Steve and Paula Chapman know exactly what it takes to start a business, and they share their expertise with clients at Small Business Learning Center. Paula wrote their first business plan on an Atari in 1985. They’ve “always had small businesses going and start-up projects,” but they didn’t begin working together seriously until she was laid off from her corporate job in 2001. By then the technology to create a one-stop learning center for small businesses caught up with their brainchild. When recounting their history, Steve looked to Paula for the details. “She’s my calendar.”
When they first went into business together, they hired a business coach to teach them how to play to each other’s strengths. “We have clear delineations between what each one of us does. Steve is the creative, and I’m the technical.” They keep their partnership strong with compromise and lots of talking. Working in different rooms of their home is key to keeping the peace as well. Paula says the best thing about working with Steve is that “there is someone there who’s got your back.” Steve adds, “In life and in business, too. We’re each other’s best friend.”
-image by Tim Coffey
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