Lisa has owned a salon for 7 years in their home, purposely keeping it on very small scale while they raised their children. So even though they had business experience, they felt they needed some advice on starting a business…one that they hoped would grow on a larger scale.
Will and Lisa met with Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC to help wrap their minds around getting a business off the ground. They actually had two different directions they were exploring, but after talking with the community and looking over cost of both business startups, they choose to open a repair shop in Sundance. “The Repair Shop LLC” started out as a small business in their garage in March, 2014. Will has been an experienced mechanic for over 20 years. It did not take long for the word to spread!
Only having one bay garage limited how much business they could take on. Lisa stated, “In April and May we proceeded to look into buildings to own or rent to expand The Repair Shop. This is where all the research, data, number crunching and business planning took on a much larger responsibility! Having a resource to fall back on for questions was very helpful.” They moved into a bigger, leased building with 3 bays. They have an option to buy the building in a year. They continued to run the business by themselves and added to the business as they went.
Will and Lisa worked with the Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC to develop their business plan and financial projections. They hired an employee, so payroll information was provided from a booklet written by SBDC Business Advisor, Cindy Unger.
The research and business planning has paid off so far. They hired their first part time employee in November to help assist in the office area. The Parkers strive very hard to accommodate their customers with quick, consistent professional services to the residents of Sundance and travelers passing through. They work on small engines like chainsaws, weed eaters, mowers and etc., as well as any automobiles, both foreign and domestic…from simple services and maintenance to major repairs. They continue to see the business expand and look forward to being an asset to their community!