- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Orvis Honored as 2021 State Star by America’s Small Business Development Centers

John Hill — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 13:39:04 +0000

Wendy Orvis��of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center was recognized Aug. 18 as a 2021 State Star by��America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). The national network of Small Business Development Centers honored 2021 and 2020 State Star winners from around the country during a virtual awards ceremony. The State Star award, the highest accolade for SBDC employees, recognizes exemplary performers. Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, 2020 State Star, was also honored. One person from every state and U.S. territory is selected for the award each year. Winners are traditionally feted at the national America’s SBDC conference every fall. Due to COVID-19, the conference went virtual for 2020 and 2021, leading to the separate livestreamed event to celebrate State Stars for both years. ��is the startup specialist at the ASBTDC Lead Center at the��University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With the center since 2010, she specializes in assisting first-time business owners, helping them develop business plans and complete the steps to start their businesses. Since last year, she has ably managed the surge in requests for ASBTDC services created by the pandemic. ��is a business consultant at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock center. He joined ASBTDC in 2017 and has assisted clients in starting more than 40 businesses and accessing over $26.2 million in capital. The Marketing Map tool he created assists businesses in developing marketing strategies that connect them with their customers.

Nicolas Mayerhoeffer

��is the association that represents the nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers, the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States and its territories. Hosted by leading universities, colleges, state economic development agencies, and private partners, nearly 1,000 local centers provide management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their own businesses. SBDCs are funded in part by Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Robust Olive weathers pandemic with ASBTDC assistance

John Hill — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 16:31:50 +0000

When Jill Cady of Little Rock learned she had Celiac disease a decade ago, she made it her mission to find the best and highest quality foods. Today, she couldn’t imagine cooking without the wonderful olive oil that has become a staple of her family’s diet. When her oil source Saggio closed down in 2018, Cady decided to open her own store, and the Robust Olive was born. It is a specialty store in Little Rock with a tasting room that sells extra virgin olive oil, infused olive oils, and balsamic products. “I was devastated by the loss of the previous store,” Cady said. “I loved the products. For my own health, I felt that I had to do it. I really believe that the products are superior to what we can get in the grocery store and are better for your health.” Consuming high-quality olive oil has many health benefits, including lowering LDL cholesterol and blood pressure as well as a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses. As a new business owner, Cady explored the free resources provided by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “I was struggling with balancing my advertising budget with sales and staying within a reasonable budget,” she said. “I felt like I needed someone with experience to help me. I made a lot of rookie mistakes that first year with overextending my advertising when there were options, like social media, that I could have employed better.” With the help of her ASBTDC business consultant, Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, Cady received some new strategies to promote her business.

The Robust Olive Owner Jill Cady

“I was able to work with her on her overall marketing strategy and value proposition through the marketing map created by the ASBTDC,” Mayerhoeffer said. “We were able to guide her to identifying community partners to leverage her store as well as marketing tactics to make her store more visible.” While Cady expected many challenges while starting a business, a pandemic wasn’t one of them. “Nicolas was essential for me to know where to go to apply for the grants and loans,” Cady said. “He was very helpful with giving me the direction on where to find all those applications and the encouragement of increasing our sanitary policies and our social media presence. He made sure that I was still posting regularly, pushing that we were still open, had curbside service, and delivery.” Knowing how to apply for loans and other funding has been an essential way the ASBTDC has helped local businesses during the pandemic. “In regard to the Covid19, ASBTDC helped the Robust Olive to navigate all SBA programs as well as the AEDC assistance,” Mayerhoeffer said. “We worked with the client to navigate the various economic injury loan programs and provided comprehensive information for both programs to include the criteria for eligibility, the process of applying, and features of the financing program.” Cady kept the doors open during the pandemic, though for only four hours per day in March and April. She introduced strategies like curbside pickup and free delivery and is hopeful business will pick up now that the second phase of re-opening has begun in Arkansas. “In the first month of the pandemic, we had steady business and people were stocking up on supplies,” she said. “In May, it came to a screeching halt. We’ve adopted all the new sanitary guidelines. We offer curbside pickup and free delivery in town. We go as far as Cabot, Conway, and Benton. Outside of that area, we have free shipping as well. We want to make it as consumer friendly as possible. We sanitize after every customer. I made sure to stay positive that we would all work through this. Staying open was key.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock MBA grad starts new beverage business in Little Rock

