Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, when Claire Evans decided to pursue her dreams by opening a company in Clermont, Florida, in 2002, the name "ama Zulu" seemed only "natural". With a brilliant and contagious smile, Claire will tell you it is a Zulu dialect that means "people of heaven". Under that name she developed a natural architectural company that would introduce and develop new innovations and sustain higher service standards in the industry by supplying natural and faux materials such as thatch, bamboo, reeds, etc., and the innovative installation specialists to go with it all.

Claire Evans contacted Certified Business Analyst Gene Romagna at the SBDC at the University of Central Florida's (SBDC at UCF) Clermont office in May of 2008. "I remember the three key things about meeting Ms. Evans," recalls Gene. "She's energetic, organized and faced a big supplier problem." At the time, amaZulu, Inc. had five employees and a successful track record of becoming a key supplier for such notable companies as Disney, Sea World and Outback Steak House. But as Claire will explain, "the industry was ready for more environmentally safe and longer lasting fire proof synthetic materials, but getting the quality is becoming almost impossible."

It was trying to sort through that business development process and how to create business agreements that caused her to call Gene at the SBDC at UCF. Working together over the course of the next year, Claire gained the clarity needed to face various obstacles and several attempted solutions to getting a quality product on a reliable basis. Finally by this summer she was ready to take her plan – which now included working with a manufacturer in Canada - and seek financing.

"We needed a half million dollars, but just couldn't get a bank (she had been to three) to take us seriously," said Claire. Looking at the plans and the financials, Gene suggested that she approach a local lender who he knew to be supportive of small businesses like amaZulu, Inc. The introduction to BankFIRST (the regional office is an active member of the FSBDCN's Small Business Resource Network in Central Florida) was just what was needed. "Gene helped me get through all of the fluff and get back to the basics," says Claire. "It was her dogged persistence and belief in her directions that won out in the end," Gene said. "She deserves the $500K loan for sure."

It is fitting that at the bottom of every email from Claire is this Thomas Edison quote, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." So, the next time you enjoy a little bit of "paradise" at an exotic attraction like a theme park, zoo, aquarium, spa, restaurant, resort, camping facility, retreat or even high-end real estate, you just may be experiencing some of Claire Evans' amaZulu unique creations!

To learn more about amaZulu, Inc. visit their website at www.amazuluinc.com.

The Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network of 35 centers, is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, hosted by the University of West Florida and accredited through the national Association of SBDCs. For over 30 years, the FSBDCN has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses, and economic prosperity for the state. To learn more about the FSBDCN or to find an SBDC near you, visit www.FloridaSBDC.org or call 1.866.737.7232.

State Director's Office l 401 E Chase St, Ste 100 l Pensacola, FL 32502
866.737.7232 or 850.473.7800 l www.FloridaSBDC.org