Contact
Information:
Small Business
Development Center Region II
Lewis-Clark State College
500 8th Avenue
Lewiston, ID 83501
TEL: 208-792-2465
FAX: 208-792-2878
isbdc@lcsc.edu |
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Home > Success Stories |
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The Idaho SBDC has helped many
people fulfill their dream of owning their own business. Periodically
this site will feature the success stories of such people.
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Headmaster's School of
Hair Design ::
Hillco, Inc. ::
The Bistro
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Worldwide Abrasives ::
Dog Bark Park ::
Lewis-Clark Recyclers :: |
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Headmaster's School of Hair Design - 2003
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Working to create a quality program at Headmasters School of Hair
Design in Lewiston, Peggy Foster contacted the Region II Idaho Small
Business Development Center in 1995 for help and advice. She enrolled
in the NxLevel class and completed a 10-week entrepreneurial program.
The business plan she wrote for the class allowed her to make the
decision to purchase the school of hair design she had been managing
since 1984.
Peggy went on to develop a school curriculum, staff manuals, school
catalogs, student handbooks and policies to be in accordance with
NACCAS and the Department of Education Standards. And while overseeing
the overall operation of the school, she also continues some teaching
responsibilities, serves as an accreditation team member for NACCAS
and visits other cosmetology schools to review compliance to attain
and maintain accreditation status.
The mission of Headmasters School of Hair Design is to educate
students to pass the Idaho State Board Exam and obtain jobs in their
chosen field. Headmasters School of Hair Design provides financial aid
and scholarships for qualified applicants and is the only school
within the Northwest that has achieved the Paul Mitchell “Inner
Circle” status.
Headmasters also has one of the highest, if not the highest, state
board exam pass rates in Idaho. Salon managers often call to ask who
is about to graduate because they like to hire Headmasters students
due to their ability to succeed. The 2,000 hours of education students
receive at Headmasters include hair, skin and nail curriculum, as well
as basic life skills training with an emphasis on what it takes to
succeed in this business, both as a stylist and as a potential
salon-owner.
Since completing her first business plan in 1995, she has continually
grown her business. She even managed to keep her competitive edge when
another school entered the market and is looking to expand her
business within the next year.
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Hillco, Inc. - 2003 |
Due to the prolonged slump in the agricultural market over the past
several years, the owners of Hillco, Inc. have embarked on a plan of
reinventing the company. Hillco is a family owned business that
develops, manufactures, sells and supports combine leveling systems
and other performance improving after-market products for new and used
combines (harvesters). Hillco’s manufacturing and office facilities
are located at 107 1st Avenue in Nezperce, Idaho, where it employs a
full-time staff of 14.
The owners’ primary areas of emphasis are streamlining operations,
looking at government contracts as a way to diversify revenue sources,
implementing a job cost accounting system and adding new product lines
that aren’t tied to the cyclical nature of agriculture. Realizing from
the outset that they would need some help to accomplish these goals,
they contacted the Region II Idaho Small Business Development Center.
Owned by Lenny Hill and Carroll and Charlene Keith, Hillco has been in
the agricultural equipment manufacturing business since 1982. It began
the development of its first leveling system in 1992 and since that
time has become the leading manufacturer of aftermarket combine
leveling systems in the country.
Lenny was elected to the Board of Directors of the North Idaho
Manufacturers Association (NIMA) in July of 2002. This organization
was developed through the efforts of the Region II ISBDC and
Lewis-Clark State College to assist small rural manufacturers in
obtaining assistance in areas where they need help. Through the NIMA
group, the Region II ISBDC was able to explain the breadth of services
they provide and the management team of Hillco decided to seek
assistance in the areas described above.
The Region II Idaho SBDC has been able to work with Hillco in
establishing a job cost accounting system, show the positive and
negative aspects of government contracting, and help find new products
that they may be able to produce in the future. Lenny and Charlene
also took a NxLevel class where they formulated the process of
examining their business and also wrote a business plan that will
create a roadmap for the future growth of their company.
The management team at Hillco has been able to see the positive
results that can be gained by working with the Region II Idaho SBDC,
and look forward to using their expertise to keep Hillco the leader in
the combine leveling system business. |
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| Worldwide Abrasives |
In 1998, when John Kirkpatrick set out to serve the
bronze industry by “building a better mousetrap” he utilized his
personal business education and experience, and every available
resource, to become a success. John’s mousetrap is actually a
“Cross-Pad”; an abrasive device used primarily in bronze foundries
with application in many other industries worldwide. The small sanding
pad is used on a pneumatic tool (i.e., die grinder) spinning at 20,000
revolutions per minute, with a 30 – 90 second useful life. One bronze
statue can take literally thousands of Cross-Pads to complete. Based
on the market need for this product, John recognized that
mass-production was required to meet the demand and create cost
efficiencies.
