Nurturing ideas into thriving businesses

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Kelly Hunt, director of the SBA’s Pittsburgh District Office, opened Monday’s workshop saying, “Most small businesses need only a little (financial) help to get started.”

Rick Shrum

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Helen Campbell describes how the SBA and Pitt SBDC helped her develop Stories Like Me, a Pittsburgh bookstore for children to young adults.

Rick Shrum

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Evency Dorzelma of Charleroi, left, speaks with Zach Patton of the Pitt SBDC.

Rick Shrum

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Helen Campbell and Evency Dorzelma are striving to be big successes with small businesses.

Campbell had wanted to launch a business since 2018, but was not well-versed in the particulars of doing so. “Then in 2020,” she said, “everything changed when we moved to Pittsburgh (from northern Virginia).”

She linked up with the Western Pennsylvania District office of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, organizations that provide guidance on developing, financing and nurturing a business idea.

She found direction – upward. Meticulously following a plan, Campbell built Stories Like Me, a bookstore geared toward children and young adults in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The store opened in early 2023 and has evolved into an award-winning endeavor.

Dorzelma, a native of Haiti, owns a taxi service in Charleroi, where he resides. His is a one-man show, as he also is the driver for Private Ride Shares, which he has been operating for about two years.

He said there is a public need for transportation in Charleroi and surrounding communities, but “Uber and Lyft manage to cover this area.” He wants to increase the number of local fares, but relies more on clients seeking lengthier rides to locations such as Pittsburgh, Wexford, Ambridge, Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.

“This is a big challenge for me,” Dorzelma said. “I’m trying to support myself. “That is why I am here, seeking help from the SBDC.”

“Here” was at the Charleroi Public Library on Monday morning, at a free workshop organized by the SBA’s Pittsburgh office and Pitt SBDC. The event attracted about a dozen entrepreneurs, or would-be entrepreneurs, seeking advice on elevating an existing small business or starting one.

A recurring theme during the workshop was that many people are unaware of resources available to them through the SBA and SBDC.

“You are the engines of our economy,” Janet Heyl, public affairs specialist of the SBA Pittsburgh office, said in kicking off the program before giving way to her boss.

“Most small businesses need only a little help to get started,” said Kelly Hunt, director of the Pittsburgh District, which oversees 27 counties – essentially the western half of the state. “Talk to microloan lenders and make sure you are capitalized as you grow.”

Hunt acknowledged that some individuals are intrigued about launching a small business, but are uncertain what that business should be. She recommends that they “find a need in a community and fill that need. Your business should fill a need because you have an audience that can grow.”

She added that “the SBA is standing there ready to help you.”

So is the Pitt SBDC, which adheres to the slogan, “We’re here to help your business start, grow and prosper.”

“Everything we do is at no cost,” said management consultant Zach Patton. He said his organization can evaluate an individual’s business idea, work with selected lenders and will assist a business throughout its existence. He advised that “some banks want to see a business plan.”

He said the development center, on Forbes Avenue on the university’s campus, will work with a business on international trade. “We want you to be aware of what you need if you are importing or exporting.”

Campbell, the co-founder and CEO of Stories Like Me, continues to work with the SBA and SBDC. She began her entrepreneurial journey with training through the development center, writing a business plan, arranging for financing and devoting a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

“I would set up a mini-table, meet with people and sell books,” she said. “That led to a contract with a school. Bridgewater Capital recommended that I buy a building and I ended up buying and renovating a doctor’s office.

“I don’t publish books, I buy them. They are intentionally inclusive.”

Campbell’s diligence was recognized by Pitt’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which named Stories Like Me to be its Small Business of the Year for under $1 million in revenue.

Loans are vital to starting and to expanding businesses. The SBA offers a variety for different uses: 7(a) loans (maximum of $5 million); 504 loans (maximum of $5.5 million); and microloans ($50,000 cap).

The Washington County Council on Economic Development also is involved with the loan process. Loan officers April Cacia and Tim James participated in the workshop as well.

Helen Campbell is grateful for what these organizations have meant to her and her business.

“I cannot say enough good things about the people who took me from an idea to a store.”