A Sierra Vista-area consulting firm that opened in 2007 and has grown to employ more than 60 people has been recognized by the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network (AZSBDC) with a 2010 Success Award.
ISC Consulting Group Inc. (ISC) specializes in providing government commercial clients with solutions that result in predictable improvements in acquisition life-cycle management, intelligence support and operations, large-scale contract management, unmanned aircraft system operations and management, information technology management and cultural training and partnerships. A client of the Cochise College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which nominated ISC for the honor, it also is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business and Historically Underutilized Business Zone-certified entity located at Fort Huachuca.
ISC was among 13 Arizona small businesses recognized at a ceremony March 23 on the House Lawn at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. Success Award winners were chosen for their outstanding economic performance during the previous year (2009).
“The accomplishments of ISC and the rest of these companies is especially noteworthy given the tough economic climate that we have all faced over the past year,” said Mignonne Hollis, director of the Cochise College SBDC. “Their collective achievements demonstrate everything that is positive about small business growth in Arizona.”
ISC also received the Master Small Business Award and credits some of its success to its work with Hollis’s team at the SBDC. One of a network of centers throughout the U.S., the center provides guidance and counseling to small-business owners. Services include business planning, cash flow analysis, financial planning and procurement, start-up assistance, marketing, sales and promotion planning, and growth strategies.
Counseling is free, but there is an expectation that clients engage as partners in the process. ISC did just that by actively collaborating with the SBDC on numerous reviews of its business plan and sales strategies, participating in tax classes, seeking guidance on government contracting, and taking part in relevant software training.
“We found the SBDC to be very cordial, competent and a wealth of information,” said owners Clint Imholte and Steve Dufour. “The center provided timely, relevant feedback and guidance on the many things a business owner should know.”
The advice paid off. ISC won a contract for one person in April 2007, continued to grow the contract at Fort Huachuca, and in September 2007 added two additional employees, ending the year with three billable employees and one office manager. Between May and December 2008, ISC added 20 directly billable employees. By 2009, ISC had expanded to 62 employees and $7.2 million in revenue.
The SBDC was particularly helpful in procuring a Patriot Loan for veterans.
“The importance of this loan cannot be understated; without it we would not have been as successful,” Imholte said.
The center also assisted with ISC’s development of a defined accounting practice and by training ISC staff to use the appropriate software.
“As of today, we have an outstanding line of credit, we are debt-free, and we are well positioned to continue to fund and grow our business,” Imholte said. “Our success is a direct reflection of the caring people and support provided by the Cochise College Small Business Development Center.”