South Georgia staffing company finds strength through UGA SBDC strategic support

The UGA SBDC has supported the business at every stage, from restructuring debt and increasing cash flow to identifying operational inefficiencies and improving profitability. The Wilsons began their journey into business ownership long before those milestones with little staffing industry experience but a strong desire to learn and grow. Jason Wilson worked as a certified electrician, and Brianna Wilson had spent years in retail, opening stores for brands like Old Navy and Gymboree.

After returning to school for a business degree and working part-time in various roles at a local staffing company, Brianna Wilson found her calling.

“I like working with people, so coaching and training was something that was already near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I worked directly with the employees and the appreciation they showed for helping them find a job was just so rewarding. I just fell in love with the work.”

When an opportunity arose to buy into the company, the Wilsons jumped at the chance. Brianna Wilson purchased 50% of the business in 2013, and Jason Wilson acquired the remaining half the following year.

But passion alone wasn’t enough. The business they inherited wasn’t poised for growth. That’s when the Wilsons turned to the UGA SBDC in Albany for expert guidance on how to revitalize and expand the business.

“We didn’t come from the staffing industry. We didn’t have a mentor to say, ‘this is how a staffing company runs,’” Brianna Wilson said.

Their first UGA SBDC consultant helped ground them in the basics, from connecting SPS to the American Staffing Association to developing a gross profit calculator and ensuring proper insurance coverage.

Over the next decade, the UGA SBDC played an integral part in the company’s growth. Its consultants helped the Wilsons streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve profitability. Through financial document reviews, the UGA SBDC team helped SPS uncover costly inefficiencies and guided them toward better alternatives. This included upgrading bookkeeping practices and helping the business secure a trusted CPA.

Strategic planning was another turning point. UGA SBDC consultants Susan Paz and Jennifer Lee facilitated goal-setting sessions that have helped SPS map out plans for expansion and long-term sustainability.

“The three-year strategic plan UGA SBDC helped us with is one we still use to this day,” Brianna Wilson said.

The Wilsons also benefitted from marketing and branding support, receiving feedback on their website and promotional materials, as well as advice on business certifications and state and federal contracting. This led to SPS earning certification as a Women-Owned Small Business through the U.S. Small Business Administration, positioning them for future federal contracts.

“The UGA SBDC has helped us with every facet of our small business—from that first year in business, to five years in, to a decade,” said Kevin Stilwell, the Wilsons’ son and SPS project manager. “If we outsourced the services they’ve provided, we’d have easily paid over $100,000.”

The Wilsons are also proud alumni of the SBDC GrowSmart program, which they completed in 2017.

“GrowSmart was great. It opened my eyes,” said Brianna Wilson. “A few of the books they recommended during the course, we still incorporate into the work we do today.”

The Wilsons’ entrepreneurial efforts have also expanded beyond staffing. Southern Point Warehousing has allowed them to expand into Amazon sales and warehouse supply services.

“We’re not only helping warehouses in the area get the staff they need, but also the supplies they need to succeed,” Stilwell said.

Meanwhile, through Southern Point Properties, the Wilsons manage affordable rent-to-own homes and provide tenants with coaching on homeownership.

“Most of these people are first-time homebuyers. We’re setting them up for success,” Stilwell said.

The company also transformed its office building, once fully occupied by SPS, into a co-working space for local entrepreneurs and startups seeking an affordable, collaborative office space.

The Wilson family’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2017, SPS received the Albany Strong Award from the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce for its local storm recovery efforts and was recognized in 2018 as the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year.

“There are a lot of successful businesses doing great things in our rural communities, and Southern Point Properties is definitely one of them,” said Paz.