Client Profile: HelloHealth
Powerhouse Services Provided: External Communications
“The best part of working with Powerhouse Planning was responsiveness and trust. Trust is the most important aspect of any business relationship. I would definitely choose to work with Powerhouse again!”
– Meagan Davies, HelloHealth
Looking at creating or refining your business development plan can be daunting. There are a lot of things to keep in mind when determining which ways to grow or improve your company. For a good overview on what business development is and what goes in to creating a successful business development plan, check out The Ultimate Guide to Business Development.
If you want another perspective that offers some tips on how to get started, check out Investopedia’s blog.
For those who are trying to envision what a business development plan looks like in a post-COVID-19 world (and aren’t we all?), check out this article by Kevin Sneader and Bob Sternfels.
Wherever you are in your business development cycle, Powerhouse can help.
Q & A with Terri Lynn Crutchfield of TLC Therapy Hooves
By: Julie Kirchner
As a part of our Powerhouse mission to Share the Goodness, we love to shine a light on nonprofits out in our communities who are contributing to the greater good. This month, we are highlighting the work of Terri Lynn and Scott Crutchfield and their amazing team of volunteers who help spread joy through their nonprofit organization, TLC Therapy Hooves, in rural Highlands County, Florida. We were grateful to sit down with Terri for a lighthearted virtual Q&A.
What is the inspiration behind TLC, and how did your adventure begin?
“It all started with a little orphan piglet,” Terri says with a playful smile in her voice. That little piglet, a surprise gift for her husband Scott, was later named Precious Piglet. Today, Terri and Scott Crutchfield’s pictorial old-Florida property is home to over 100 animals. TLC Therapy Hooves is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that Terri and Scott created in 2011, with a mission to spread joy by bringing extraordinary (and very well-dressed) therapy animals like pigs and miniature horses to the 17 nursing homes and rehabilitation centers throughout their local area. In addition to carrying out the mission of TLC Therapy Hooves with the help of dozens of dedicated volunteers, Scott and Terri live on and maintain their working farm called La La Land, which is named after their camel—La La, of course!
Can you tell us about a proud moment for TLC this past year?
While any business owner may answer this question by describing a new project launch or an exciting award or achievement, Terri is anything but typical. Instead, she began by describing a breakthrough moment for a woman in a nursing home who had lost her husband and, through trauma and shock, had not communicated verbally in a very long time. While petting the braids of one of Terri’s therapy animals, a miniature horse, the woman spoke for the first time and said, “I remember my granddaughter loved horses.” And the woman sitting next to her said, “Oh! I grew up with horses, too. Did you grow up with horses?” The nurse caring for the two women was just in awe because one of these women had been unable to speak for all the time the nurse had been caring for her. This experience opened up an opportunity for the two women to connect and relate. These are the breakthroughs that define Terri’s definition of business success.
How did you come up with the idea to use pigs and mini horses as therapy animals?
“I would take Precious (Piglet) to the school when I would go and pick up my daughter, Taylor, and all the other kids would just be so excited to see Precious Piglet. And I had a friend who had a parent in a nursing home, and she asked if I would swing by and take Precious to walk around outside for her mother to see. She’s potty trained, so I took her inside. Everyone freaked out, ‘Oh my goodness, a piggy!’ Every time she would oink, people would laugh. And I thought, you know what, this is pretty awesome.”
At that time, Terri and her husband were living in a suburban country club neighborhood, but they decided that with their joint family background in nature conservation, wildlife, and land, they would change their lifestyle and buy a farm. The couple decided to adopt mini horses and then brought trainers onto the property to see if the miniatures could be potty trained and brought into the house, just to test out Terri’s idea. She had conversations with her attorney about liability and insurance. “So, that’s how it went from one little orphan piglet (that lived inside our house, remember) to . . . close to a hundred animals now,” Terri says.
The majority of the domestic animals used in the therapy program today are adopted animals. All of the exotic animals on the property have permits and licenses, and Terri and Scott have received the training from zoos to be able to raise and maintain these animals.
Bringing a Big-City Amenity to a Small Town
By: Heatherlynn Akins
When Tim and Courtney Madden met, they were young students at Penn State who dated but then went their separate ways. Little did they know their story was only just beginning and would, eventually, lead to Courtney starting her own business with Tim acting in many advisory and support roles for that business. In the eight years between Penn State and reconnecting in 1998, Tim joined the Navy and served as a diving officer on the USS Salvor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii before starting an IT career first in Denver and then for Colorado Mountain College in the small, mountain town of Glenwood Springs. Courtney spent nine months in Madrid after graduation before returning to the States via Dallas, TX where she settled into a career as a fifth-grade bilingual teacher as well as a middle school Spanish teacher. When they married in 1999, the couple decided to make Glenwood Springs their home, where they could be near the world-class skiing resorts of Vail and Aspen. Four children later and the Maddens have become well-known fixtures in their community.
