We were lucky to catch up with Richard Trebus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Richard, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I started my career working for a non-profit organization whose mission is to support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through community homes, work enrichment, and social connections. I loved the people and the work environment! It was challenging, but deeply transformative as well. Working for a non-profit is hard work. You tend to wear many hats and get stretched physically and emotionally. But it is also a rich personal and professional skill building setting. After working in this environment for 13 years, I knew it was time to take a risk and make a change, but I did not have a clue where it would lead me. Not only was I deciding to leave the only job I had known since leaving college, but I was also in the midst of a very painful divorce. Instead of finding another job with a similar type of organization, I decided to start my own business providing case management services to persons with IDD. I knew nothing about starting a business or doing this type of social work, but there was an internal awareness that this career leap was perfectly aligned with all the skills I had acquired and developed over the years. I became certified as a Service Coordinator, started the business, and began accepting clients. The first six months were incredibly intense, as I learned a new role and how to operate my own business, but it was also deeply engaging and empowering. That time in my life was a springboard to new possibilities, independence, and work/life balance that continues today!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the founder of Split Arrow Consulting. Split Arrow Consulting is dedicated to supporting the development of non-profit and IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) service organizations. Our mission is to assist organizations to create a sustainable future through capacity building. Our goal is to provide targeted, accurate, and efficient solutions to meet the needs of organizations and the people they serve. I created Split Arrow as an extension of my passion for servant leadership. I am motivated by human potential and the ever-expanding possibilities to build a better world through individual and community-based solutions. I believe in human service organizations and in their power to transform lives and create meaningful change in their communities. At Split Arrow Consulting, we specialize in working with Provider Approved Service Agencies (PASA) and other organizations that support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We assist with new start-ups, policy and regulatory compliance, state certification, organizational development, quality assurance, and capacity building. We are proud to support first time business owners, especially individuals who have worked for years as direct caregivers who are now taking the risk to create their own path.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

As a trained organizational development professional, I was well aware of the statistics related to new business ventures. Fifty percent of all new businesses fail within the first 5 years! I started my consulting business, and the first three years were solid. I was maintaining the business but not growing it. I had one big consulting client and several other short-term engagements. However, when my big client decided to hire someone full time to manage many of the activities I was doing for them as a consultant, I suddenly went from maintaining the business and keeping my head above water to now sinking. I realized that I was successful at what I did and working very hard for my clients, but all of my time was spent working for my clients and not growing and developing the business. I spent all of my time working for clients and very little to no time developing new relationships and establishing new engagements. The sudden change in my work and income was both opportunistic and terrifying. I now had the time and opportunity to do more direct marketing and engagement, but I was not bringing in sustainable income to the business, so the business was on borrowed time. I was simultaneously marketing the business and sending out personal resumes for job placement opportunities. I gave myself a six-month timeframe. If I was not able to get the business back to being sustainable, I would need to find full-time employment. At the end of month four, there was a breakthrough! My marketing and direct engagement was starting to pay off. I had made several connections with organizations and was doing small projects. It still was not enough to sustain the business, but things were starting to shift. These engagements led to word-of-mouth referrals that further expanded my reach. This cycle continued and resulted in slow business growth over the next six to eight months. It also coincided with a shift in the market that matched my expertise perfectly. Since that time, the business has thrived!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients is through word-of-mouth referrals. My business provides a very specific service for individuals and small businesses getting into the direct care health industry. These are direct care professionals, behavioral therapists, massage therapists, nurses, and other health care professionals wanting to work independently and start their own business. As a result, many of our clients spread the word to their colleagues.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://splitarrowconsulting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SplitArrowConsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/split-arrow-consulting

Image Credits

Richard Trebus