A retired Chatham-Kent police sergeant's small business has taken off with support from the municipality's business start up program.
Jeff Schamahorn started a small liquor dispenser business called The Whisky Jack Company last December after learning about the idea from his wife.
Whisky Jack Company liquor dispenser. (Photo courtesy of the owner Jeff Schamahorn).
"It all began on a little bit of a challenge from my better half who saw a very crude version online. It really consists of some plumbing fixtures and we developed some internal workings. She sent me a picture and challenged me to build one that actually works," he says.
Schamahorn says his business got a huge response when he hand built five dispensers for his daughter's stag and doe in May. He says he fundraised over $500 for his daughter's wedding by selling the dispensers at the event.
"They're all custom built out of a 200 sq ft workshop that I have at home. I'm retired now and I had the workshop built a few years before I retired just to keep busy. This went from one to five, to probably up in the 100/150 range now," he says.
Whisky Jack dispensers are currently being sold at the Purple Pansy Flower Boutique, Lady Blackbird Boutique, and Sticker That in Chatham.
Schamahorn says he owes his growing business' success to the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre's Starter Company Plus program, which provides individuals over the age of 18 with opportunities to get training, advice and mentoring to help them build a business. The program is funded by the Ontario government's Ministry of Economic Development and Growth and provides an opportunity for participants to apply for grants up to $5,000 to help start or grow a business. The municipality says the program has received the largest enrollment to date this year.
"When you start a small business, especially when you go from a hobby to all of a sudden realizing that you are a business, your organization isn't there. The starter program was such a great way to get things organized, so you can actually walk through the steps of getting a business up and running," explains Schamahorn.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent's Small Business Centre hosted a three-day business training workshop on September 19, 20, and 21. (Photo courtesy of the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre).
Schamahorn recently attended the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre's three-day intensive training workshop, which was held on September 19, 20 and 21. According to the municipality, 43 local entrepreneurs and business owners attended the workshop.
Schamahorn says he gives "kudos" to organizers for planning the event, which he describes as "business college shrunken into three days."
Schamahorn hopes to expand his business further and plans to apply for a grant through the Starter Company Plus program soon. He says a web site is currently under development in preparation for the Christmas season. He says he's also looking into opening up a retail location in the next year or so.
He adds that The Whisky Jack Company will be showcasing its dispensers at the John D. Bradley Centre on November 25.