After we received a request from a local Scoutmaster to make an Arrow of Light Plaque I started out with research of what is already out there and, all of the different designs that are available. When you are laser engraving on wood each different species of wood reacts differently to the laser and how dark or light it will appear. When I drew the design out I kept this in mind so that we are able to have a very clear and eloquent design. We also tried to keep it natural looking without the use of paint. This natural look is able to be placed anywhere without contrasting with household decor. The scoutmaster later installs an Indian arrow into the hooks. Since this award is so important we place a lot of emphasis on the appearance. We know of all the work that there was to get to this point. Congratulations and keep moving up.
100% Disabled Veteran Starts a Business
100% Disabled Veteran Starts a Business
BY MICHAEL L. F. SLAVIN ON NOVEMBER 20, 2014 IN BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, FINDING MONEY, GOALS, MILLION IN THE BANK, MINDSET, PLANNING, STARTING OUT
100% Disabled Veteran Starts a Business
laser-cutter-cutting-metal
A new business is started
Part I
100% Disabled Veteran Starts a Business
Disabled veteran entrepreneur Al Kroell served more than honorably in the Navy, but is quite private about discussing it. When he retired from the military in 2004 after 20 years of service and 100% disability, he vowed he would not give up and wanted to start a business. Because of his injuries sustained in the military he was classified as a 100% disabled veteran and among many other health issues he could not use his hands.
Disabled veteran learns new skills
He knew he was not ready to start or run a business, he needed to educate himself about business and find out what his body would let him do. Al is always in pain, when I talked to him after being out of the military for 10 years, he had suffered through 53 surgeries, has had two strokes, his heart has stopped twice, has serious back problems, hip problems, ankle problems, vision issues, and not to mention he cannot use his hands. And they even gave him the wrong blood type in a transfusion once that almost killed him. His medical problems are not over and he continues to have problems. Of course none of this would be possible without Al’s wife, Christy, as his caregiver. They decided to sell their house that they had lived in for 17 years when Al retired. Then they moved and got all their expenses down as low as possible.
Veteran’s Skills Need Business Skills Added
482518547545901902_YQ7wCUFY_c
Main tool of the new business
Al’s mind and spirit had set a goal of owning a business, but he did not know what kind to start. He started college courses to learn how to start and run a business. Al stated that “Twenty years in the military and I learned a lot, but they don’t teach you how to run a business, how to market yourself, or even how to write a business plan.” He took marketing, accounting and the other courses necessary for a business degree. He had always done woodworking before his injury, but never dreamed his business could be done around woodworking until he learned of a very high tech, state of the art, $100,000 computerized laser engraving machine.This machine had to be programmed, but he knew with the help of his wife this machine could do anything his mind could think of, he would not need his hands. After Al learned about this he had a goal, to get this machine and go into business. He talked to the Veterans Vocational Rehab. Their job is to help disabled veterans get back into the workforce. They had Al do a business plan and kept sending him to financial institutions that would say “No” to the loan for $100,000 for the machine he needed. All of this took time and Al keep taking classes. After his business classes, he took classes on manufacturing, and on engraving machine operation. But he knew to be well rounded, so he also took courses on public speaking, art classes to help him better design creative works for his future clients, and even grammar and writing to be able to express himself as professionally as possible. This was not easy; often he would have to reset his hip before sitting in class, and over the years he often showed up with different casts from surgeries-he was always in pain.
Veteran Finds Right Advice
Broaden the market with new ideas
Then Al switched seeking advice from the Veterans Vocational Rehab Advisor to SCORE, his mentor took a big interest in Al and helped him redo the business plan. They made a few presentations, but could still not find the loan. Al had made a small carving for his counselor to thank him. The counselor set the carving on his desk to keep Al in his mind, but nothing happened for a couple of years.Then one day he got a call from his counselor, he thought he had found a place that would loan him the money, the Fresno Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
Business Started
With the loan in place Al and Christy were in business, ChristyAl Plaques and Engraving opened in July 2012. They got some orders right away from people they knew like an engraved marble sign for an optometrist they knew and some other smaller orders. Their sales have been meager through 2 years, but not because of the quality of their product. They are producing great products, but I feel they are having trouble finding a market and with marketing in general. They do not have a store front, and it is probably not necessary and they have no real marketing campaign. I feel they are very close to breaking loose, but that has not been done yet. They are a pent-up machine, with the technical skill and the creative imagination to put themselves on track to be making the kind of revenue to be millionaires. They need an event or the right contact.
Conflicting Goals
Keeping an open mind helps develop new ideas for business expansion
Al is gung-ho and wants to have a super successful business and is doing what he can to make it happen. But Christy told me she is just happy to see her husband be so happy and involved in the business. She said it is great for his mental health and because it keeps him so engaged he probably benefits physically too as much as possible. They really do not have the extra funds to pay for aggressive marketing, but they should do everything they can to market.
Part II is all about Al’s trying to grow his company with his community involvement and marketing. Read about one of the biggest problems every new business owner has – marketing. Can Al find the answers to make and save $1,000,000?
- See more at: http://onemillioninthebank.com/100-disabled-veteran-starts-business/#sthash.1wjRawlV.dpuf
Show less
100% Disabled Veteran Starts a Business - One Million In The Bank
When he retired as a disabled veteran from the military in 2004 , he vowed he would not give up and wanted to start a business
Marketing a start up business, how can my business become known?
First of all I would like to say I had to read many many books, I also read somewhere that rich people have a large libraries and poor people have large televisions, so since my television set was quite large along with my bills I had to start reading to find out how to get my business off the ground. One of the books that I did read and I will suggest reading is start with WHY. It mentions in this book that people do not care what you are selling, they care why you are selling it. Anyhow let me get on with my thought for the day. Our business is laser engraving, we can literally engrave on anything, so our market is really anybody. This can be overwhelming. We were trying to market to everyone, our target market was not clearly defined. One day I told my wife let's try to market to one target market each quarter, so we narrowed it down to only one which was pet memorials. We also decided that because people do not care what you sell the care why you are selling it we will donate back to animal rescue a percentage of what we make. After this quarter we will go ahead and do custom glass work and donate to autism. Car shows, multiple sclerosis, and etc. I think you get the idea. Our thoughts were that by always giving back it would give a reason for someone to go with us. I guess now thinking about it this gave us our businesses WHY, our purpose in life. Also by starting with a smaller target market and adding on it also focused us. You might be asking why give away your marketing strategies, I am a disabled veteran and starting off our business has been very difficult, we did not know anything about marketing, you could say we were Forest Gumping our way through it. I hate to see people reinvent the wheel each time a businesses starts up this is just my way of giving back to all the people that helped me out, i'm passing along my experiences. I will post things that work and things that don't do so well in following blogs. Come visit our website, and if you have any comments I would love to hear them. We might be able to post it on a following blog so you could help out others as well. Never give up on your dreams.
This is my wife and I after winning a national award, The Sargent Shriver Achievement Award for Veterans Serving America. This award was given to us mostly on our charity work. Please check out the YouTube video at the bottom.
www.caplaques.com
