When he started his business three years ago, master electrician and enrolled Arapaho member, Jesse Dorothy never dreamed about the direction it would go. As a sole proprietor, Jesse was responsible for doing the existing work, while soliciting new work and keeping the books.
Jesse felt overwhelmed and tremendously burdened by handling the various aspects of the business. He was afraid he might have to give up his business. Last January he met with the Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC director for his region, Margie Rowell, and asked her for help. He received QuickBooks training for his daughter, who quit her job as lawyer’s assistant to work for Jesse full time. “This was a huge hurdle for me. Without Margie’s help, within a couple of years, I’d be in trouble with the IRS.” Now, Jesse understands his cash flow and stays in the black.
Another result of the SBDC’s help is Jesse was able to hire two full-time electricians, one a Shoshone Tribal Member and one a Northern Arapaho Tribal Member. He applied for and was awarded a Workforce Development Grant for his employees. This freed him up to focus on acquiring more work.
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