To make his vision a reality, the business plan for WorldWide Abrasive
would require a substantial amount of time and money. It required an
engineer and machinist to design the blueprints for an automated
machine that could produce one Cross-Pad every ten seconds. It would
be expensive to build this one-of-a-kind machine; but once completed
it would give John the proprietary technology that would be next to
impossible to duplicate.
The new machine would need a home; so John turned to the Port of
Lewiston Small Business Incubator project. With the establishment of
the Seaport Business Center, the Port management worked with John to
develop a business office and manufacturing area that would meet his
immediate needs and prepare him for future business growth.
John then turned to the Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC)
for further assistance. The ISBDC provided a mailing list of the 2,400
foundries in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and assisted with a
direct mail campaign to provide free samples to all 2,400 foundries.
Each foundry received follow-up telephone contact from John; an effort
that garnered enough orders to start the Kirkpatrick family on their
business adventure. In addition, the skills of a Web Master through
the ISBDC allowed John to further develop a web site to provide
product information and transfer orders.
John says “As with any new start-up venture, you need the expertise
and talents of community, state, and personal resources. You may be a
one-man-show for a while, but it is important to surround yourself
with people of integrity, honesty and a good work ethic. Organizations
like the ISBDC can be instrumental in coordinating the marketing and
manufacturing functions of a new operation when you need additional
resources to keep moving toward your goals.”
With the new automated, pneumatic machine up and running, Bob Barnett
hired on as Operations Manager for WorldWide Abrasives. He, and his
wife Pearl, focus on production and quality and advise John on
operational needs. The Cross-Pads WorldWide Abrasives produce are
unique in that they have been tested to be three times more durable
than competing products currently on the market and retail for less
than half the amount.
In the first 18 months of operation, World Wide Abrasives has
manufactured and sold over 200,000 Cross-Pads to more than 90
foundries in the United States, Mexico and Canada. John and Bob have
visited foundries and participated in trade-shows to provide education
and begin to develop long-term customer relationships.
John says, “Meeting the customer’s needs and expectations can make or
break your business. If you treat your customer like a friend; if
you’re fair and honest, your business with flourish. In today’s
customer-centric environment, they need the product now and they want
to know that you will provide services that will help their business
succeed as well."
John glows with excitement when he talks about his business. He
believes anyone can become successful in a business venture if you
follow two rules. First and foremost, never lose sight of your faith
as your main partner; and utilize the resources of organizations like
the ISBDC, CEDA, and the Port Incubator. “I believe anyone looking
into starting a business who does not use these readily available
public sources will fight a bigger battle to reach success.” |
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Dog Bark Park
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Dennis Sullivan began his business in 1985 with a
stump, an old chainsaw and a dream. It was humble beginnings for a
company that is now selling chainsaw carvings throughout the United
States and Japan. Needless to say the dream was much bigger than the
stump and the old chainsaw.
Dennis started carving generic dogs with limited sales, then in 1989 a
customer asked to have a likeness of their own dog carved which
happened to be a Beagle. Dennis’ skill became obvious as he began
carving more dogs breeds. Two big breaks came in 1995 when Frances
Conklin joined his life as wife and full business partner. That same
year the QVC television shopping network selected his dogs to
represent Idaho in their 50/50 tour. Over the next 18 months Dennis
and Frances sold over 9,800 dog carvings through their marketing
arrangement with QVC.
This cloudburst of success created several opportunities for their
business. The nationwide exposure generated retail and catalog sales
that would have been difficult to secure without the already proven
production capabilities from the QVC experience. Dennis and Frances
also were able to purchase property in Cottonwood, Idaho to build Dog
Bark Park, their artist’s studio and gift shop.
Another component of their success has been to not stray too far from
their “bread & butter” products – their folk art style dog carvings.
With a continued focus on marketing through AKC dog show events,
Dennis and Frances have been able to establish long-term sales through
specialty retailers and galleries across the country that carry the
unique dog carvings.
Along with building their studio/gift shop in 1997, the pair also
embarked on what would become a state tourist attraction garnering
numerous articles in Northwest publications. Tourists from all over
the world have stopped in as they travel through Idaho to see what all
the excitement is about.
They built the “Worlds Largest Beagle” at 12 feet high which stands
along us Hwy 95. Cottonwood, Idaho was recently listed in the national
AAA travel guide because of the giant dog. Another and much larger
beagle is now under construction, also readily visible and accessible
from the highway. Now scheduled to be fully completed for another
year, this 30-foot tall dog building will become a theme lodging
property. These unique advertising and business ideas fit with Dennis’
motto; “be very serious about being in business while enjoying what
you do along the way to serve your customers.”
