Client Speaks
When I first came to the program in the fall of 2006, I was employed at a company where I was about to be laid off. Expanding Baskets Galore was the logical decision. Several of my co-workers heard about the program and suggested I contact them. I had been creating custom gift baskets for about four years, worked part-time in my business, and did not have a store front. The coaches understand the challenges of just starting out. They work together with you to get creative and work with what you have. My home was located in an area that was becoming very commercial, and with the help of my coach, we figured out a viable space there to become my storefront. The first 90 days with my coach, we developed a business plan and worked on financial statements. I had never done that before and it was huge for me! Really understanding my financial numbers and what it means to my business was a big step. Together, we worked on zoning issues and getting my first bank loan. I was successful in getting the loan, I have a storefront, and now I am working to put a branch of Baskets Galore in a local hospital.
This program is the place to be to help assess where you are and determine where you want to go. I was so happy when I got a spot on a team. Together, with a coach, you set goals, and then you actually reach those goals. The coach doesn’t do it for you. You decide what you want, your coach listens, and together, you create a shared vision. I faced a lot of negatives when first starting out. They gave me the encouragement I needed and helped with figuring out how to be successful. For my first year in business, 2007, we projected $72,000 in revenues and actually ended the year at $77,000. 2008 promises to be topping out at $150,000. I would not have improved as fast, or have reached this point without their help.
I know for small business people, this program is one of the best things to happen to Central Louisiana. It gets the ideas out of your head and on the table. Not everyone can take business classes or go to college. The business experiences, knowledge, and game plans that the coaches offer makes it comparable to being a ‘university’ that comes to you every week. Coaches are local business leaders, people you recognize from the community. They let you know that everyone goes through what we go through. They speak from the depths of their hearts.
Floral shop specializing in custom gift baskets and wedding designs
We build power lines. We also repair and maintain them. Echo Powerline was fortunate to begin the program in June, 2006. The system has been helpful with pulling in contacts and networking with other business people and services. 
Coaches and team members experienced the same business challenges, and provides a platform to share issues and discuss solutions. An entrepreneur can ask his or her coach questions he couldn’t ask anyone else.
My coach doesn’t need to know how to build power lines. My coach helps me develop skills for building a better business. As a result, we are more efficient and Echo Powerline runs more effectively.
Because the coaches have seasoned business experience, they can make valuable suggestions from a real life perspective.
Echo Powerline is growing. When we began, we did $2½ million in business. This year’s projection is $4 million. Also, when we started, we had 16 employees. We now have 35, and have implemented a profit sharing program. The goal is to improve employee retention and reduce turnover. Our coach suggested a profit sharing model and was able to give examples from his practical experiences.
No matter what type of business you are in, this program develops the entrepreneur to be more successful. The skills learned can be applied to any market opportunity. Sometimes entrepreneurs become discouraged; a coach encourages you through that.
I consider their coaching a real asset and I have a high regard for my coach. I look forward to continuing in the program.
The fastest growing and best-equipped electrical contractor in Louisiana, specializing in building, repairing, and maintaining power lines.
This program has been a very enjoyable experience. I was looking for a mentor because I was growing tired of realizing my mistakes after the fact, after the damage was done.
I wanted help in preventing those mistakes.
Someone told me about the program and explained that the coaches were local people who have been in business and could identify with the struggles facing entrepreneurs. It is because of that hands-on experience that I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I can discuss my ideas with my coach, and now I have additional insight to help me think about my decisions. This input helps me avoid making new mistakes or eliminates making the same ones over again.
Six months before I became a client, I moved my business from a rural site to an urban location. My coach suggested ways to publicize and market my business. Some of the ideas suggested I had never thought of before. I received advice to increase revenues by looking at what was right and what was wrong with my business.
Before, I was running the business out of a check book. Together, with my coach, we concentrate on the fiscal numbers and their meanings. This is paramount in gauging my decisions to make better, more informed judgments about the business. Without the program, I wouldn’t have facts and figures to back up my choices.
Steady growth is evident in my numbers. In 2006, total revenues were $192, 000. In 2007 revenues grew to $310,000, and as of late summer 2008, the business has grown even more at $470,000.
Certified TYM brand tractor dealer, specializes in after-market tractor parts and equipment