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Liberty Employment Solutions, Valonda Banks
Real entrepreneurs are not inspired by competitiveness but by the desire to be their own boss and take charge of their future success. This motivated SCORE client Valonda Banks when she and her husband Jeremy Banks, founded Liberty Employment Solutions in 2018.
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
After working in Corporate America and being laid off in 2008 in the recession, Valonda worked in two small businesses and fell in love with the opportunity to have a measurable impact on a company's growth and revenue.
"I learned about Recruitment Process Outsourcing, the idea that a company's recruiting efforts could be outsourced almost like bookkeeping. I had lots of experience in hiring, experience in managing an RPO department, training, etc. I had an opportunity with a local business owner, and I wanted more control over my schedule with my young daughter, so my husband and I took the chance. We started as a small business working out of our home in 2018. A few short months later, with Eric Parker and SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon's help, we opened an office. Over the year, added four employees and many clients. We saw a measurable impact on MANY companies' growth and revenue by efficiently and effectively executing a hiring process on their behalf, and identifying qualified applicants with the right behavioral fit to help grow their team. We are now calling it Recruitment Process Partnership, as we consider ourselves an extension of our client's business and team rather than an outsourced processing company."
- Valonda Banks, Co-Founder, Liberty Employment Solutions
SCORE Mentors Partner for Success
Entrepreneurs who work with a mentor are five times more likely to start a business than those who do not have a mentor. Small business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. Valonda Banks reached out to SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon in 2018 to request a mentor. She is now working with lead mentor Eric Parker.
"Working with Eric Parker and SCORE, we have learned how to measure our success, watch the vital signs of our business, take risks, learn some tough lessons, fall down, and get back up again. SCORE has provided us with resources and sound advice, which has informed the decisions we have made and helped us grow in 2020, a tough year for many businesses. Particular catchphrases and stories Eric gave us stuck with us this year and informed us how we priced our services and how we serve our staff and clients."
- Valonda Banks, Co-Founder, Liberty Employment Solutions
"When Valonda contacted SCORE in August 2018, her request was simple. "I need help in setting up QuickBooks and developing a budget." She was really asking for tools to help her manage her business, understand her costs, help her price her services, and plan for the future.
Tom Roche agreed to be a co-mentor early on. Tom brought significant expertise in finance and tools to help Valonda develop processes and understand her financial statements."
- Eric Parker, SCORE volunteer mentor
Transforming Growth Through National Recognition
The Liberty Employment Solutions Team was recently invited to participate in the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. This series "is an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education, capital, and business support services. To date, more than 9,100 business owners have graduated from the program across all 50 states in the US, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C."
"The program has revenue requirements, Full-Time Employee equivalents, and for the owner participating to demonstrate the business can move forward while you are in classes and doing classwork for up to 15 hours a week. None of that would have been possible without our staff and their ability to learn and execute client-centric services at a high level! We are proud of each of them and their contributions and the 'Service gene' they all have for each other, Liberty and ESPECIALLY our clients!"
- Valonda Banks, Co-Founder, Liberty Employment Solutions
For The Life of Your Journey
SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon volunteer mentors are genuinely invested in the success of their clients. A SCORE mentor will remain by your side for the life of your business journey, no matter what challenge you encounter.
"We are so thankful for the time and experience provided to us by Eric Parker and SCORE. The personal business experiences he has shared and the resources he has pointed us to have helped us make more informed decisions. His affirmation of our work and its value in the marketplace, and the belief in what we are putting together, have stiffened our backbone for the tough conversations we have had to have with each other and our customers at times.
Connect with SCORE, make sure you mesh well with your mentor, and take as many calculated risks as they recommend. Be open and transparent with them. They are there to help you. By learning from your mistakes and celebrating your successes with them, it feels like a team win!
- Valonda Banks, Co-Founder, Liberty Employment Solutions
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