Flower shop owner lauds entrepreneurial training

by James Draper
Kilgore News Herald
Photo by Sean Landry

The first check she ever received came in 1961 – it was made out to Wanda ‘Flower.’  While she wouldn’t have called it an “omen” at the time, the misprint does ring true for Wanda Fowler today as owner and operator of Betty’s Flowers at 315 E. Lantrip St.

“Everyone who’s had the shop has kept ‘Betty’s Flowers,’” she said this week. “In a small town, it’s best to keep things going as they were.”

Nevertheless, when it comes to her business, Fowler wants to keep up-to-date on best practices and found the information last fall through a Kilgore College Small Business Development Center course aimed at local would- be entrepreneurs.  The SBDC is offering the same series again this spring – “How to Start and Operate a Small Business in East Texas” begins Feb. 10 and continues weekly from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. through April 7 at the college’s Longview campus.

“I was already in business when I took that course, but it was very informative,” Fowler said Monday. “Of course, I’ve used a bit of all of it.”

Each week, participants will hear from local professionals associated with eight particular topics concerning proper operation of a business.  Ron Collier, president of Collier Consulting Group, will kick-off the series with “Making the Decision to Go Into Business,” followed by agent Larry Clemens and attorney Jason Holt speaking on insurance requirements and legal aspects, respectively.  Other topics include taxes, business plans, financing, bookkeeping, starting-up (taught by SBDC Director Brad Bunt) and marketing.

“That helped me a lot on how to get the word out,” Fowler said.

After buying the flower shop in August of 2009, Fowler thought she already had a strong enough presence in the community, but the advertising discussion reminded her that “Even though your business has been here a long time, you still need to get the word out and let people know you’re still active and serving the community.

“It did help me realize there were some things I hadn’t thought about.”

Tuition for the course is $99 and includes an entrepreneurial start-up guide and workbook. According Melanie Northcutt, SBDC training coordinator, 13 banks have provided scholarships for the course, some of which are still available.

Fowler’s previous career had been in nursing, and after a year in the business world, the course answered some basic questions on how to handle hiring and dealing with employees and brought necessary advice on “the business end” of things.  It also gave her the extra ‘oomph’ she need to stick with her startup.

“ What I liked is there were other people in the group in the same boat I was,” Fowler said.

That is one of the particular strengths of the course, Northcutt explained.

“It’s different than a college course. With a college course you’re taught by a professor – with this it’s a lot more hands on,” she said. “You hear from someone who’s actually lived it and worked it and you hear it first-hand.”

With Valentine’s Day fast-approaching, Fowler said she’ll be applying some of the lessons learned to one of her busiest seasons.

“This for me was an opportunity to step out and do something,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed meeting people on different level. I enjoy being in touch with the community.”

It’s also helped her fill a service role, Fowler added – wedding decorations, funeral arrangements and congratulatory gifts are standard fare, but she’s happy to help spread some peace and harmony:

“ We help husbands out of the dog house.”

The center’s entrepreneurial course is also being offered on Tuesdays from Feb. 8 to April 5 in Marshall (at the Marshall Center for Applied Technology, 2660 Southeast End Blvd.) and Gilmer (at the Etex Telephone Co-op, 1013 Hwy. 155 North).

To register or for more information, call the SBDC at 903.757.5857 or visitKilgoreSBDC.com.