“I could talk to you for an hour, and if you take away one meaningful thing, then I’ve done my job. If I can give something to someone where they walk away with something that was going to improve their life for the next 40, 50, 60 years, that’s what matters.”

The words of Stephen Driscoll; entrepreneur and community advocate. Stephen is the founder of The Uniform Broker in Springfield MO, 24/7 my best life and a growing 417 community and business-focused Facebook Group.

Going beyond the old way of doing business, Stephen has the philosophy that even though there’s always direct competition, there’s always room for businesses to work together. He knows that as an entrepreneur, it is up to business owners to support one another and genuinely be the foundation on which the community stands.

We had the opportunity to meet with and hear the vision behind the man, and this is his story.

Stephen Driscoll had his share of the 8 to 5 workday, long commutes, accompanied by the nagging feeling that there was a better way to leave his mark.

He shared his moments of zen when he would leave the office and take a detour stop on the Atlantic coast. In those moments, mystery and wonder seeped in. The same way the ocean touched every coastal area on the planet, we too have the ability to impact each other lives in the same way. He knew, there was something bigger ahead for him.

The inspiration behind the Uniform Broker, 417 and 24/7 My Best Life was people. Not just people, but the community as a whole.

Stephen came all the way from Florida with his wife to start his entrepreneurial dream in the 417 area. In just a couple of years, he has created a business that supports other local business owners and is a fast-growing influencer in the community.  

The question is, are you in?

Stephen believes that Springfield and the surrounding area is home to hundreds of talented people who are unrecognized.

Whenever up and coming entrepreneurs or small business owners want to bring value into the community, the old way was to go at more or less solo. Exhaustive hours of self-promotion and marketing just to be able to have an opportunity to serve the people.

The business of 417 aims to change all that. His goal is to build up these platforms that support the heart of “Hey, let’s get you out there. Let’s bring awareness to each other.”

He also realized that there’s a greater opportunity to feature more and more people in the community with a business that everybody needs to know about.

You can connect with the Busines of 417 through any of the social media platforms including the Facebook group.

There’s also a podcast featuring their very own business spotlights.

This live show is packed with raw, honest conversations, putting the comfort blanket down and discussing what can make any business thrive.

With everyone working together, rowing together towards the big picture, everything is possible.

Success is inevitable!

As a way to connect with fellow 417 local business owners, Stephen created an Uplifting Networking Group that’s going to be held every Tuesday Afternoon at the 4 by 4 Brewing Company in Springfield.

This is where other entrepreneurs can connect with one another, share, gain knowledge and build relationships that expand their reach in the community.

Check it out on Facebook

As a business owner, thinking in terms of nothing but the competition just doesn’t work anymore. It’s our responsibility to come together for the greater good of the community.

Expect high energy, loads of fun and some phenomenal speakers.

This is a unique opportunity to bring the community together. When the community is not unified, it falls. How can business owners better serve their customers, and how can local businesses partner with one another in a way that brings value to the 417 local area?

This theme is at the heart of Stephen new networking group. It’s all happening Tuesday, 2:30 p.m starting May 21, 2019.

Stephen is the founder of Uniform Broker which focuses on what’s known as textile products. (Or, the uniform business). His business model aims to assist business owners to utilize their in-shop products as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

We’re talking about things every single business needs for either their day to day operations or to meet customer expectations. Paper towels, toilet tissue, hand sanitizer, air fresheners, chemicals, mats, towels, you name it, Stephen isn’t just a representative, he’s an in-depth consultant.  

With 15 plus years of experience in the field, it became apparent to Stephen that the majority of representatives working with businesses were not operating in a way that was best for the business owner.

Over 71% of sales reps in the Uniform business do not stay within their field for longer than 18 months. This means that there’s a lot of room for error and inexperienced advisors.

The result? Most businesses unknowingly are paying too much for these products, have the wrong items in place, have discrepancies in their inventory or are not utilizing these items properly. The cost in losses being anywhere from 5 cents to 40 dollars per absent, misused or misplaced item. Over time, these losses add up.

The concept seems simple enough, but the program was designed to be detailed oriented with both the customer, employee and the business in mind.

The Uniform broker does not rent these services, they help business owners in evaluating the true needs of the business. In addition, Stephen trains employees on the proper use procedures to utilize these items effectively.

His mission, to provide a business with these solutions, without overpaying for items they don’t need. Effectiveness, while reducing waste.

Hear the full story on this podcast.

One Example that came up in our interview with the Uniform Broker was a restaurant that was paying for the wrong mats for over 5 years.

These two mats alone, not talking including uniforms, towels, aprons and other services caused this mom and pop business to pay over $2,500 in rental fees that it did not need to.

This is what the Uniform Broker does, comes alongside business owners and saves them money.

It says a lot about the quality of service when you can offer a money back guarantee.

Only pay if you save means if the Uniform Broker’s services don’t save you money, you don’t have to pay.

Hit Stephen up : (e)mail - stephen (at) theuniformbroker.com

Website - https://theuniformbroker.com/

Uniform Broker Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theuniformbroker/

Uniform Broker Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theuniformbroker/

Uniform Broker LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/theuniformbroker/

Business of 417 Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/399262540865777/

24-7 My Best Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/247mybestlife/

Stephen Driscoll is an impressive community partner through his work and his visions yet to come.

Whether you find him on 247 My Best Life, The Business of 417, The Uniform Brokers or a Networking event you can be sure he’s hard at work bringing those once “just dreams” into a reality.

Bringing a new wave of thinking into how business is done and we together can serve our customers and communities better.