Holistic care, or looking at the whole patient before prescribing treatment, is a concept Dr. Japhet LeGrant decided to pursue while a student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was leaning toward studying physical therapy his senior year when a representative from Logan University, outside of St. Louis, Missouri, visited the campus. “I decided to look into it,” Japhet says. He decided to finish his academic career at Logan, where he earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and, in his own words, “has been going strong ever since.”

Japhet started practicing in 2002 as the chiropractor for Hampton University’s athletic department. Eight years ago, he moved to the Danville/Martinsville area where he practiced as an associate at Hill Chiropractic. “The doctor I was working with decided to retire, so that gave me the opportunity to buy the practice,” Japhet relates. He made an appointment with a Longwood SBDC counselor, and they discussed various factors involved in buying a business. “Kelvin Perry went over a lot of numbers to help me see how I could purchase the business,” he recounts. “The SBDC really helped me with the financial side of it.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to alter those finances, the SBDC was there to assist. “When I moved to Martinsville, I went in to see SBDC Business Analyst Michael Sales,” he adds. “Michael helped me take advantage of the opportunities as far as CARES Act money — everything that was available, I applied for it. That helped me pay my employees and keep everything going.”

While the Back and Neck Pain Relief Center, deemed essential, did not close during the pandemic, Japhet did decide to reduce office hours. “We took the necessary precautions, including cutting hours,” he explains. “I didn’t want my staff to be exposed unnecessarily.” Overall, Japhet treated fewer patients during the pandemic, but there was an influx of injuries resulting from home improvement projects and yard work. “We took care of those patients so they wouldn’t flood the ER during the pandemic,” he adds. 

“I love the holistic approach to care and helping my patients get better without the use of drugs or surgery,” he says. “It makes me happy when patients tell me they can play with their grandchildren again or mow their own grass. That’s why I got into this profession.” 

Japhet says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the SBDC. “The SBDC really helped me with the financial side of my business,” he concludes. “They’re always there to help and keep me informed.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in late March 2020, YakAttack, the kayak accessory business with $6 million in annual sales, lived up to its name. Owner Luther Cifers attacked the economic slowdown with a common-sense solution: his company switched production from kayak accessories to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

“Quite frankly, we had a lot of orders that just dried up,” Luther says. “Knowing that we had the capability, and knowing that there was an urgent need out there, we decided it would be a shame to just sit out the shutdown. We have an engineering staff onsite, and we design products in-house. Once a product is designed and needs to go to tooling, we also build that tooling. We can go from concept to a functional, shippable product faster than most companies.”

At that point the Longwood SBDC offered its assistance. Within a matter of weeks, YakAttack switched production from kayak accessories to PPE. Luther worked really well with Michael Duncan, the SBDC’s Lead Regional Consultant. “Michael has had a lot of manufacturing experience, and he helped us navigate the whole PPE thing, Luther explains. “Michael’s input guided us through the regulatory hurdles.” 

Once in production, YakAttack provided PPE at cost. “We also donated a lot of PPE with funds raised through a Go Fund Me campaign,” Luther adds. Beneficiaries included Central Southside Community Hospital, local nursing homes, area doctors and dentists, and more. 

Luther, who describes himself as a “homegrown engineer,” established his successful business from the ground up. “YakAttack started in 2009 in a friend’s basement,” he recalls. “In a year’s time, what started as a hobby business netted $20,000. “It was evident that there was a market, but you have to know the right steps to be successful in a business — or you have to figure them out,” Luther says. “We’ve done a lot of figuring out.” 

YakAttack’s “figuring out” has paid off. With a 250-plus product line, the company’s distribution includes all 50 states as well as Canada, Australia, and Europe. “We’re still growing,” Luther adds of the business that currently employs 50. He predicts his business will continue to grow in the 68,000-square-foot building YakAttack now calls home. He plans to take advantage of the SBDC’s resources to help promote that growth. 

“Every growing business is constantly faced with challenges they haven’t encountered before,” Luther concludes. “Having someone like Michael, who’s been down that road before, can save you from making a lot of mistakes. I plan to keep the SBDC at the top of my contact list.”

Shelia Reavis, controller for the Family YMCA of Emporia-Greensville, discovered the Longwood SBDC while looking for information on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, available because of COVID-19. She considers it her lucky day. “I sent out a generic email to the Longwood SBDC to ask about applying for PPP loans,” Shelia says. “Ellen Templeton responded right away. I felt like I’d found my best friend. She was Johnny on the spot and really down to earth — she was great.”

“A PPP loan was essential for us,” Shelia adds. “Ellen helped walk me through the whole application process. She helped me focus on the amount we needed, but not too much,” Shelia explains. Although the Y had to shut down from mid-March to June 1st, there was only one week that employees went without pay. “We were lucky to be able to continue to pay all our employees,” Shelia adds. 

Shelia is involved in every aspect of its operation. “I supervise the membership and marketing departments, as well as maintenance and custodial services,” she adds. “I also do all the accounting and payroll.” During April and May when the Y was closed, Shelia took advantage of several of the SBDC’s webinars. “I was watching around five webinars a week,” she says. 

Shelia appreciates the SBDC’s help in keeping the Y up and running. “Our town didn’t appreciate how much the Y means to everyone until it went away,” she says of the recent shutdown. Shelia cites a camaraderie that crosses social, racial, and economic barriers. “Looking at the treadmills one day, I saw a judge, a doctor, and a farmer all talking and laughing together while working out,” she recalls. “Where else would these people end up being friends?”

