Blueprint for Success: Steven Brittain Construction and Diving

LQRDA success story

For nearly 15 years, builder and woodworker Steve Brittain has built a
successful business by translating his clients’ vision into
something tangible. “I take their idea for a renovation, a new piece
of wood furniture, or a new building, and I make it into something
they can see and touch.”

But when it came to turning his vision for corporate growth into a
step-by-step, easy-to-follow strategy, Steve was stumped. Although
he’d developed a reputation for doing quality work in his community of
Chester, he knew he needed to grow the business further to smooth out the
feast-or-famine cycles of self-employment, and uncover additional ways of increasing the company's revenues.

He even had a dream about what that other revenue stream
might be. A certified diver, Steve saw an opportunity to provide
diving services to local marinas, boat owners and even shipwreck hunters.

“I knew where I wanted to be – but I had no idea how to get there.” To
go from hobby to profession, Steve would need financing for specialized
equipment and additional training. But he knew traditional lenders were
unlikely to invest in his business.

A client – who also happened to be an entrepreneur, suggested he
approach the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency for
assistance. Once there, he quickly made contact with the Business
Retention and Expansion program. BRE is an internationally-recognized
program in which professional business developers work one-on-one with
business owners to overcome obstacles to growth.

Over the next few months, Steve worked with BRE officer Ivan Deveau to
formalize his vision, break it into a series of steps, and put his new
plan down on paper.  When the business plan was complete, the BRE
officer referred Steve to the CBDC, which provides loans to community
businesses.

“I got the money – and it made a huge difference in my business,”
Steve says. Soon after investing in his new diving equipment, Steve
began landing more contracts for diving services both locally, and even in
other provinces. His diving income increased, and so did his ability to
deliver his services at a more professional level. This new
revenue stream helped address the biggest obstacle to growth in his
construction business – having the financing necessary to cash flow
larger, more lucrative jobs.

Steve says the personalized assistance he received through BRE was his
blueprint for success. “BRE officer Ivan Deveau worked around my
schedule, met me in my home and answered hundreds of questions I had –
sometimes more than once. He opened my eyes to the breadth of programs
that exist out there, and it has made all the difference in the world
to my business.”