WENDY ORVIS
Business Consultant, ASBTDC Lead Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Q: What drew you to working with small businesses and entrepreneurs?
A: From early childhood, I have loved small businesses that develop personal relationships with the people they serve. At age five, I lived over a candy shop. Not only did I love their products but the owners were a genuinely nice couple and would talk with me on my way to or from school every day. I watched them participate in little neighborhood gatherings and looked up to them.
Q: How would you describe your approach to consulting?
A: I like having genuine conversations with people. One of the first things I ask when I meet a new client is “Tell me about your business and what your biggest concern is right now.” This leads us into talking about what the client’s goals are, helps prioritize their most immediate needs, and identifies what else ASBTDC can help them with once that need is met.
Each client has a similar but different journey. I like putting clients in the captain seat right from the start so they know I am here as a guide for their adventure and will continue being a part of their team when they need me.
Q: What lessons from your own experience operating a business do you most often pass along to clients?
A: Keep good records. If I hadn’t kept good records on my first business, I couldn’t have sold it and would have nothing to show for the effort I put into building a great reputation.
Also, know your strengths and weaknesses, and be willing to let go of administrative type tasks that you could hire someone else to do while you do more of what makes you money. Your value lies in what you do to help your customers.
Q: What’s the best part of your job?
A: Meeting new people and especially seeing entrepreneurs reach their goals!
It is wonderful when someone asks for our advice, follows our recommendations, and then experiences sales growth, starts their new business, grows into a new location, or accomplishes some other goal.
Q: What do you wish everybody knew about starting a business?
A: Starting a business is a little like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane to skydive: It’s super exciting and fun but also frightening if you aren’t prepared.
Advance planning is the key to success. Think through how much time you have for the business, how you will fund the business to get started, where the business will be located, what the hours of operation will be, what payment system you will use, and so on. ASBTDC has several resources dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs plan ahead.
Q: How do you think owning a business has or hasn’t changed in the last few years?
A: Small businesses have learned to be more adaptive at a faster pace over the past few years. They have leveraged technology to learn new ways to do business and to diversify their income streams.
Disaster planning for a business usually meant how the business would react to a fire or tornado. But I have seen entrepreneurs overcome big hurdles to hang on to their businesses through a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and more.
Q: What changes do you anticipate in the small business landscape in the next five years?
A: I expect the next five years will produce growth for most industries, based on the market research I have seen. One trend is that more people are willing to make some sacrifices so they can spend on memorable experiences and for travel.
Also, Millennials and Gen Zers place high importance on brand ethics and corporate responsibility and care less about brand loyalty if their other expectations are met. Gen Z may shop online but, surprisingly, prefers to make the actual purchase in store, and they place high value on customer service and quality.
These two generations are the growing target market over the next five years.
Q: What is your background?
A: I have worked in many different industries over the years, which is beneficial in my current role. I completed a bachelor’s degree in business/human resources, studied SixSigma under a previous employer, and earned a graduate certificate in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration.
The HR studies led to 12 years doing accounting, including seven years as manager of an Accounts Receivable team.
Having experience in accounting allows me to help businesses with recordkeeping requirements and teach them what important information they need for their business and tax records. Understanding Six Sigma trained me on processes and efficiency, Drawing on my HR education helps me prepare clients who need to hire their first employee, and the MBA taught me to help clients set goals strategically and plan how to reach the goals by a set date.
Q: How long have you been with ASBTDC?
A: I joined ASBTDC in 2010 and have had several different titles over the years, including data analyst, intake specialist, and startup specialist. I entered the role of business consultant in February 2021, and it is the best role yet!
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I have a ton of different interests and hobbies, from kayaking to watercolor painting and sketching. I am working on writing and illustrating my first children’s picture book and planning future books.
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