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Home-Based Business Expands in Katy, Texas
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Home-Based Business Expands in Katy, Texas
Texas Swim Academy, owned by Bruce and Kathleen McMordie, is an aquatic safety academy located in Katy, Texas. Texas Swim Academy started as a home-based business in 2004 and has expanded to a new 7,800 square foot facility with the help of the SBA and its resource partners.
The business idea came when Kathleen was looking for an infant aquatics survival program for her daughter. Having worked at a hospital as a registered nurse with near drowning patients, Kathleen wanted her children to learn water survival skills. Three of her older children were successful with a similar program when they lived in Austin, but after moving to Houston, finding an instructor in the area who taught this program proved unsuccessful. When she couldn’t find an instructor in town, she expanded her search and found an instructor from Dallas who was willing to travel to the Houston area to give lessons. To make the instructor’s trip to Houston worthwhile, Kathleen invited other children to take lessons.
When Kathleen’s daughter was of kindergarten age, she decided to train and become a certified instructor of the same program. In 2004, she started teaching the infant aquatic survival program at her home pool. The business took off and they eventually outgrew their home pool, limiting the number of lessons they can offer. With a passion to continue providing lifesaving skills to as many young children as possible, Bruce and Kathleen decided it was time to expand.
In 2009, Bruce and Kathleen heard about the Service Corps of Retired Executives’ (SCORE) workshops offered at the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. They attended several workshops including “Write a Winning Business Plan” and “How to Start a Business.” They also received assistance from the University of Houston Ft. Bend County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Katy, Texas. The workshops combined with private counseling through SCORE and the SBDC helped Bruce and Kathleen prepare for the expansion.
With the business plan completed and details of the project ready, they applied for an SBA loan through Member’s Choice Credit Union. In November 2011, they were approved for an SBA 7(a) program loan to help fund the project. Three years of extensive research and planning finally paid off. Their new state of the art swim academy opened in September 2012 and includes a 30x60 ft. pool (four lanes) for group lessons and swim practice and five 12x12 ft. individual pools for private lessons. Texas Swim Academy offers year round indoor infant aquatics survival classes, parent-child classes, stroke development classes, water aerobics, and swim parties.
Bruce and Kathleen are proud to see their dreams come to fruition. They started their home-based business with one employee and now have a staff of 15. “The accomplishment of expanding from a home-based business to being able to employ people is rewarding,” said Bruce. “I enjoy teaching and working with my employees,” adds Kathleen. While Kathleen continues to teach, Bruce manages the business and already plans to expand the business to have an evening swim team and include competition swimming and host swim meets.
For more information about Texas Swim Academy, visit their location at 3514 Greenbusch Rd., Katy, Texas or visit their website at http://www.texasswimacademy.com. For information about SBA’s resource partners, SCORE and SBDC, visit their website at http://www.scorehouston.org and http://www.sbdc.uh.edu.
Dandy Candy, A Chocolate Lover's Dream Business
Dandy Candy, LLC was started in 2006 by friends and co-owners Goya Qualls and Gina Williams. Dandy Candy is a retail business specializing in printing full color images, photographs, logos and messages onto chocolate products.
The unique business started after Goya Qualls was laid off from the insurance industry where she worked for 24 years. With the ambition of starting her own business, she was reminded of her mother’s saying, “You should do what you love.” Jokingly, she answered herself, “I love chocolate.” What started off as a joke turned into a real business.
After much research, Qualls discovered the idea of selling personalized chocolates and pitched the idea to her friend Gina Williams, a retired disabled veteran who had recently moved from Louisiana to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. Gina was immediately on board. Leaving the chocolate making process to the experts, Qualls and Williams focused on creating graphics and designs to put on the chocolate. During their research, they learned about SCORE, a resource partner of the SBA, who helped them apply for an SBA loan. SCORE is a non-profit association of volunteers who offer free counseling to small business entrepreneurs. In September 2006, Qualls & Williams were approved for an SBA guaranteed loan.
