Carolina Community Impact (CCI) works with businesses of various sizes and stages to provide access to capital in addition to business counseling services. Our team enjoys every opportunity to connect with business owners and learn more about their ideas to launch and expand their business and serve their communities. More importantly, we know that the journey of business ownership has many challenges and learning curves. Therefore, we appreciate all clients who entrust us to guide them through their business journey and steer them towards success.
One of our most recent clients, Darius All Access, LLC, is a Wilmington, NC-based business that provides power washing, lawn care, and business & residential cleaning services. Darius Brunson and Tiffany Walker are partners for Darius All Access, LLC. They share excitement for business ownership and a desire to pass the entrepreneurial spirit to their children and grandchildren. While working up to three jobs each to reach some of their financial goals, they both knew they wanted something different for themselves.
“I started small with my business,” says Brunson. “But we were in the process of buying a home and starting a business at the same time. We had enough money to cover the home buying process, but we had exhausted a lot of our funds and resources to cover expenses for the business and equipment.”
Darius All Access worked with CCI to secure $30,000 in capital to grow their business.
“We originally reached out to the bank that holds our business banking account because we wanted to maintain that relationship. However, we were turned down for the loan,” says Brunson. “We just kept looking for the right financial relationship, and eventually, we were referred to CCI.”
Brunson and Walker learned about Carolina Community Impact through a series of referrals from partnering organizations who helped them with things like writing a business plan, formally organizing their business, and building financial documents.
“When we first reached out to CCI, they needed a lot of information about our business. It was a lot of work. We learned that all of the information was necessary for us just as much as it was for them. All of us needed to understand how our business operates,” Walker says about their initial experience with working with CCI.
Walker handles much of the paperwork and operations of the business, while Brunson provides the services to their clients. The business counseling they both received as CCI clients allowed them to learn more about their roles in their business and how to grow the business by taking the proper steps.
“We know a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners, but sometimes, they’re not willing to share their resources or explain how to deal with a particular business challenge. Joseph Battle at CCI answered all of our business questions and made us feel comfortable about the loan process, too,” Walker says.
After receiving their small business loan, Brunson and Walker were even more excited about growing their business. “The loan helped us to buy better equipment. In the beginning, when I didn’t have the right equipment, it meant I had to turn down a lot of jobs and opportunities,” Brunson states.
Darius All Access, LLC is rapidly expanding. They have recently received their Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certification and have plans to get any additional certifications that will qualify them for significant contracts within the state. Additionally, they are adding new services to their business, including offering masonry work. They’re also expanding their capacity by adding more subcontractors to their team. They accredit their dedication to their business along with funding from CCI for the progress they’ve made so far.
“I would recommend CCI to other business owners. Even after we were funded, CCI still helps us. I can email Joesph Battle, and he responds almost immediately. They are always available to counsel us and help us figure out our challenges,” Walker says.
“Between our teamwork and CCI’s help, it makes us feel like we can grow our business,” Brunson adds.
To learn more about Darius All Access, LLC, visit their website https://www.dariusallaccess.com/. You can also find them on Facebook and LinkedIn.
