Employee Turns Employer — A Dream Comes True for Donut Shop Owner

For Lisa Budd, being independent and being rewarded for an extraordinary work ethic were extremely important to her. Doing what she liked to do was also a major issue. What did she do about these priorities?

She risked venturing into the ownership of a “Daylight Donut” franchise in Gothenburg, Nebraska. The business was already profitable, but showed much more growth potential.

With the benefit of technical assistance from REAP, cooperation with the previous owners, and friendly assistance from local realtor Brian Miller, Lisa purchased the business and hit the deck running.

Customer volume in the Dawson County town has increased under Lisa’s management. She has been all business – managing loan payments, cash flow, and keeping on top of her business in every way. Her shop is well known for providing friendly, quality service.

Approximately 75 percent of her volume is deliveries to other small and large businesses in the Gothenburg and Cozad areas. Lisa has created a good balance between individual retail customers and business firms.

Lisa is a young rural entrepreneur who has a very strong work ethic, is a responsible business person, and is doing very well at her business enterprise. Lisa is community-minded as well, and was recognized by local media after recent generous aid and food donations to travelers stranded in an early blizzard.