FSBDC Success Story | Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc.

Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. 

Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc., founded in 2012, provides fundraising and nonprofit management solutions to local organizations in the Southwestern Florida area. 

To establish her new business, founder Sheryl Soukup first looked to her competitors to see what she could learn from their business practices. By connecting with local organizations, Soukup was able to learn about the challenges and successes of non-profit business from professionals in the same industry. 

With real-world insight and professional contacts under her belt, Soukup’s business began to grow. What started as representing one client evolved into having enough clients to move out of her home office, hire full-time employees, and rent office space. 

While Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. was gaining a good reputation, Soukup found herself needing extra assistance. So, she turned to the SBDC in 2017. With the help of the SBDC, Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. was able to attract more local clients by employing a marketing and growth plan, as well as secure additional financing.  

Then, Hurricane Irma forced nonprofits to rethink their business strategies, and Soukup was left wondering how to keep her business afloat as she navigated circumstances beyond her control. 

“The SBDC was there to help me access disaster relief funding to carry us through until things returned to some semblance of normal,” Soukup says. 

In 2019, Soukup returned to the SBDC with a plan to expand Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. for the upcoming year. Trusting that the SBDC team would be able to help her with her vision was a no-brainer. It was about ensuring she had all the resources needed to bring her vision into reality at her disposal. 

Once again, the SBDC was able to offer Soukup invaluable resources for her business. They evaluated the financial health of the business, integrated technology solutions, and set up Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc. up for success in order to open a second office. 

“I signed up for the Marketing Masterminds course [offered within the SBDC] and began attending monthly sessions,” Soukup says. 

“Even as we moved to a remote stance during the pandemic, the course allowed me to re-evaluate what our clients need from us and how we can meet those needs.” 

Soukup’s initial plan to open a second office evolved into delivering online services while still meeting client needs. Soukup’s new expansion plan allowed her to confidently move her business into its next phase, even in the face of a pandemic. 

“I am truly grateful to the amazing professionals at the SBDC for their help. They have such a wealth of expertise in different areas of business. There is a reason I keep returning to the SBDC for assistance. They are a team that I have come to value and trust, and they have provided a level of service that I would have not been able to afford in the marketplace.” 

For more information about Soukup Strategic Solutions, Inc., please visit https://soukupstrategicsolutions.com/.