Ever dream of owning a business and becoming an entrepreneur? If so, National Entrepreneurship Week 2015 begins on February 21.
Small business (entrepreneurial enterprises) have been the strongest engine behind economic development in the United States for at least two decades. Most people are employed in a business that has fewer than 150 employees. A number of successful enterprises operate with as few as 10 employees.
Don't underestimate the impact of the the entrepreneur!
In Delaware, there are a number of local resources available to help start your journey. Most of them are free or very reasonable.
Here are just a few to check out:
The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce - www.ncccc.com - most members work for entrepreneurial enterprises. The organization offers many programs and networking event designed to build long-term relationships with both clients and vendors.
Visit http://www.eecincubator.com/ to explore the NCC Chamber Emerging Enterprise Center where you can get great advice and office space to start your business.
The Delaware Small Business Development Center -- www.delawaresbdc.org - a valuable resource for entrepreneurs, the Delaware SBDC offers a variety of programs to help your business grow. It's a good idea to give them a call to schedule a visit.
The Service Corp of Retired Executives - http://www.scoredelaware.org/
SCORE®, the nation’s largest volunteer business counseling service, is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping America's small businesses. SCORE® is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Over 30 volunteer counselors participate in SCORE® in Delaware, and their combined experience and knowledge could match most Business School faculties. Our goal is to help businesses throughout Delaware and in nearby areas be successful by creating an on-going relationship with the entrepreneur and passing on our business knowledge gained through experience. To see how SCORE has helped other entrepreneurs please visit the SCORE UTube web site and for additional information about SCORE.
Veteran's: SCORE Delaware supports Veteran's starting their own business by providing free counseling and workshops. If you are a veteran considering registering for our workshops please contact us using the "Contact Us" link on the home page. Tell us what workshop you would like to attend and confirm your veteran's status. We will manually register you for your workshop.
Most people think that entrepreneurs make their own hours and make a lot of money. The truth is that you work ALL the hours and need to invest your profits back into the business to lay a strong foundation for future growth.
In business, you "grow" or "die". Starting the business is easy, anything you gain is more than you had. The real challenge comes when your business is five years old. In most cases, the original business strategy has changed and you need to take the enterprise to the next level of success.
Gemini Janitorial Services started in 1984. The company celebrated 30 years in business under the leadership of Janet Killian in 2014.
Although the challenges have changed, they are still there. We appreciate the dedication of our valued clients and do everything we can to make their offices shine every day.
Our first client was George & Lynch, a local construction firm. The Gemini Janitorial Services team continues to make their offices shine in 2014. Long-term relationships with dedicated customers and paying attention to detail have made our success possible.
Janet is an entrepreneur in the true sense of the word. No matter the daily challenges, her customers know they can count on her to deliver janitorial services with care and attention to detail.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell and Janet Killian at a Committee of 100 meeting.
Although she comes from humble beginnings, there were nine people in her family, she worked hard and appreciated every opportunity that came her way.
Early on, she had the chance to purchase another cleaning business, started hiring the best workers she could find and the rest is history.
The Gemini difference is the dedicated people who work for the company. Listening to her employees is very important to Janet. She gets to know them, their strengths and personalities. She is frequently out in the workplaces being cleaned, training and learning.
With determination and a positive attitude, she worked hard to build a well-managed and profitable business. Her advice to fellow entrepreneurs, “Get rid of all negative people in your life. Educate yourself, work hard and believe in yourself, stay strong and you will persevere.”
Happy National Entrepreneurship Week -- now, get out there and make it happen!
