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Success Story: Alaska

“Although I’ve been a small business owner for 20 years, since I began working with the SBDC my confidence and knowledge as an informed owner has increased” – Cover Ups owner, Teresa Roy.

Roy began Cover Ups out of her home twenty years ago as a custom drapery fabricator. Her business grew and in 2000 she opened a retail location in Palmer and expanded her offerings to include unique refurbished furniture.

In 2012, Cover Ups was awarded “Small Business of the Year” by the Alaska Chamber of Commerce. Last year, Roy was accepted by Costco as a window coverings vendor which has caused business to increase exponentially.

As Roy began the process of submitting her business for consideration to Costco, she knew that the contract would mean changes for Cover Ups so she approached the Alaska Small Business Development Center in Wasilla. Previously, Roy had taken a Profit Mastery course with Julie Nolen, Mat-Su Director, and planned to use the Profit Mastery toolkit, along with the confidential one-on-one business advising, to manage the growth the new contract would bring.

In their advising sessions, Nolen and Roy discussed ways to increase staff while maintaining company culture and reviewed tools to keep a finger on the financial pulse of the business. About a month into the contract, Roy reports that business has been booming thanks to the added Costco sales. Because of this, she was able to hire additional staff and expand her offerings.

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