Mark Weston, Owner
Harrisburg, Arkansas
During his fifteen-year tenure as the director of a funeral home in Harrisburg, Mark Weston earned the trust and respect of the community. His personal touch and exceptional level of customer service were directly responsible for the success of his employer. However, he believed he could better serve his customers during their time of loss if he was the owner of his own business. He approached his lender, Bill Elliott of the Bank of Harrisburg, who in turn brought him to the SBTDC for assistance in the financing process.
Weston came to the Arkansas State University SBTDC with a well-written business plan in hand. Confident in his customer’s ability to successfully own and operate a funeral service, Elliott was willing to make the loan contingent upon receiving an SBA loan guaranty. Laura Miller, SBTDC Business Consultant, reviewed the business plan and worked with Weston to develop the loan proposal. The lender submitted the proposal to the SBA who approved the guaranty.
Mr. Weston renovated a building on the main street in Harrisburg and opened Weston Funeral Service last March. Handling about 60% of the business in the community, Weston Funeral Home is on track to surpass revenue projections.
