Freedom Makers
Freedom Makers provides virtual assistant services to small business owners, with the services performed by military spouses. Freedom Makers is providing exceptional service to two audiences: business owners who need help managing their bookkeeping, marketing, and client communications (and more!) and military spouses who lack other work opportunities that are as mobile as they are.
Laura Renner, the owner of Freedom Makers, shifted her recruiting business that served small businesses into what is now Freedom Makers in 2015. “My brother is in the Air Force, and my sister-in-law and I were having a familiar conversation about what she was going to do for work. As a brat and in the military I have many friends who have faced the same challenge when their spouse is transferred, so I developed Freedom Makers to try and develop more opportunities within my community,” explains Laura.
Laura also served in the Air Force, and she knew that she would pursue entrepreneurship after she completed her service. “I was attracted to strategy, and I thought I could find more opportunities to explore that as a business owner. Once I started my first business I knew I’d never go back to working for someone else,” remembers Laura.
Laura believes veterans are uniquely prepared for life as an entrepreneur. “In the military, we are assigned our jobs, but once we get into that job we have to do whatever is needed. That makes us good at learning, good with change, good with ambiguity, and good with risk. We are able to figure things out on the fly and we don’t give up in the face of fear, which are all good skills for small business owners to have,” Laura says.
Laura used her loan from Veteran Launch to refinance her business debt and increase her working capital. “The interest payment on my business debt was strangling my cash flow. The loan from Veteran Launch not only gave me more money but it’s helping me keep more money in my business,” says Laura. “Working with Veteran Launch was great. It was the first time I felt heard when talking to a financial institution, and they understood what I was trying to do. I trusted their advice, and everything they suggested was realistic. They offered me more understanding and education about my business in a way that was optimistic and never condescending. Those services have been incredibly helpful in my business development,” says Laura.
Laura advises small business owners to talk to experts early: “I learned so much through the mistakes I made in my business, but I should have reached out to experts sooner. Having other advice and guidance has shown me options I didn’t know about or consider before.”
Freedom Makers is truly a support service for small business owners. If you need help, but you’re not ready for your first (or next) hire, Freedom Makers can connect you with qualified, affordable people to help you achieve your business goals. If you’re not sure, contact Laura anyway (she’s an expert and can advise you about what Freedom Makers services can help you get where you’re trying to go). Click here for more information.