The Dog Bark Park studio hums with the sound of chainsaws as Dennis;
Francis and their crew create their art that includes over 80
different dog breeds and poses. They also create wildlife pieces and
specialty orders which can range from a life-sized bear to a Fred
Flintstone, a large cow or horse and a gangly Southern Idaho Buzzard.
As their business has evolved Dennis and Frances have used the Idaho
Small Business Development Center’s services to assist them in making
sound business decisions. The ISBDC staff visited on-site to review
and analyze financial projections before Dennis and Frances made the
decision to invest in the property and construct their Cottonwood
studio. They wanted to be certain no financial pitfalls had been
overlooked.
“Using the ISBDC as a sounding board for our ideas and plans was most
helpful as well as a reassuring second opinion” stated Frances. In
also knowing ISBDC services could include assistance with marketing
resources, Dennis and Frances used the center's library for finding
catalog retailer contacts. Sending samples and query letters to
appropriate cataloguers previously unknown to Dennis and Frances
resulted in several new contracts. Using data from the ISBDC on
regional tourism activity, trends and projections aided their entry
into the tourism business.
When asked about his business, Dennis often sums up his advise for
aspiring entrepreneurs with these words, “to succeed in business be
willing to commit all your heart, soul and dollars to your endeavor,
always remembering the first three rules of business; make the sale,
make the sale, make the sale, All other rules and the 3 A.M. sweats
will take care of themselves if these first three rules are followed.”
For more information about their business or art contact Dennis and
Frances at Dog Bark Park, Hwy 95, Cottonwood, ID. 83522 or call them
at 208-962-DOGS. |
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Lewis-Clark Recyclers |
Mark Armstrong’s passion is jigsaw puzzles and it’s no
wonder Mark has made recycling his business passion as well. One of
Mark’s many talents is to take numerous waste disposal issues and
develop a way to fit all the pieces together and create solutions for
his many large commercial clients. Mark’s company that he founded in
1989 is Lewis-Clark Recyclers and he has made a very successful
business out of turning one company’s waste materials into another
company’s resources. Mark’s contagious ingenuity is apparent as he
talks about the staggering tonnage of waste that he is able to keep
out of the local landfills. If there is glamour in the
garbage/recycling industry, Mark is as close as you are going to get.
It has never been easy for recycling companies in an industry that has
wild fluctuations, for the prices paid for recycled commodities. This
year alone a ton of corrugated has ranged from $38.00 to $170.00 per
ton. In few industries does the price of a product swing that
erratically. Mark states that most independent recyclers in the
Northwest have either been forced out of the business or purchased by
larger conglomerates.
Mark’s maverick entrepreneurial ability has been the key that has kept
him successful through the thin times. Mark credits his great
employees who he gives a lot of rein, which allows them to help create
the ideas that keep Lewis-Clark Recyclers at the forefront of its
industry. He also credits his substantial investment in mechanization
which has allowed production scalability and a much more competitive
manufacturing cost structure.
Surprisingly, Mark spends a considerable amount of time on the
Internet. A great deal of his business involves brokering a variety of
waste products. He is also able to conduct extensive research on waste
products that may have uses in other industries. Instead of
value-added products, Mark develops Value-Created products. Mark’s
biggest motivation is to find a reconstructed use for a waste material
that is headed for the landfill. Mark has spawned several companies
that have been spun off to produce and market these “found products”.
One of Mark’s beliefs is that he has to be a consultant in the waste
management business and assist businesses in creating solutions to
their waste problems.
One of the benefits of Mark’s business is the escalating cost of waste
disposal. Each time disposal rates go up, Mark’s phone rings with
companies that tell him they have to reduce their waste disposal
costs. This is when the jigsaw puzzle begins and Mark starts his quest
to put together a viable alternative, using a variety of ideas and
companies to solve the age old problem of waste disposal.
Lewis-Clark Recyclers currently has collection sites that are visited
over 15,000 times annually. Last year this network of collection sites
produced over 4,600 tons of plastic, cardboard and office paper. This
year Lewis-Clark Recyclers reached the position of Idaho’s third
largest “stand-alone” privately owned collector/processor of secondary
fiber and plastic. By the end of September, 2000 Lewis-Clark Recyclers
posted record collections for its fiscal year. Mark is very optimistic
about the future.
Mark credits part of his success to Lewiston’s Office of the Idaho
Small Business Development Center. They have helped him over the past
11 years to make his business a big success. Assistance with ongoing
business planning helped Mark stage the growth of his business. He
comments that having help to avoid pitfalls are invaluable as you grow
your business. The Idaho Small Business Development Center has helped
with numerous research projects to assist Mark in developing other
markets and value–created products. That help is gearing up again as
Mark is looking at new Marketing Plans for value-created paper and
sheet plastic products. |
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