Ron's Automotive LLC, Ron Llewellyn
Business is going very well. We are getting a lot of referrals. It's been two years now, and I would say we are ahead of where we planned to be. I credit much of this to developing a well-thought-out plan.
Future Plans
Eventually, we would like to develop plans to expand our business. Once I am ready to start building a plan, I will engage with Score and begin the process again.
Advice For Those Who Want to Start a Business
If you are looking to start your own business and think you don't need help, you are wrong. Seek help. And accept being challenged. It will greatly aid in your success. With the proper coaching, it is not very time-consuming and the rewards are many. Especially the avoidance of mistakes.
I heard about Score while attending a Rotary Club event. I got engaged with them and quickly realized some benefits. Probably the biggest benefit was helping me minimize risk. All business ventures have potential rewards; that’s why people including me start businesses. But there are potential risks. The key is to find ways to minimize those risks. The only way to do that is to anticipate what those risks can be and how to address them.
My mentors asked me great questions allowing me to validate all my assumptions. I heard the question "What if?" so many times. It was invaluable. It forced me to think about things that I would not have thought about, had I not had someone to challenge me and provide honest feedback. The SCORE mentors I worked with all had impressive business backgrounds. That was another valuable aspect of Score, that my primary mentor Brien engaged other Score mentors who had specialized skills.
I started in the auto industry when I was 14. After enjoying a successful 35-year career in the industry working for others, I decided to start my own business. The monetary benefits of business owners were very important. But also the ability to be in control of my own destiny.
I started the business in 2016, and it is doing well.