John Hill — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:09:58 +0000

A recent graduate of the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is putting his business skills to good use with the creation of a new beverage business in Little Rock. Pavithran Tirukazhukundram Sekar Indira, founder and CEO of Magic Water Drinks, originally came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from India to complete a master’s degree in construction management. After he enrolled in the MBA program, Indira set his eyes on starting a business. “My father worked with rice, and I grew up on a farm,” Indira said. “I wanted to go into the food and beverage industry. I am very passionate about this industry. Everyone in my family works in business. It’s in my blood.” In 2018, Indira visited the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center for assistance in starting his business. His business consultant, Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, said he was immediately impressed by Indira’s drive to succeed. “Pavi came from a different country, completed an MBA, and is now talking with Walmart, Kroger, and other large businesses to expand his company,” Mayerhoeffer said. “Pavi’s story is absolutely incredible. He’s not the typical entrepreneur. He’s had more challenges than others, and it was incredible to see him succeed.” Mayerhoeffer and Indira started doing market research into the food and beverage industry. Originally, he was interested in starting a microbrewery but later decided on a beverage company. “The trends show which industry is growing faster,” Mayerhoeffer said. “Microbreweries were trending down, while soft drinks are growing faster than microbreweries. The markets shift all the time.” Indira is currently renting a 5,200-square-foot factory space that serves as the base of operations and production for his company, Magic Water Drinks, which produces water infused with organic extract flavors. He employs four people. Together, they produce more than 400,000 bottles of water per month. “As a student who is new to the U.S., I don’t know the business market,” Pavi said. “The ASBTDC helped me and guided me through steps like registering my business. Without them, I wouldn’t have made a product. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, I learned how to run a business. This is where everything started for me. I’ve even met the chancellor, and she really liked my drinks.” As his business grows, Indira has plans to expand his product line and hire additional factory workers as well as drivers. If everything stays on track, he projects he will make $300,000 to $400,000 in profit by the end of the year. A self-described go-getter, Indira said he’s saved a lot of money in startup costs by learning skills at the ASTBDC and doing the work himself. “I’ve taken 20 training classes through ASBTDC,” Indira said. “I took a class on Canva, and I created my logo using that program. There was another class, Website in a Day, that teaches small businesses how to create websites. I made my own website and saved thousands of dollars. Market research is one of the most expensive things for new businesses, and they provided it to me for free.” After seeing so many people fall ill because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indira was inspired to create a new product that he hopes will keep people healthier. He has a new peach mango-flavored energy drink with immune boosters, turmeric, ginger, and green tea.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock ASBTDC staff honored for helping Arkansas’s small business owners

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 14:19:17 +0000

Staff members at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock were honored for their efforts to help small businesses in the state succeed. State Director Laura Fine recognized top performers from the state’s seven ASBTDC offices during a statewide meeting Oct. 15.�� Michael Singleton, associate state director, was named Most Valuable Player, while four other staff members from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock center office earned spots in the millions club for bringing in more than $20 million for their clients.�� The millions club level represents the amount of loans and other capital investment that staff members helped clients attain in 2018.�� The staff members recognized include Martial Trigeaud, business consultant, $10 million; Whitney Horton, interim program manager, $5 million; Rebecca Todd, innovation consultant, $3 million; and Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, business consultant, $2 million.�� In the upper right photo, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock ASBTDC award winners include (from left): Innovation Consultant Rebecca Todd, Associate State Director Michael Singleton, Business Consultant Martial Trigeaud, Business Consultant Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, and Interim Program Manager Whitney Horton.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Orvis Honored as 2021 State Star by America’s Small Business Development Centers

The Robust Olive weathers pandemic with ASBTDC assistance

����Vlog��ý Little Rock MBA grad starts new beverage business in Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock ASBTDC staff honored for helping Arkansas’s small business owners

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock MBA grad starts new beverage business in Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock ASBTDC staff honored for helping Arkansas’s small business owners