In early 2019, Courtney decided she was ready for a career change and started looking into various opportunities. A family friend, entrepreneur Johnathan Gorst, was looking to start a new restaurant delivery venture and the two began talking about the possibilities of teaming up. Before they could start operations, however, life happened, and Johnathan and his family moved to New York. Courtney was left with a concept and a desire to open KraveKar, a restaurant delivery company that contracts with locally owned restaurants to deliver meals to both hometown residents and the many tourists who flock to the town annually. It was a service not previously available to the town, but one many out-of-town visitors from the big cities expected and many residents longed for.
The idea is simple: A customer uses the KraveKar app or website to select a restaurant and places an order. Then Courtney and her team of dedicated drivers pick up the food and deliver it wherever the customer chooses, whether that’s home, a hotel, a park, or the world’s largest hot springs pool, which just so happens to be a major tourist attraction in town. While it works similarly to many of the national companies who offer this service, KraveKar comes with that small-business attention to detail. If part of your order is missing when it’s delivered, Courtney and her team will go back, pick up the missing items, and deliver them as part of their service. They’re also actively involved in the entire process, from cultivating relationships with local restaurants to driving the car that delivers your food. Courtney doesn’t believe in a hands-off leadership approach. (more…)
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, nonprofits contribute around 5.6% of the nation’s GDP (gross domestic product). This isn’t an insignificant number, and nonprofit growth is on the rise. While most nonprofits in the United States have operating budgets under $500,000 (only 5% operate at $10,000,000 or more per year), this doesn’t mean nonprofits don’t have room to grow and expand. Just remember to be true to your mission and build on the trust of your communities and partners.
Powerhouse Planning can certainly help. Whether you outsource various projects to us to keep your operating costs down (which means more revenue for your target populations) or you want some self-guided ways to grow, check out our resources and services we offer. Powerhouse is committed to helping nonprofits grow to meet their full potential.
Powerhouse Planning is so excited to share that Jessica Bertsch will be speaking alongside Dr. Gary Chapman during PILLAR—the digital retreat for deployment countdowns!
Best-selling author of “The Five Love Languages” and “The Five Love Languages: Military Edition” Gary Chapman will discuss the unique challenges and opportunities deployment presents for military couples.
During his session, Dr. Chapman will answer viewers’ questions about how military couples can show love and support over a distance.
Jessica is looking forward to talking about Finding Joy (Even When You Count Down!) and sharing her favorite tips for finding joy with your spouse, your littles, and yourself.
If you’re a military spouse wondering how you can speak your spouse’s love language more intentionally during deployments AND aiming to find joy during deployments then grab your FREE ticket using the link below!
By: Meghan Traynor
We understand that starting and maintaining a nonprofit can have its challenges. We’re here to help! Here are four ways you can grow your nonprofit into a successful organization.
1. Build trust.
Building a strong community with your supporters is vital to your organization’s growth. Here are a few ways you can build trust and foster community with your fans:
The more often you communicate and build trust with donors and followers, the more inspired they will be to continue supporting your organizations mission. (more…)
By: Randi Cairns
When you think of etiquette, you likely think of things like keeping your elbows off the table or not talking with your mouth full. As a society, we have certain rules or conventions we’ve agreed to regarding the proper way to behave in certain settings.
Well, business etiquette is the same thing: It’s about how we behave or interact with others in our work environment. And while most of the personal rules we tend to agree on apply in a work setting as well (nobody needs to see your lunch while you’re talking about your fundraising goals for next quarter), here are three tips specific to business etiquette and growing your nonprofit. (And yes, like your mama told you, manners DO matter.)
1. Be responsive. Whether it’s with the people you serve, your volunteers, your funders, or your critics, show them you’re listening. It’s great to be passionate about your mission. It’s better still to make sure what you’re offering aligns with the needs of your stakeholders. Are you paying attention when your clients tell you what they need? Are you delivering on promised deliverables to grant funders? Are you communicating—both when things are going well and when you hit an inevitable obstacle or challenge?
You want buy-in from others if you’re looking to grow your nonprofit. An easy way to get that? Let them know their feedback matters. (more…)
Client Profile: Green Vet Homes/Living Off Rentals
Powerhouse Services Provided: Company Development and External Communications
“The best part of working with Powerhouse is the comprehensive nature of the team. I can discuss the business as a whole and what the needs are, rather than a narrowly defined role that only handles one aspect of the business. Powerhouse has been key in getting me to start thinking outside of just what I’m capable of as a solopreneur.”
– Kirby Atwell, Green Vet Homes/Living Off Rentals
Learn more about our partnership here: Hiring a Virtual Team for Your Rental Property Business
Growing your nonprofit can seem like an impossible task at times. How do you balance meeting the needs of those your currently serve with your desire to reach even more worthy individuals? One great way is to improve or rethink your marketing strategies. The Balance Small Business has a great resource for marketing your small business. And, of course, Powerhouse has the expertise to put any plans or dreams you may have marketing-wise into action.
If you need to improve your management style or techniques to more effectively and efficiently administer your nonprofit, check out the Free Management Library resources. This free site has tons of articles focused on improving management in order to grow your nonprofit resources.
Finally, we’re living in a trying time for nonprofits. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on how we all operate and live our lives. Check out this free resource for nonprofits on how to mitigate the effects the global pandemic has had on our society and how to reorient your nonprofit to continue to meet the needs of your target populations.
