As you may have noticed, there are lots of small businesses in Harrisonburg – that’s one of the reasons we love this city as much as we do! Maybe you’re even an owner of one of these small businesses. If so, you know the many pitfalls that these new ventures face as they start up and work to be profitable.
And… here’s where I get to tell you about an incredibly valuable new business in Harrisonburg whose mission is to help small businesses achieve the success their owner’s dream of. We had the privilege of talking with Jim Smith, Harrisonburg local and founder of PERFORMIDABLE. Check out our conversation below!
What gap does your business fill?
JS: Having seen multiple small businesses from the inside, I realized most in our target industries run into a fairly-common set of disruptive “boulders” as they grow. These impediments are often the result of absent or incomplete systems and structures businesses need to develop as they grow into maturity – aka “growing pains.”
And most small businesses don’t have “on staff” specialists helping them overcome these issues.
Others can help to some limited degree in these areas, often related to the sale of a single product or service. We are different because we ourselves are small business owners serving other small business owners. From this perspective, we take an over-arching view on strategic planning and financial management as if we were in the owner’s shoes ourselves.
What services do you offer?
JS: We help small businesses by making them focused, efficient and profitable. This benefits small business owners by helping them make a comfortable living, enjoy running their business, and get more time away to re-energize.
Our services are designed to fill the unmet need small businesses have for executive-level strategic planning and financial management, in packages and prices that work for them. Our offerings include: an ongoing subscription service, a comprehensive strategic planning and financial management manual, and intensive customized consulting service.
Who is your target clientele?
JS: We primarily serve growing small businesses that provide trade services in the residential, commercial and industrial industries: plumbers, roofers, electricians, HVAC, and general and specialty contractors of all kinds.
What inspired you to start this business?
JS: I regularly work with a number of growing small businesses in the Valley. And I greatly enjoy working with them and helping them make advancements and succeed. Wanting to do more of that and further spurred on by a couple key advisors, that led me to the idea of taking things to a national audience online via PERFORMIDABLE.com.