Heidi Murphy, Principal and VP of Finance, Warwick, Inc.

"10ksb came at the perfect time because I went from being an employee to owning a business with partners. The program provided a great overview of all aspects of running a business!"

Before Heidi Murphy purchased Warwick, Inc. in 2009, it was a second-generation, family-owned business where she worked. 10,000 Small Businesses came at the perfect time, because she went from being an employee to running the business.

When Heidi and her co-owners took over Warwick, they wanted to make sure the employees felt engaged and had a voice. 10,000 Small Businesses helped Murphy learn to support the growth of the business with appropriate staffing, and she learned how to make sure those employees were happy, educated, trained and at the top of their game.

The program gave her a comprehensive view of the company, and while it didn’t hand her everything she needed to learn, it gave her an ongoing network of resources she needed to move forward. Because of 10,000 Small Businesses, Heidi became involved with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and she is now the president-elect. She continues to meet with her former classmates regularly and mentors other small business owners through NAWBO and Bad Girl Ventures.

Warwick has continued to experience slow but steady growth. Murphy’s plan was to open a satellite office in Columbus, and she accomplished this goal within a year of graduating from the program.