Mike
Curry owns Great Expectations, a Christian bookstore, in Joplin.
He and his 10 employees offer Bibles, books, religious study materials,
music and gifts at their store, which has been open for one year.
Great Expectations is not Mike's first business. A business owner
for 16 years, Mike first encountered the SBDC at Missouri Southern
State College several years ago when he attended a Quickbooks class.
When he decided to open Great Expectations in March 2001, he returned
to the SBDC for help in structuring his business plan, making financial
projections and research his market demographics. In addition, Jim
Krudwig, SBDC director, and Karen Bradshaw, SBDC counselor helped
Mike work with his accounting program to better understand his financial
statements.
As a result of the SBDC's assistance, Mike is better equipped to
manage the financial aspect of his business. His enhanced understanding
of his company has allowed him to manage more efficiently and to become
more comfortable in dealing with financial institutions, vendors and
marketing representatives.
"As
the owner of a small business, I am aware of the advantages of being
small," Mike says. "These include the ability to react quickly
to changes in customer needs, the ability to make decisions quickly
and the ability to appeal to a large customer base because of our
uniqueness. I am also aware of the difficulties of being a small business—the
biggest being resources. This is where the SBDC comes in. It's a hidden
treasure!
"I plan to continue to take advantage of all that is offered
through the SBDC, and I strongly encourage other business owners to
do the same!"
With the business operating beyond financial projections, it appears
that Mike's great expectations have not only been met—they have
been exceeded!
Great Expectations
920 E. 15th Street, Joplin, MO 64804
(417) 206-7800
(417) 623-8233 (fax)
mike.curry@expectonline.com
www.expectonline.com
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