let go if I had something to do that I loved.  Well, I love to bake. I'd always baked for family and friends.”

She never stopped baking even when she ran her own salon for 17 years.  But timing was always an issue.  For the past couple of years she was afforded the opportunity to spend time perfecting her craft while working part time for others.  She would bring in samples for people to taste and then ask for feedback.  She heard about texture, sweetness, color and more – she took it all in. She shared, “I was working at a company and doing this like 2 days a week.  I always had willing tasters.  People would tell me you're in the wrong field. You should really do this.”  She added, “When I finally did open the doors they all came to my grand opening.”

In 2010 Antoinette went back to school and completed a degree in business management. At Pink Frosting Cupcakes, she handles the front of the house while chef David handles all of the baking. 

Antoinette said, “When I ran my own salon, I managed employees, kept track of inventory, and normal operational stuff but going back to school to get my degree gave me hr experience, the 4 Ps of marketing, so much more.”

Owner/Founder
Antoinette Lafayette and Chef David Carter
My Location
Coppell TX
United States
Year Company Formed
2012
How SCORE Helped

She added, “I learned of SCORE through my marketing teacher.  He recommended SCORE and was also a board member for the Chamber of Commerce.  When I went to SCORE I had a partial business plan. 

But, once I spoke to Chuck Rudnick, my counselor, I realized how much more I needed.   He was amazing. He helped me walk through the business plan, crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. I had 8 meetings with Chuck. He would give me homework assignments. Then we’d meet 2 weeks later and finish that part of the plan. I even went back before I signed my lease, when I was contemplating the location.”

Squatty Potty

Squatty Potty started when Bobby Edwards designed a product that helped his mother address a health issue. The product fit a demand among a growing section of the population, and the Edwards family started Squatty Potty with limited resources. Initially the sales were brisk with only 3-5 units being moved per day. These sales were built on a sales plan that lead to being the foundation for the long term sales and marketing goals set out by Squatty Potty and their SCORE Mentor. Now with the guidance of their SCORE Mentor, Squatty Potty is shipping out over 200 units per day.

Visit www.squattypotty.com.

See video
Owner/Founder
Robert, William, and Judy Edwards
My Location
1135 West 1130 North
St. George UT 84770
United States
Revenue
650,000+
Employees
12
Year Company Formed
2011
My Successes

The success of Squatty Potty has been tremendous. In just over a year the company has moved from a home based business, run out of the Edwards' garage, to a fully operational office and warehouse. The family was able to expand by hiring more full time employees and they look forward to creating more jobs in their community over the next year. From Q4 of 2011, when the business started, to the last quarter of 2012 Squatty Potty has seen daily sales grow by 4,000%. This is a very impressive growth for a first year business built from the ground up.

What's Great About My Mentor?

When asked about SCORE and their SCORE Mentors, the owners of Squatty Potty said this:

"Joe Stambaugh has been readily accessible and supportive during the past year. His enthusiasm and encouragement, with a little hand holding, helped give us the courage & confidence to grow our business much faster than we would have been inclined to do. It's been fun and rewarding.

Even with limited financial resources you don't have to wing it as a start-up or feel all alone. Seek help when you need it. SCORE mentors and their resources were a timely, cost-effective resource for Squatty Potty."

How SCORE Helped

The owners of Squatty Potty, Bobby Edwards and his parents Bill & Judy, came to SCORE in early 2012 after deciding to go into business. Squatty Potty had faced a variety of logistical, marketing, and on-line sales issues during start-up. Their SCORE mentor Joe Stambaugh quickly helped the family figure out ways to improve all these aspects of Squatty Potty, and the business instantly began to improve. This included assistance from fellow SCORE Mentor Paul Campbell, who helped the Edwards family figure out a way to secure necessary capital options when needed. Within their first year of working with SCORE, Squatty Potty has moved from the Edwards' home garage to a new 10,000 sq foot warehouse that has allowed the family to increase their workforce by 400% in 2012. They are planning to expand further in 2013.

Aviva Esthetics

Owner/Founder
Alisha Finneran
My Location
152 Court Street
Portsmouth NH 03801
United States
Year Company Formed
2012
How SCORE Helped

January 31, 2013 2:00 AM
Portsmouth Herald

Photo by Deb Cram

PORTSMOUTH — Aviva Esthetics, the dream of owner Alisha Finneran, opened at 152 Court St. just after Thanksgiving and has bustled into the new year providing personalized skin care and hair removal treatments for local clients.

"My vision for my own spa developed slowly," Finneran said. "I love what I do, and it's the clients who motivate me. I wanted a place where I could provide a truly personal experience for my clients."

Aviva Esthetics offers full-service skin care, including waxing and facial services. Using the Murad line of skin care products, Aviva tackles a wide range of skin issues from acne to mitigating sun damage with glycolic peels and vitamin C treatments.

Finneran, who lives with her husband in Kittery, Maine, began her career as an esthetician in 2006. She started at Solari Salon and Spa in Portsmouth, where she practiced her craft for more than six years before establishing her own business.

"Solari was a wonderful place to learn and grow," Finneran said. "They've been incredibly supportive of my move to create Aviva Esthetics."

SCORE Helps Navigate Challenges

Finneran said she has had a passion for skin care for years.

"What I didn't have was the experience to navigate the tricky challenges of starting a company: financial forecasting, legal issues, insurance, lease negotiations," she said. "I needed coaches to help guide me through that process."

Last March, Finneran turned to SCORE's Seacoast chapter 185 in Portsmouth. SCORE volunteers Liz LeSavoy and John Udaloy began working with her on a business plan, cash-flow management, accounting, legal and insurance issues. SCORE counselors are experienced small-business professionals who volunteer their time and advice to new businesses.

The time invested has paid off, according to Finneran. She said the number of customers during the holiday season greatly exceeded her hopes, and she's looking forward to a busy winter and spring growing her new business with the support of loyal customers and her counseling team from SCORE.

Life of Back Pain Inspires Hanover Man's Invention - Brittany Wilson

Date
Tue, 2013-01-22 09:54

John Rutty, 80, of Hanover has a long history of back problems.  In 2002, he built the first prototype of the Backjack, a lightweight, portable device that helps alleviate back pain and discomfort. The device can be strapped to a car seat or office chair and looks similar to a padded chair back with arm rests and an adjustable lumbar support made from memory foam. 

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