Intelli Investigations, LLC
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It’s not unusual for children to follow their parents’ careers. What makes Jennifer Colon unique is that both her parents were private investigators who operated their own agency. Though the profession is rarely as glamorous as portrayed in movies and TV shows, Jennifer still found the work fascinating and wanted to make it her own as well.
As with most other first-time business owners, Jennifer soon found herself overwhelmed with the responsibilities and decisions necessary to manage the business smoothly. While she and her agency, Intelli Investigations, were licensed and had little competition in the Gainesville, Florida, area, Jennifer still needed to build awareness of her services among potential customers.
More than three years later, Intelli Investigations is growing steadily with a full range of services such as pre-employment and tenant screening, child custody surveillance, judgment recovery, asset investigations, and court document retrieval.
“I’m still in growing stage, but the business is now able to sustain itself,” Jennifer says. “I have plans to expand, and it’s good to know that the groups Alfred suggested are out there to help me cultivate more business.”
Gainesville SCORE Mentor Alfred Furnweger reviewed Jennifer’s business plan and critiqued her marketing materials. He also recommended other ways to gain visibility, including becoming involved in area networking groups like the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and the Gainesville Area Women’s Network.
And while Jennifer was confident she could be an ace investigator, Alfred helped her believe she could be a successful businessperson as well. “Sometimes, I’d think I was crazy for doing this, especially being so young and facing so many risks,” she says. “Alfred put my mind at ease and gave me excellent advice. The time I spent with him was well worth it.”
My ambitious future plans also include working with a SCORE mentor. “I’ve always been open to seeking out advice on things I don’t’ know about,” Jennifer says. “Alfred gave me the foundation to get my business started on the right track. I’ll definitely go back when I need their help.”
“Since my budget was zero at the time, SCORE’s free services were just what I needed. SCORE Mentor Alfred Furnweger put my mind at ease and gave me excellent advice. He gave me the foundation to get my business started on the right tract. The time I spend with him was well worth it.” says Jennifer.