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Blooming Success: How the SBDC Helped Taylor Flower Patch Grow

December 10, 2024

At Taylor Flower Patch, our story is one of passion, perseverance, and the power of community support. I’m Jenny Campbell, co-owner of this beautiful flower farm nestled in the heart of Taylor, Mississippi, just south of Oxford. Today, I want to share how the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) transformed our dream into a thriving reality.

From Hobby to Business

Gardening has always been more than just a hobby for me—it’s a way to connect with the earth and bring joy to others. When my husband and I purchased our property, we knew we wanted to create something special. With encouragement from my husband and sister, I began to see the potential of turning my love for flowers into a sustainable business.

Talking about KPI’s

January 9, 2024

Choose “Just the Right KPIs” and Make Reviewing them a Team Sport

Leadership teams that focus on the right KPIs perform better than those that don’t. Choosing and monitoring the right Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, keeps teams focused on the things that matter most so they can drive efficiently drive sales, customer satisfaction, operations and financial results.

Over the years we’ve coached top performing owners and conducted many financial benchmark studies examining how highly profitable companies manage to generate their high returns. One thing we learned from this: their success is not by accident!

Leaders who consistently use “just the right KPIs” to set goals and track improvement find themselves in the top 25% of their industry. Those KPIs help them find their way to higher profits. Here are some best practices to help you identify your “just the right KPIs” for your company.

Using Libraries to Enhance Entrepreneurship

December 6, 2023

By Jim Takeshita

Even under the best of circumstances, starting and maintaining a small business is a costly, complex, and time-consuming process. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a good idea, an experienced operator trying to meet a bottom line, or a local creative seeking community connection: Where do you go if you’re not sure what your next step is?

Try your library.

Libraries, such as the St. Louis County Library, report saving small business owners significant money each year (check out the American Library Association’s Library Value Calculator for more). This potential for cost savings is a national trend: Across the United States, libraries in every locality provide entrepreneur support resources of all kinds, from workshops and networking opportunities to specialized media equipment and market research. Working with a local library is a good way for prospective and established small business owners to get the help they need—and a good way for business support organizations to extend the reach and impact of their services.