Insulation services provider of foam, fiberglass, and cellulose as well as foam roofing installations and repair.
The client requested assistance from SBDC to assist with the steps to develop and complete his business plan, determine the market feasibility, and obtain financing.
“We couldn’t have accomplished everything without the help of Morgan and appreciate that he still calls to check up on us.”
Emily and Dereck Franks began the process to create The Rustic Ranch in February of 2011 with an inquiry on the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OKSBDC) website. The Rustic Ranch is a retail store specializing in western apparel, tack and home décor. Emily has years of experience in a local western outfitters store and Dereck, a disabled military veteran, works with leather crafting.
Hitching Roast Coffee Co. Dennis Sells, Artisan Roaster, member of the Cherokee Nation, is a great example of creating a business out of his passion. Sells created his retail and wholesale roast coffee shop in a converted garage. Sells was able to utilize the services of OSBDC to find a solution for his cash flow issue – he could only purchase his inventory certain times during the year.
Ken Novotny and David Mitchell met at a gym one day and became fast friends. They soon discovered they share more than just a desire to keep physically fit. They both shared a dream of building a successful business. Novotny worked as a defense contractor at Tinker Air Force Base while Mitchell worked for a large contracting company as a buyer. Novotny had vast experience in computer systems. Mitchell knew the process of doing business with the federal government.
Lavonna “Shorty” Koger, owner of Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, knew a lot about rodeos and making quality cowboy hats. However, she did not know a lot about running a successful small business until she visited with Susan Urbach at the University of Central Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OSBDC). Today, her company, located in historic Stockyards City, is bursting at the seams thanks to management and technical advice received from the OSBDC. Sales have increased 400 percent. Staff has doubled, and the company offers better salaries with employee benefits.
“It was just perfect,” says Terry Enos owner of Bicycle Alley. “The OSBDC provided us with the tools, and three months later we had a business plan.” Enos had years of experience in the corporate world but wasn’t sure how to bring his ideas into focus. “Carlos asked all the right questions,” says Enos. “Carlos Amaya and the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center showed me the ropes and gave me the structure I needed to open my business.”
Dustin Sheppard was no stranger to entrepreneurship when he decided to start a new venture in Roff, Oklahoma. Dustin had grown up watching his father run a family dairy farm. The purchase of one truck to help with hauling soon turned into more trucks, and that snowball eventually found the family out of the dairy business and running a successful trucking line.
In 2007, Scott Davis needed a way to haul large round bales of hay without investing in a large tractor or putting a hay spike in the back of his truck. Using his 25 years of welding skills and experience, Davis went to work and built the “STICK WAGON” hay hauler. “I came up with it out of necessity,” says Davis. The STICK WAGON is uniquely designed to be used with an ATV such as a 4-Wheeler or a John Deere Gator, small garden tractor, or other small motorized vehicle that normally could not be used to move large round bales of hay.
Gary and Micki Rogers juggled project deadlines, overdue receivables and equipment maintenance issues for eight years. Like many small business owners, the couple knew first hand that the struggles and challenges can be hugely overwhelming. Upon reading an article in a local newspaper, the owners were led to Susan Urbach and the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center. Susan recognized that North Central Construction in Stillwater was a sound business but needed some direction. She first advised the partners to save money by consolidating their equipment loans.
After 24 years of friendship, Dean Martin and Tracy Johnson discovered they had a common goal – to become business owners. The pair met while Dean was a sales representative making the rounds at an area manufacturing plant where Tracy worked. “We had a strong friendship, trusted each other completely, and knew the time was right for a change,” says Dean Martin.
301 W University Blvd.
Durant, OK 74701
(580) 745-2877
Email Us
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Full disclosure available here. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Cindy Ruminer via email or call 580-745-2877 for assistance.