Президент торговой палаты Вермиллиона бесплатно менторит предпринимателей, помогая бизнесу расти

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pristine Enterprises and the Vermillion Area Chamber are both members of the South Dakota Retailers Association (SDRA) and were recently featured in the association’s member magazine. The SDRA shared the article for reprint with Vermillion Plain Talk. With decades of corporate and consulting experience under his belt, Jim Peterson has learned a thing or two about business. Now, as the President and CEO of the Vermillion Chamber of Commerce, Jim is happy to help new entrepreneurs avoid the potholes he discovered along the way. “If I can share what I’ve learned and help others learn from my experience,” said Peterson. As President and CEO, Peterson is committed to doing more for the community than leading the chamber staff. He’s providing chamber members who are thinking about starting up a new business with one-on-one coaching. “We take a kind of informal mentoring approach with start-up businesses,” said Peterson. “Talk to them about vision, goals. Ask them lots of questions and let them do their homework.” Luke Van Peursem, owner of Pristine Enterprises, is one of those Vermillion Chamber members whom Peterson mentors. The relationship started about five years ago when Luke was still a teenager. He and his brother had a fledgling lawncare business that serviced about 30 customers in Vermillion. “He (Jim) took a chance on me. I became a chamber member, and he helped me find work; I started mowing the chamber property,” said Luke. “I’d ask him about taxes or payroll when I had questions.” When Luke’s brother headed off to college, Luke decided it was time to grow his business and buy out his brother’s share. Luke shared his vision for a bigger operation with Jim. Jim responded with, “If you want to take your business to the next level, I will mentor you if you want. We can meet once a month or as needed. It’s included in your chamber membership. It’s free.” “He provides guidance on how to grow, helped structure the business based on goals, helped with the zoning process,” said Luke. Now at the age of 23, Luke is running an operation that has 20 full-time employees, provides weekly lawncare to more than 200 customers, and has expanded into concrete, irrigation, and siding, while maintaining its roots in landscaping and hardscaping. “Jim believed in me from the start. He’s a great entrepreneur. Wants nothing for himself, just what’s best for the community,” said Luke. “He paves the road for us.” Luke and Jim still meet as Pristine Enterprises evolves into a regional business with projects stretching as far north as Brookings down to the Iowa state line. While not every community has Jim Peterson to guide young entrepreneurs from concept to execution to growth, Luke says, in his experience, many successful businesspeople are willing to share their knowledge with others as well. “Don’t be afraid to talk to big business owners. Most of these businesses are always willing to share information with you. This is what we did; this is what we recommend for you,” said Luke. “It’s all about connections and networking.” To tap Jim Peterson’s knowledge, you do have to be a Vermillion Chamber member. But he’ll tell you the U.S. Small Business Administration has some great resources to lean on too.