Success Stories

Success Story, Idaho –

A decision to pursue a new adventure turned in to a family business

In 2014, Beto Arteaga gave up his job at an electric motor shop, where he had worked as a teenager. The idea was to start his own business; so he approached his Father. His Father, Norberto, was not excited about the idea, due to his growing real estate business, but Beto was persistent.

Together they started to research the possibility with help from the SBDC. They found an electric motor repair shop that was for sale, and they bought all the equipment and tools necessary to start the business. They then found a building to rent, and AC Electric Motor Service was established.

Norberto came to the SBDC because his family knew SBDC Regional Director Bryan Matsuoka. Matsuoka helped the Arteagas with their business plan and educated them about financing. After following their consultant’s advice, they purchased the building they were renting, and they accomplished their two-year goal in six months. (more…)

West Virginia Success Story –

Morgantown was Josh Bennett’s home while he attended West Virginia University in 2006, but the distance between the college town and the farm he grew up on in Highland County, Virginia stretched further than the 150 miles of country roads separating the two locations. As far as Bennett was concerned, city living and farm life were a world apart.

Bennett had a genuine passion for agriculture and couldn’t wait to get back to his roots once he finished studying horticulture at WVU.

“All I knew was that when I got out of college, I wanted work with agricultural products,” he said. “I wanted the agrarian lifestyle.”

Bennett only needed to find a way to make it all work.

From passion to business (more…)

Vermont Success Story, by Amanda Kuhnert

“They are honest, capable, and efficient, and it’s good to know there’s a local auto shop with friendly people I can trust to do a good job with my car.” This is just one of nearly 700 five-star customer reviews that say, in one way or another, the same thing. Don’s Auto Service is known for its friendly service, honest work, and fair rates.

The auto shop has been a staple in Derby, Vermont since 1979. Unlike many second-generation businesses, its reputation hasn’t suffered with the passing of the baton. After his father, Don, passed away in 2001, Scott Keenan became part-owner of Don’s Auto Service with his mother, Cheryl. Scott’s wife, Deanna, and daughter, Ashley, also work at the shop.

After becoming a partner in the business, Scott realized that they had outgrown their existing space. He identified a larger building for sale that would fit their needs. But to secure financing for the purchase, he needed to prepare a business plan and financial projections. That’s when he reached out to the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC). (more…)

Bluefield café owner transitions from employee to entrepreneur with help from West Virginia SBDC

Nicole Coeburn had a respectable career working in a community she loved. But like many millennials she yearned for more.

Having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, Coeburn wanted to own a small business like her grandmother, father and uncles before her. But starting a business is easier said than done. And like many young professionals looking to take the leap, she still had a day job. How would she make a clean break and pursue her dream? And where would she even start?

There were a flurry of questions swirling through her mind, but Coeburn was certain of one thing: it was time to take her career to the next level. She just needed to find someone who could help her make that happen. And she’d have to take the leap. (more…)