Success Story: April Griffin, CEO of Griffin Group Consulting

April Griffin launched Griffin Group Consulting with a simple mission: leave every place better than she found it and improve the lives of her neighbors along the way.  

Over the past two years, she’s taken that mission to new heights with support from the Lightbulb Project, a program designed to help contractors develop their small businesses.  The initiative is administered through a partnership between Elevate, SOUL, and Builder’s Avenue, and funded by the Fund for Equitable Business Growth.  

“In two years, I’ve seen my business blossom from back-office support, training programs, and other resources,” Griffin said. “More funding has become available to me, and I’ve met so many people through networking. There’s so much that’s become available to me, I can’t even keep track of it. I just know that my business is different. I’m different.”  

Launched five years ago, the Lightbulb Project began as a cohort-based model for contractors starting their small business operations. Since then, it has evolved over time to address participants’ changing needs, offering flexible resources that support business owners at all stages of growth.  

Since growing a small business is not a linear process, participants can choose the resources that are most relevant to their current challenges and are welcome to dip in and out of the program as needed. 

Some of the services that participants can access through the Lightbulb Project include:  

• Back-Office Apprenticeship Program 

• Project Management Training 

• Networking Opportunities 

• Individualized Support  

Griffin said the most helpful aspect of the Lightbulb Project has been knowing that she can reach out to trusted advisors at any time with any questions and will receive the support she needs.  

“It was so helpful to be able to pick up the phone when I was stuck on a project and get support almost immediately,” Griffin said. “I so much appreciated having access to all the individuals who administer this program. That’s what made this such a wonderful experience for me.”  

Throughout her time within the Lightbulb Project, Griffin took full advantage of training, funding opportunities, networking events, and personalized support to strengthen her company’s back-office operations.  

“My back office has come full circle,” Griffin said. “Each time I engaged with one of those programs, another door opened for my business. Things just kept falling into place. Anytime I encountered a challenge, there was a service there to support me and I just kept going.”  

As part of the Lightbulb Project, Griffin was assigned a dedicated project management associate through Builder’s Avenue. Over three months, the associate helped expand her business’ capacity, redesigned her branding, and created processes to make her business more efficient.  

“I met with her and showed her exactly what I needed done, and within those three months, she finished all of the projects I needed help with,” Griffin said. “She was available, open to learn, and provided the exact kind of support I was looking for. I didn’t have to check in, she was checking in with me constantly and work was getting done even while I was in the field. She kept my back office running.”  

Prior to starting her business, Griffin gained decades of experience in project management and back-office experience from her career in banking and government. Some of her colleagues told her that her skill set would be effective in the construction industry, so she began taking construction courses, started a job project managing for a tradesperson, and eventually started her own business.  

Founded in March 2019, Griffin Group Consulting supports small businesses, non-profits, and property managers who are overwhelmed by field and back-office demands. Griffin Group Consulting helps entrepreneurs implement practical processes, while providing compliance support and operational relief.  

“I wanted to take my experience and reinvent myself,” Griffin explained. “The Lightbulb Project helped me do exactly that. It has given me clarity and the confidence that I can do anything I want to do if I just work at it. I believe in my business model more, and I believe in myself more.”  

Visit ElevateNP.org/Clean-Energy-Jobs-Accelerator to learn more about our workforce and small business development opportunities. 

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