As someone on the backside of 50, Pat Coslett felt like he had one more good run in him and took to the internet for ideas. Having been around the furniture business for 50 years (his father, Joe, owned and operated L.B. Jones Furniture), the decision was made to stick with furniture.
The process began in December 2016 when Coslett approached Business Advisor Doug Claybourn with the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (Southwest ISBDC). He shared that besides assistance with the business plan and strategy, more appreciably, Claybourn gave him hope to pursue his dream.
Coslett says the difference with locally-owned Simplicity Furniture is that it’s not about the money or the furniture. According to him, the experience of shopping there is not just fun but life-changing. For even more fun, the building also houses a comedy club that operates stand-up comedy shows after hours on select weekend nights.
The Southwest ISBDC helped make the process easy for Coslett to jump back in after being out of the business world for a while. He thanks Claybourn for serving as both a cheerleader and consultant and providing one-stop shopping for his start-up needs. “He helped us believe in ourselves that we could do it… and by golly, we did!”
Video by: Casey Voelker at Captivated Content | Copy by: Jennie Jolly at The Versatile Admin
Make your big idea something real in the Evansville region!
At E-REP, we understand that fostering the development of new businesses is just as critical to sustainable economic growth as helping existing companies with their expansion plans. The Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (hosted by E-REP) exists to help you start or grow your business. The team offers no-cost business advising, market research, workshops, specialized training and more.
Ready to pursue your dream?