Eau Claire fire captain gets advice from White House

Aug. 02--Jeff Dykes told Ivanka Trump and U.S. Small Business Administration leader Linda McMahon on Tuesday that he has been a firefighter for more than 20 years and knows the job inside and out.

Given the opportunity to ask a question on a visit to the White House during a discussion about small businesses that in part celebrated the 64th anniversary of the SBA, the Eau Claire fire captain asked for advice to finding success after President Donald Trump remarked that the nation is "on the verge of a golden age for small business."

"What I'm struggling with as a new business owner is the ins and outs and the daily operations to run that business," he told Trump's daughter, a key adviser to the president, and McMahon. "What advice do you have for someone like myself to get over that hurdle and increase my business knowledge?"

With the help of grants to get his business, Northern Star Fire, started, Dykes was able to create a prototype compass that firefighters can secure to the inside of their helmets. The device notifies firefighters of their direction, something that can be difficult to negotiate in dark and smoke-filled conditions.

Fall production is scheduled for the device, which has already received more than 100 orders from the U.S. and around the world, and Dykes currently is negotiating an order for 10,000 units. The product sells for $129.99.

The success of the device led to the invitation for Dykes to come to the White House for the small-business event.

McMahon recommended those looking to become more business savvy can turn to counseling and mentoring services available in local SBA branches. She also suggested prospective business owners visit sba.gov, which offers different modules for self-study.

Ivanka Trump, herself an entrepreneur, said as she tours the country, she hears from other entrepreneurs who say one of their biggest barriers to getting their product idea launched is a lack of mentorship.

"My advice to you would be to look at the whole ecosystem of mentorship opportunities as you think about how to start this business for the first time," she said. "Thinking through and bringing on partners and people and employees that can complement your skill set and help you to think about the execution of your business plan is critical as you think about scale in a meaningful way."

Along with meeting with other small business owners, shaking hands with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and being invited to one of the firehouses in Washington, D.C., for food and soda while awaiting his plane, Dykes' took away sage advice from Tuesday's visit to the nation's capital.

"Entrepreneurs need to be tenacious," he said by phone from Washington. "Identify a problem, find a solution, take the next step and never give up."

Dykes said the meeting allowed for new exposure of his product, including being asked to appear on the Fox Business Network today with journalist Maria Bartiromo. Her show, "Mornings with Maria," airs from 5 to 8 a.m. Central time.

"My plan is to talk about the product and not politics," Dykes said.

To watch a video stream of Tuesday's White House small-business meeting, visit tinyurl.com/y7e36zvg.

Contact: 715-833-9206, [email protected], @EDohms_LT onTwitter

___

(c)2017 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.