By Gerri Detweiler
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Amy Cantin and Larinda Rainwater had been travel agents for over 20 years. They loved helping their clients and were successful, but were finding themselves increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs at the travel agency where they were both employed. They knew the logical next step would be to open their own travel agency, but that prospect was intimidating.
“We knew how to sell travel but we didn’t know how to run a business,” says Cantin, echoing a common dilemma many would-be entrepreneurs face. “It was scary,” Rainwater adds.
Fortunately, a friend referred them to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, where, for nearly a year, they worked with business consultant Robert Bahn to develop a plan for their business and prepare to go out on their own. They also hired an attorney who, among other things, made sure they didn’t take any client information with them, which could open them to legal action by their former employer. (more…)
“The SBDC was a huge part of this success. They kept us dreaming,” said Gros. She re-imagined her vision to include several re-purposed containers that would convene the community through craft food and drinks. The SBDC then helped Kim with her financial projections, her lease agreements for her eight vendors, and assisted her in obtaining a loan for the project.