Qualls and Williams continue to improve and grow their business and are still using SCORE’s services today. They recently participated in and graduated from SCORE & Capital One Bank’s “Getting Down To Business” program. This program was created to ensure that small business owners have access to information, resources, mentors and financing that can help them grow and succeed. The program also offers opportunities for qualified small businesses to grow by increasing business knowledge, networking with industry experts and lenders, and earning a match reward. Qualls & Williams won the business plan competition and received City Council and Congressional recognition.
These savvy business women know how to utilize the resources available. Qualls and Williams take their business very seriously, as evidenced by their state and national certifications and their commitment to continuing education. In May 2011, Williams traveled to San Antonio, Texas to attend the Veteran Women Inspiring the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) Conference and in August 2011, Williams graduated from The Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Disabled Veterans from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. Later that year in November, Qualls graduated from The Port of Houston's Small Business Development program and appeared on local FOX TV news in support of Small Business Saturday and in December, they were featured in the Houston Business Journal. They also took advantage of the services provided by the Houston Galveston Women’s Business Center, another resource partner of the SBA.
Dandy Candy didn’t always run so smoothly. They had a rough start in the beginning finding capital and losing inventory to Hurricane Ike; the decline in the economy made things worse. However, the available resources they’ve taken advantage of and applied to their business model have helped and they are looking forward to becoming an international provider of personalized chocolates while they continue to support charitable causes.
Qualls and Williams find joy in putting smiles on people’s faces and their goal is to work with non-profits to help raise money for charity. For more information on Dandy Candy, visit their website at http://www.dandycandyonline.com. More information about the SBA, SCORE, and WBC can be found at http://www.sba.gov and http://www.scorehouston.org, http://www.wbea-texas.org/wbc , respectively.
From Pro Basketball Player to Entrepreneur
Houstonians may remember Reggie Slater when he played basketball for Kashmere High School but many remember Slater when he played professional basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Toronto Raptors. Today Slater is an entrepreneur and the owner of six oil lube businesses in the Houston area and Slaters Sports Zone in Richmond, Texas.
Prior to retiring from pro basketball, Slater prepared for a transition in his career by purchasing an oil lube business in Houston. He later purchased five more lube businesses, some financed with loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Retirement from the hectic basketball player’s lifestyle gave Slater the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and children. While coaching his son’s basketball team, Slater realized there were no sports facilities that can hosts tournaments in south Houston, where he resides. Motivated by the desire to help and encourage young people to better their lives through health, fitness, and sports he built Slater’s Sports Zone in Fort Bend County. Prior to building the sports complex, Slater contacted the Ft. Bend County Small Business Development Center, a resource partner of the SBA, for technical assistance. With the help of Ft. Bend County SBDC Director Joe Decker, Slater was approved for a SBA 504 program loan to help finance the project. The SBA 504 loan program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing for the acquisition of fixed assets for expansion or modernization.
The 63,000 sq. ft. state of the art sports complex, located near a master planned community and schools, offers training in volleyball and basketball, including a strength and conditioning facility and lease space to a martial arts academy. The gym houses 8 volleyball courts, 4 basketball courts, a cafeteria, pro shop and is also available for rent. Slater’s gym is home court to the Fort Bend Fire Volleyball Club. Slater’s Sports Zone employs 75 people and their staff of experienced professionals is committed to providing the best youth sports experience possible while maintaining the standards and values that Slater founded the facility on. “It’s important to have great key employees and I’m blessed to have that at this facility,” said Slater.
Starting a business involves a lot of planning and research. A successful business owner for many years, Slater advises aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their dreams, plan early, and hire good employees. “I enjoy being a business owner and I hope to be able to continue to employ people,” said Slater.
Slater maintains dedicated and committed to helping young people and is also proud to help the community through job creation and local charities. For more information on Slater Sports Zone, visit their facility at 727 Plantation Dr., Richmond, TX 77406 or their website at http://www.slatersportszone.com. For more information on the SBDC and SBA, visit http://www.sbdc.uh.edu and http://www.sba.gov.
