Client Name: Steve Stottlar
Business Name: Rock Paper Ditches
Business Website: https://rockpaperditches.com/
Industry: Landscaping
Location: Northwood, NH
SBDC Advisor's Name: Jean Nelson
Steve Stottlar was retired and spending much of his free time on DIY projects when the idea was sparked to open Rock Paper Ditches in February of this year. He had bought the Bobcat, a skid steer, to clear out some land behind his house. Living in a development though, he realized it wouldn’t be used much and since they’d spent some good money on it, he figured, “we could put this thing to work.”
He definitely put it to work when he started Rock Paper Ditches. Rock Paper Ditches is a service the fills the gap between DIY and hiring a large company for slightly bigger projects than the average DIYer can handle. Rock Paper Ditches moves rocks, trees and water for homeowners, saving them from the high costs of purchasing / renting their own equipment, the overwhelm of knowing how to do it, or hiring a larger outfit with lots of overhead and a full schedule to do the work. “Besides serving customers, I love the challenges around problem solving and also the uniqueness of each project,” says Steve.
Right from the beginning, Steve sought support from SBDC to help him get his business off the ground. He had never created a business plan before and wanted help. His wife, a seamstress who owns a wedding and bridal accessories business had worked with SCORE previously, so he knew there was business support out there. Steve found SBDC and within a day of contacting them, Steve says he heard from SBDC Business Advisor, Jean Nelson.
Since then, Jean has been there supporting Steve with everything from starting up to accounting to advertising. She helped Steve develop a business plan and connected him to various resources, both industry specific and generalized. On the financial side, Jean was a big support to Steve who is used to his wife managing both her business and their household finances. He had a lot of questions about taxes and Jean connected him with fellow SBDC Business Advisor, Hollis McGuire who has more specialized knowledge on that topic. Steve notes, “She met with us a couple of times and gave us a comfort level that my wife's happy with as far as the tax goes. Hollis was just great with that.”
Jean’s business advising also comes backed by an abundance of education opportunities SBDC has available for small business owners. She made Steve aware of SBDC’s eCourses available to him, and he took several, including those on HR, social networking, and websites. Steve adds, “there’s plenty more in there too that I need to get into.” They kept advertising to a minimum this year, but Steve shares, “Now that we understand the business better, and we’re going to expand some equipment, advertising will probably pick up next year. We’ll plug in more of that.”
Even when it came to industry specific guidance, Jean had connections for Steve. Coming from an industry where Steve was the safety, environmental and quality manager, he knew a little about OSHA regulations, and wanted to make sure everything he’d be doing with trees was within OSHA guidelines. So, Jean set up a meeting for Steve with President of the Timberland Owners Association, Jasen Stock, who could answer all his questions. What’s more, Jasen was able to point Steve to even more resources within the group.
“My experience with my advisor, Jean Nelson, has been very comfortable and guidance has been specific to my needs,” says Steve. “Value added at every step.” Steve describes Jean as a “joy” to work with and “very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.” Jean made him feel confident that no matter what questions he had, she would either be able to answer them or would know what direction to point him in to find the answers. “She’s a very delightful person. She wants to help me succeed,” says Steve.
Imagining where he might be without the support of SBDC, Steve suggests he might not have been as focused and expects there would have been more angst for him in trying to start this business. Through guidance, resources, and connections, SBDC has given him the confidence and efficiency he needed to get his business running in a timely manner, rather than spending valuable time trying to learn the ropes on his own.
It would have been a slower start, because I would have done more of that work myself, figuring it out. You know, the free service is just phenomenal. There is no greater value than free, excellent guidance!
Rock Paper Ditches’ startup has been busier than they can keep up with. Steve shares that as it begins to pay the bills, investment in machinery and expanding the workforce is in the near future. And, as for the longer term? Steve hopes to one day see the business handed off to his grandchildren.