Want to start a new business? Sahuarita is doling out free advice

Steven Wood started two companies from nothing, built them up and sold them for millions of dollars. But he wasn’t sure what to do next. Then he decided to use what he learned to help others launch their own businesses as a mentor with the University of Arizona’s Center for Innovation.

“I’m at the point where it’s time to give some of this back,” he said. Wood was in Sahuarita on Tuesday to lead the town’s business launch workshop. He was joined by about 15 local business owners and would-be entrepreneurs at the all-day “boot-camp” who were there to get tips to get off the ground or build on what they are already doing. The idea stemmed from the annual “Shark Tank” event that the town holds to teach best practices to local, established businesses. Sahuarita’s Economic Development Director Victor Gonzalez wanted to create a program similar to that after hearing from individuals that they were interested in participating, but didn’t qualify.

“This is like the baby shark,” he told the participants. Gonzalez said the Tucson area has enough opportunities to keep the Center for Innovation busy, and was grateful for them partnering with the town to bring the program to Sahuarita. Mayor Tom Murphy also greeted the budding business owners and thanked them for taking part, and Freeport McMoRan for providing the funding for the program. He also explained the need to build local businesses.

“Having a diversified economy is important,” he said, noting the town does not have property taxes and other fees.

“That’s why we went on this retail and workforce jobs initiative several years ago," he said. Wood designed the program so that those who already have an established business could benefit just as much as someone who just has an idea of what they someday want to create.

“One of the things I have to stay conscious of is that people who come here today are at all different stages,” he said. “There are some that have a day job and are thinking about this and really don’t know where to start.”

He had seven topics for Tuesday’s event, which he went over in more general terms. He plans to come back to Sahuarita for eight more weeks, and drill down into those topics as part of the extended program. Anyone who took part in Tuesday’s event was welcome to stay on for the extended program. The entire program is free. On top of the topics covered Tuesday, Wood plans to introduce several more topics to keep the program fresh and the participants engaged during the two-month program. Marketing, money, future and storytelling are just a few of the topics he covered, based on his own successes and failures as he grew his businesses over the years, including one that had sales offices and plants all over the world and $130 million in business before he sold it about 10 years ago.

“There’s some textbook stuff in here, but also a lot of technique,” he said. “Like a lot of other things, you read a book on how to do it, but it’s not the same until you’ve done it a few times.” Before the event, several local business owners and would-be entrepreneurs were looking forward to what they would be learning. Ken Jones said he often uses the Biz Hub office space at Town Hall for his software startup company, and heard about the program from town staff.

“I was curious about the process, and as an entrepreneur that may be something that’s on the horizon for me, so I want to get an early start,” he said. He said while he’s not ready to launch a physical business yet. 

“I think there’s a lot to get out of just knowing what it takes, and hearing their perspective, on what it takes to be successful," he said. Jamar Jordan attended the workshop to learn how he can improve and expand his tax preparation and consulting business.

“I’m all about personal development,” he said. “So I’m just looking to see what I can learn here, I’m always looking to see what I can learn.” He added that the UA has great entrepreneur programs and he was excited to take part in one.

Nancy Kane is just starting to get her business ideas together and was looking forward to learning more at Tuesday’s event.

“It’s easy to get an idea in your head, but flushing it all out, trying to figure out; where do you get money from, is it even viable to do it in this area?” she said. “So I’m hoping to get more information on how to get going.”

She said she wants to open an indoor creative space for young children to have somewhere to go, especially during the summer.

“A place for families to go and have fun that’s climate-controlled,” she said. As a mother, she said she struggles with the same issue and hopes it would be a benefit to the community. All three said they were unaware there would be an opportunity for an extended eight-week deep dive into the topics, but they all said they would be interested in checking it out, depending on their schedules and if they felt it would help them following Tuesday’s event. Wood said if the program is successful enough, he envisions a permanent arrangement where he would come down from Tucson to meet with business owners and startups to see how they are doing and if they need anything.

“We could maybe have one or two perspective clients that are gonna open in Sahuarita, we come down, give them a hand, send them off with some things to think about and do, and then reconvene in a couple weeks and try to keep it going,” he said.