Butler County entrepreneurs share their stories
One in every five businesses fails within its first year. It’s a sobering statistic that can hold potential entrepreneurs back from taking the leap into small-business ownership.
Anyone can turn an idea into a profitable business venture with the right motivation. However, the road to success requires careful planning, hard work and persistence.
“A large number of small businesses fail within the first five years,” said Russell Hearn, a volunteer mentor with the Senior Core of Retired Executives (SCORE). “There are two main reasons for failure. One is the lack of capital. The other is lack of a plan.”
SCORE is a nonprofit organization that boasts one of the largest networks of expert business mentors available to help small-business owners launch or run their operations. Hearn works with entrepreneurs in Butler County to either help them launch their idea or keep it going if they’ve hit a rough patch. SCORE mentoring is free, making it an asset to small businesses in the county.
Planning is the first critical stage of starting a business. A properly written business plan predicts all expenses and sales expectations, Hearn said. “You want to be conservative on the high side when it comes to expenses and conservative on the low side when it comes to sales.”
It can take six months for a new business to become profitable. “In this case, you’ll need three to six months of expenses in the form of cash to keep the lights on, the rent paid and the advertising going while your company reaches a break-even point and becomes self-sustaining,” he said.
Finding the capital needed to launch a business is the next crucial stage of small-business ownership. “In other words, don’t quit your day job,” Hearn said. Many entrepreneurs continue working their regular jobs while they start their businesses, so they have cash flow.
Angel investors — family, friends — are another option for getting the money needed to launch a business. Entrepreneurs can borrow against an asset such as real estate. “The last thing (to do) is to borrow money from credit cards at a high interest rate,” Hearn said. “I never recommend that, but some people have done it.”
Pete and Angela Kupas, owners of Vintage Coffeehouse on Main Street in Butler, said money was the biggest challenge they faced when preparing to launch their business. “It takes a lot more (money) than you think,” Angela Kupas said. “There’s so many things and a lot of unknowns. You’re taking a risk.”
Vintage Coffeehouse opened to the public in October 2021.
The Kupases applied for grants and loans but were turned down. They ended up using a home equity line of credit to get the funding they needed. Eventually, they sold their home, and used the profits to get started debt-free.
The coffeehouse continues to grow in popularity, with the Kupases looking toward the future. Pete Kupas said they continue to explore innovations in the coffee industry so they can advance their current location. They also expanded their summertime hours due to increased demand from their clientele.
“We want to continue to build our staff at our current location so we have the freedom to keep moving forward and exploring what’s next,” Angela Kupas said.
Ashley Stadelmaier, owner of The Tea Room on Main in Saxonburg (formerly Serendipi-Tea), said she has reinvented herself since the original launch of her business in May 2021. She initially opened as a dress-up tea party venue for young girls to celebrate their birthdays and other special occasions.
“We quickly discovered there was a larger market for afternoon tea,” Stadelmaier said. “We decided to pivot our business model and go that route, and it’s been hugely successful.”
Now serving traditional high tea, The Tea Room on Main boasts more than 20 teas — including black, green, oolong and white — on its menu.
The idea for the rebranding came from a local resident who called Stadelmaier one day and shared her thoughts. “I’m really glad she called that day, and I’m glad I listened to her feedback,” she said. “I don’t think we’d be here today if I hadn’t listened to what she said.”
Her transition to afternoon tea was completed in January 2022. She still hosts birthday parties and other special occasions on request, but they’re not her primary focus anymore.
Another local small business that’s faring well is Sak Pasé Pgh Food Truck. Based out of Zelienople, the food truck is run by Evens and Maggy Louis Charles. Born and raised in Haiti, Evens learned how to cook from his grandmother. He uses authentic Haitian recipes in the food truck, which travels around Butler County and neighboring Beaver and Allegheny counties.
“Evens loves to cook and share about his culture with other people,” Maggy Louis Charles said. “Friends kept telling him he needed to have a business. So, when the pandemic hit, we decided to take a leap of faith and do it.”
The couple planned for a year before launching. One of the biggest challenges they faced was starting costs and generating enough income to become solvent.
“Getting our name out there was another challenge, but I’m proud of where we are now,” she said. “We’re already booked solid through August and are getting to the point where we’re building a name and a reputation. We’ve put in a lot of hard work here, but there’s no rest for small-business owners.”
Moving forward, the couple plans to explore their options, which could include opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant location.
Small businesses with solid plans and the right amount of support can achieve long-term success in the county.
Just ask Zacc Dray, who started You Name It Contracting 10 years ago with $1,000 in his pocket, a Datsun truck and a friend with experience in the contracting business.
Together, he and business partner, Dave Hogue, have built one of the most in-demand contracting services in Butler County.
“If you start a small business to get rich or successful, you probably won’t survive,” Dray said. “Most small businesses that are successful are because they want to work for themselves. That’s the greatest motivator.”
When he started the business, his biggest challenge was figuring out how to be the “Walmart of contracting,” he said. “I wanted people to call me and be able to get anything done. I wanted to do it all in-house without using subcontractors.”
With 18 employees, Dray said the company has someone for every job requested. “Hiring the right people was important to us,” he said. “We’ve surrounded ourselves with a good crew who are extraordinarily loyal to the company. We can’t do the job without them.”
Besides top-notch employees who help the company build relationships with customers, Dray said the secret to You Name It Contracting is righteousness and integrity.
“Do what you say you’re going to do for the price you said you’re going to do it and show up on time,” he said. “That’s what keeps you going.”
This article originally appeared in the June edition of Butler County Business Matters.
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