Success Stories

U.S. Army Sergeant Achieves Self-Sufficiency with the Help of The Entrepreneur’s Source

After serving for 24 years in the U.S. Army, Sergeant First Class Ron Adams was at a crossroads, not knowing what his next career move should be. Ron decided to attend the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring our Heroes Career Fair in 2013, and attending this event helped him pave the path to his future in franchising.

At this career fair, Ron met Matt Thornton, a business coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source. During this initial conversation, Matt asked Ron if he had previously envisioned himself as self-employed.

“Ron told me he had been looking at a few options of franchise businesses and business start-ups,” Matt said. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘I do not want to work for anyone again.’ I knew he was serious and I could help him find a business that was aligned with his goals, needs and expectations.”

The Entrepreneur’s Source Coaching Advantage
The very next day following the event, Ron took Matt up on the complimentary coaching session Matt had offered, to learn more about the path from Employment to Empowerment and to explore whether this is something he would like to learn more about. Matt helped Ron explore his Income, Wealth, Equity and Lifestyle (I.L.W.E) goals while learning about various business models and how they would mesh with what Ron was trying to accomplish. Matt also helped Ron discover and learn a tremendous amount about himself and his own style and behavioral traits and things to be aware of as he explored alternative career options. .

As Ron explored his options and learned more about the business models, he could really visualize himself in an N-Hance franchise. N-Hance is a wood floor and cabinet refinishing business that gives customers low-cost and quick makeovers to their homes. Although Ron had zeroed in on the perfect franchise for him, this wasn’t the end of his journey.

Introduction to Franchise Resources
Matt introduced Ron to many valuable tools and resources available to veterans, minorities and first-time business owners. Ron, who was a first time business owner, happened to need assistance when creating his business plan. Matt showed him the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a portal on the Small Business Association’s website that helps future, first-time entrepreneurs craft a business plan at no cost.

“The SBDC is a valuable resource for my clients,” Matt said. “They do an outstanding job of helping build the road map for a business.”

Matt also showed Ron how to find services to assist him with financing his franchise. Ron utilized Southern Association for Financial Empowerment (SAFE), and through this association was able to secure small business loan to help get his franchise off the ground.

Ron’s Gratitude to The Entrepreneur’s Source
Thanks to the help Ron received from The Entrepreneur’s Source franchise, he was successfully able to achieve his dream of self-employment through business ownership.

“I could have never accomplished this without this professional help,” he said. “As a veteran, I knew what I wanted to do, I just did not know what type of business or how to do it.”

For more information about how you can move from Employment to Empowerment by discovering your I.L.W.E.™goals, contact an alternative career coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source today.