Shelia appreciates the value of friendship — like the one she’s developed with Ellen. 

“Our biggest advantage during the COVID crisis was Ellen and the SBDC,” Shelia concludes. “I could call Ellen any time and ask questions. When we applied for that PPP loan, Ellen was our inside connection.” Shelia has already told several others about the SBDC and its services. “I plan to keep our connection with the SBDC,” she concludes. “It really is like working with a friend.”

Balance Gymnastics opened for business in June in the midst of a pandemic. A COVID-19 success story, the newly-launched business is not only surviving, it’s thriving. Owners Matt and Brandy Knabb credit their success to the SBDC-Lynchburg Region. “Opening a gym was a goal of ours,” Brandy says. “We just wanted to find the right time and location.” Mid-2020 was not an optimal time, Brandy admits, but a lease was signed and plans had been made. The couple decided to go ahead with the June opening.

Brandy, originally from Concord and a gymnast from an early age, explains her motivation: “There was nothing like this in Concord. We wanted to provide the community with something it didn’t currently have.” Fortunately, Matt and Brandy connected with the SBDC during planning stages for the project. “A friend who has a gym in Charlottesville recommended the SBDC,” Brandy says. “We went to the Start Smart class last October and set up some one-on-one sessions with Stephanie Keener, Director of the SBDC-Lynchburg Region.”

The first order of business was writing a business plan. “We had all these ideas in our head but didn’t have a formal plan on paper,” Brandy recalls. “We knew we would need to have a business plan in hand to apply for a loan to buy equipment. Stephanie helped us with the beginning steps and told us what the plan needed to include. SBDC Business Advisor Jamie Reynolds helped us create financial projections to make sure a gym in Concord was feasible.” Matt and Brandy also found the SBDC classes helpful. “I know gymnastics, but I’m not a business major,” Brandy relates. “There were so many little things we could have missed had we not had the SBDC on our side.”

Balance Gymnastics was able to open at 30% capacity in June. “We started with a small group of staff and 35 kids whose parents were brave enough to register during COVID-19,” Brandy says. “After we opened, we relied on word-of-mouth and the guidance Stephanie gave us on marketing and social media. As restrictions lifted, we were able to offer more classes. Currently, we have classes for children 18 months old through college age.” As the year progressed, enrollment grew. “We have grown rather quickly,” Brandy notes. “We now have 175 students and a coaching staff of ten.”

The couple is already thinking ahead to the future. “After the first of the year, we plan to go to our next phase and offer adult fitness classes,” Brandy adds. “There are so many things we didn’t have a clue about when we went to the SBDC,” Brandy explains. “If we hadn’t worked with them, I doubt we would have ever been able to open, and definitely not in the same time frame.”

Matt and Brandy happily recommend the SBDC to others interested in starting a business. “The SBDC has something for every aspect of running a business,” Brandy concludes. “They keep you pointed in the right direction, and they really set you up for success right from the start.” 

The Vaughans didn’t start out to create a successful jewelry making business. In fact, Anne originally intended the venture to supplement husband Aaron’s income. They invested $500 from their personal savings to purchase some basic tools and gemstones. Between her children’s nap times, Anne created her first designs and exhibited them at the Roanoke City Market on a busy Black Friday in 2006. It marked the launch of a thriving business with online and wholesale customers across the country. “We have a unique product in the American handcrafted jewelry marketplace, specifically layered gemstone jewelry collections,” Aaron explains.

Creating a unique product in a rural area comes with challenges. “We had to train our staff in jewelry making, since most of them come to us with no prior experience. The upside is that most of our makers have been with us between three and nine years, so we are blessed to have a committed staff,” says Aaron.

Anne Vaughan Designs learned about business through the trainings offered by the Roanoke Region SBDC, including the GrowthWheel® program. GrowthWheel provided Anne and Aaron with a “360 view” of the business process. “It covers almost every part of a business, from customer relations to organizational operations and more,” Aaron explains. “The program was especially helpful, because we worked with other local small businesses to see their specific challenges, and then used the GrowthWheel® Framework to walk through the decision-making process and identify ways to resolve and overcome those challenges.”

Aaron and Anne worked closely with SBDC counselors Tom Tanner and Amanda Forrester. “We consult regularly with Tom on quarterly financial reviews and Amanda on networking leads, marketing, and other topics. Having their guidance has been invaluable,” Aaron says. Tom and Amanda helped Aaron and Anne develop cost-efficient systems to maximize profitability, as well as streamline operational systems and software. “Tom Tanner came to our office and spent a half day just going through our financials and making recommendations on how to track expenses differently, make changes to our books, and do an initial cleaning of our data. It was invaluable,” Aaron declares. “Since then, Tom has met with us quarterly to review our financials, ask probing questions about our profit and loss, and identify areas to look into, further based on his expertise.”

The Vaughans are proud to say that they never borrowed any capital, yet have accomplished year-over-year growth since 2006. Anne Vaughan Designs is doing so well that Anne and Aaron are set to participate in a peer advisory group where they will pass on the lessons they have learned over the past 14 years to new start-ups and other businesses in the area. “I am excited to work with other small businesses in our community to help guide them in the same ways that the SBDC has helped us,” says Aaron.