Melanie van de Water, the brains behind Interactive Play, has a rich background in interior design, hospitality, and business. Her dream was to introduce child-friendly play spaces to industries such as hospitality and retail, but she faced some hurdles. Our Impact Lab CFO helped her with high distribution costs, shipping delays, and the daunting task of financial management

So you're a small business owner, and you’re at a common crossroads: do you jump into a free finance coaching program you found online (like the Impact Lab), or do you pull out your wallet and invest in a paid financial coach? In this article, we're going to break it down for you. We'll look at the cool stuff free programs may offer, and what you’d likely get when you pay for a coach.

Every year, our team here at Mission Edge works to spread the word about our Impact Lab cohorts: completely free finance support for small business owners who qualify. Our team of finance coaches is dedicated to helping you achieve your business and financial goals. When you join a cohort, you're not just learning new things about owning a business; you're transforming the way you do business.

Impact Lab graduate Abby Brown is the driving force behind H2OM, a sustainable apparel brand that’s making waves in the fashion industry with its eco-friendly activewear. Our team provided guidance on efficient inventory management, strategic fundraising, and navigating the complexities of fashion retail, all while keeping Abby's commitment to the environment at the forefront.

Learn why working with a finance coach can transform your small business and see the success stories from our recent Impact Lab participants! From creating a clear business plan to getting you on track to pay yourself a living wage, our team can give you the financial clarity you need to reach sustainable profitability.

Elliss joined our Impact Lab program to transform her clothing rental business into a full-time endeavor. Her journey with Mission Edge is a testament to the importance of targeted inventory management, financial planning, and marketing interventions that can lead to substantial improvements in business performance and sustainability.

Sometimes, all it takes is fresh eyes and a new perspective. That's precisely what our finance experts did to help Gwen get her marketing business on a path toward profitability and scalable growth. Gwen's journey with the Impact Lab demonstrates the importance of strategic financial analysis, tracking expenses, niche targeting, and specific pricing strategies that can lead to profitability.

A veteran, death doula, and educator, Dr. Qwynn Salazar is on a mission to ignite change in how we provide end-of-life care for those who served in the military. That’s why she started her organization, In Their Honor (ITH), in 2021 — to raise awareness and address veterans’ challenges as they approach the end of their lives.

Founder Thulani Ngazimbi comes from a diverse background in product development and sales. Currently based in Portugal, Thulani wanted to expand his business in both the US and European markets, but the currency exchange was causing him to run into some issues.

We paired Vanessa with a financial expert and the comprehensive support she needed to address her challenges running her bakery. Together, they completed a revenue forecast for her business and worked on strategies for capacity management, compensation, and supplier-related issues.

At the time Andrea joined Mission Edge, her primary challenge was profitability. Despite the fact that they’d been able to generate significant revenue, the company was still incurring losses. Andrea knew she needed help identifying areas to cut costs and improve margins, as well as advice on how to allocate an employee retention tax credit payment she received as she was going through our program.

Sometimes you just need a perspective check before you move forward. After working with us, Angela had better insight into her financial situation and was able to develop a clear plan for how much income she’d need to keep pursuing her DJ career while simultaneously preparing for parenting full-time.

Daniel “DJ Danny” Torres is a SoCal-based professional wedding and corporate event DJ. With the ultimate goal of opening his own venue space, Danny needed some assistance setting up for long-term success. He started working with Mission Edge seeking help to set revenue goals and optimize his pricing strategy.

Through our fiscal sponsorship program, we provided the Bro-Am with full-service accounting and human resources services, as well as a proven nonprofit structure to operate within. The partnership allowed the band to focus on focus on planning their art, community impact, signature events and fundraising, leaving nonprofit management and logistics to the experts (us).

Alicia Fox is passionate about helping her clients achieve a healthy lifestyle. While growth is a good thing, Alicia and her two employees were feeling overwhelmed by the size of their new business, and the growing to-do list that went along with it.

In December of 2020, Irani started Rombomb Burger, a San Diego catering business he hoped to expand into a thriving mobile burger joint. But trying to provide for his family with a patty-flipping, burger-slinging business during a pandemic proved tricky at best. Here’s how our finance experts helped Romin add a little meat to his budding burger business.

Due to their expertise in Brazilian cuisine, Jane and Eduardo had no problem coming up with a large variety of products to offer their customers. But over time, they began to have difficulties keeping up with inventory management and allocating time. Mission Edge helped them to have a more accurate perception of their business costs and future growth opportunities.

Mission Edge helped Laura Valdés, founder of Valdés Language Services, make future growth financially possible. From improving her marketing to cultivating clear plan for hiring contractors and growing her business, our finance expert Carolynn helped Laura gain clarity around how to make running her business sustainable.

Ready to give budgeting a try, or ready to up-level your money skills? Check out one of these resources recommended by Impact Lab’s financial experts, and let us know what you think!

How Mission Edge helped Michelle organize her finances and grow her candle business. When she started working with Mission Edge, Michelle had been in business for over 2 years. She wanted to increase her revenue, but her accounting and bookkeeping methods were outdated.