Entrepreneur is Virtually Unstoppable with New Business Idea

Ohana Virtual Services of Hillsborough County

Launching a business is no small feat, but Nancy Pomaro, owner of Ohana Virtual Services has turned her vision into a reality with the support of the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County. Based in Hillsborough County, her executive virtual assistant and mobile notary business was made with family in mind and is designed to help busy professionals stay organized and meet their notary needs with convenience and reliability.

“I chose to launch this business because I have been a virtual assistant with a company for several years and family’s important to me so I created the business to create an income for my family and as a military spouse, I want to hire other military spouses so that they can create income for their families, so that’s really why I started the business,” Pomaro said with pride.

When Pomaro decided it was the right time to start her business, she turned to Barry Haynes, a business consultant at the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County. With his expertise and the Florida SBDC’s resources, Pomaro attended no-cost webinars and seminars, gained access to budgeting tools, and received guidance on setting up a solid foundation for her business.

“I have an SBDC at Hillsborough County mentor, Barry, who has been amazing. He helped me build a business plan. He’s helped with my budget, my cash flow, figuring out where my breakeven point is and he’s given me resources to meet with other people, like the legal that comes here once a month, to get some legal questions answered when it comes to my business, so it’s been amazing,” Pomaro said.

Since working with the Florida SBDC, Pomaro has achieved remarkable milestones, including actually getting the business up and running and gaining her first handful of clients. She credits her biggest success so far to the combination of strategic planning and the personalized support she received from Barry Haynes and the Florida SBDC team.

“My business has grown so much with the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County. I started my business in March of this year and my goal was to have four clients within my first year and it’s almost the end of 2024 and I already have four clients. I’ve sent four proposals to potential clients and as a mobile notary I’ve completed 42 assignments already,” Pomaro said with a smile.

Looking ahead, Pomaro plans to continue leveraging the Florida SBDC’s resources as she scales her business. “I intend to use the Florida SBDC as I move forward and grow. I recognize it offers many growth opportunities. I intend to use these resources to expand my business capabilities and to increase my revenue and provide better services to my customers,” she said.

For entrepreneurs considering the Florida SBDC, the passionate business owner offers this advice: “I would say to other small businesses to utilize the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County. The Entrepreneurial Collaborative Center has been amazing. Everyone here is friendly. They have amazing classes and resources, and you don’t know what you don’t know,” Pomaro said.