Category: Business Owner Stories

How an Equipment Lease Was the Key to Unlocking This Consultant’s Success

How an Equipment Lease Was the Key to Unlocking This Consultant’s Success

Miles “Holmes” McGinnis first started his computer consulting business, Amerimart, in the early 1990s. He was a database programmer who consulted for several Fortune 1000 companies, and enjoyed 10 years of solid work with his growing client base. Then, during the Dot-com collapse in the early 2000s, Holmes lost many of his clients because of excessive speculation and growing fears regarding the future of Internet-based companies. Suddenly, he was faced with no work, aging technical skills, a growing pile of… Read More
What This Entrepreneur Learned Building a Business on Smart Partnerships

What This Entrepreneur Learned Building a Business on Smart Partnerships

Vicky Llerena is the founder of Social Vibes Media, a New Jersey marketing agency focused on online brand building. Llerena’s passion is helping minority and women-owned businesses establish an online presence that will enable them to generate more leads and get noticed by potential customers. She credits a commitment to networking and building partnerships with fueling her business’ growth. From Corporate Job to Entrepreneur I worked in corporate for six years. It was my first job after college. I moved… Read More
This Entrepreneur is Using Skills He Learned as a Race Car Driver to Build a Marketing Business

This Entrepreneur is Using Skills He Learned as a Race Car Driver to Build a Marketing Business

Britton Lorentzen is the owner of Empac Design, a small business in Washington that provides branding and marketing solutions for other small businesses, including graphic design, web design, and asset creation and development. Lorentzen is passionate about telling the unique stories of the small businesses he works with, helping them to create a brand that thoroughly engages their intended audience. From Race Car Driver to Entrepreneur A long while back, I was part of a racing family. We started off… Read More
The Inner Circle: How Your Peers Could Be the Key to Business Success

The Inner Circle: How Your Peers Could Be the Key to Business Success

Ric Franzi is the owner of Critical Mass for Business, a company dedicated to making a lasting positive impact on the lives of business leaders through the power of peer learning. Ric’s presence both in Orange County, California and nationally is accomplished through his CEO Peer Groups, a weekly podcast and authoring the first book on peer learning called Critical Mass: The 10 Explosive Powers of CEO Peer Groups. “I believed in this business and the power of social learning… Read More
How One Woman Grew Her Business 6X in 2 Years

How One Woman Grew Her Business 6X in 2 Years

When Ingrid Murray took over Prospect Cleaning Service Inc. in 2014, she didn’t have direct experience in the janitorial industry. But she did have an accounting background and the drive to grow the business — a commercial janitorial service started by her husband — beyond the $75,000 or so a year it had been earning. While she knew she would do whatever it took to make it a success, she likely had no idea that in just a couple of years she… Read More
Not an Early Bird? Here’s How Night Owls Can Still Find Success

Not an Early Bird? Here’s How Night Owls Can Still Find Success

I’ve never been an early bird. Early birds hit their stride at sunrise. As a night owl, my best ideas arrive when the sun sets. Living in a 9-to-5 society can be tough on night owls. See if you can relate: You wonder if you’re a slacker or just genetically deficient. You make up for your sluggish mornings by outhustling early birds during the day. You read article after article about how to establish a morning routine, but the advice doesn’t… Read More