Roy Steinberg’s golf apparel business was in full swing in Albany, Georgia, but his business needed additional cash flow to increase inventory and meet demand. With guidance from the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, Steinberg was able to develop a strong financial plan to refinance existing loans and improve cash flow. His hard work paid off—sales for his business, Steinberg Sportswear, have tripled.
Nina Pinidi, the owner of Solime Royal Hair, juggles her business, school and breast cancer treatments.
More than half of small businesses are born from someone’s desire to find freedom. Nina Pinidi’s business was born out of necessity.
Her comrades needed products they couldn’t find on base or on deployment, but her morale needed it too after serving 17 years.
She rose in rank to chief petty officer with deployments to Japan, Guantánamo Bay, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Chile and Djibouti before getting sick and having to medically retire.
“I was really in a dark time when I was out because it’s like all of a sudden you’re not needed anymore,” she said. “You don’t have to wear a uniform. No one calls you for advice. No one needs your mentorship, and that literally stops overnight.”
Tyson started out working for a competitor before bootstrapping and putting everything he and his wife Angela had into purchasing four Grease Monkey stores in Idaho for $1.4M in 2014. Even when his credit accounts were briefly frozen, he was able to leverage his relationship with strategic suppliers who helped with the down payment and credit lines.
Joe took over the Floyd Lilly Company in 2017 with an excited attitude and willingness to learn, having already thought of his goals for his customers,team, and company. Floyd Lily Company offers water wells, pumps, tanks, hoses, pipe, tubing, fittings, and sprayers, as well as 24-hour emergency well and pump services. He believes that a part of his business’s success is his ability to retain great staff, who focus on the customer needs and strive to achieve higher customer service; this success has given Joe the opportunity to focus on including a great health care program for his staff, complete with a retirement program.
Debbie and Joe Glordano purchased the Powell’s Sweet Shoppe franchise in 2006 and opened January 2007. They rebranded as Cravin’s Candy Emporium in 2016. Cravin’s Candy Emporium is a neighborhood of candy stores and gelato shops where the aim is to create a fun experience for all ages. Cravin’s Candy Emporium is a ‘Main Street’ type of business – all products are locally made and shown through creative displays.