Annapolis Resident Helps Small Companies Grow: Business Spotlight

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Laura Richards lives and breathes Annapolis.

Richards got engaged downtown and was married at the U.S. Naval Academy. She paddleboards around Spa Creek, and she serves on the board of the Annapolis Film Festival.

The long-time Naptown resident also has plenty of experience running small businesses. Richards is now using her expertise to coach growing companies. She founded ScaleUp Consulting Group to offer these services.

Patch asked Anne Arundel County entrepreneurs to tell us about their businesses. If you want us to write a story about your company, fill out this questionnaire. Here are Richards' unedited responses about her latest venture.

Business Name: ScaleUP Consulting Group

Industry: Business Consulting Services

Street Address: 104 MONTICELLO AVE, Annapolis, MD 21401

What is your most popular product or service?

We help small business leaders to take-action and get results to create the business and personal lives they dream of. Working collaboratively, we identify what's holding them back, make a plan for action, overcome the obstacles to growth and free them up to do more of what they do best.

What makes your business unique?

If they don't shine, we don't shine. The owners' passion and vision are what got them here, and it’s clear why clients love them. But as their business has grown, they’ve gotten busy dealing with the day-to-day business, putting out fires, and they aren’t spending as much time as they’d like on what got them excited about the business. ScaleUp helps clients to take-on the challenges, whether it's hiring and HR, Branding or Marketing Planning, or setting a course for the future generally, ScaleUp helps clients add the infrastructure necessary to get them doing more of what they love, and to have the personal and professional lives they dream about.

Why are you passionate about your business?

I am a serial business owner, I know owning a small business is HARD. I wish I had known earlier that there were people who could help me. I eventually did connect with a coach (7 years in!) and everything changed. Working with a coach helped me to see the forest for the trees. With this perspective and accountability, I was able to plan and take action and was on my way to success. Knowing what worked for me, I almost feel duty-bound to take what I have learned and focus my efforts to help other business owners, like me to transform their business and be able to live the personal and professional lives they dream about.

What's your favorite thing about Annapolis?

I adore Annapolis for many reasons. This is my 25th year living here. I was married at the Naval Academy, proposed to in Down Town, had my first date at Tsunami, and my 50th Birthday at Sailor. The local businesses make downtown alive and approachable. I feel very thick with the community, and have volunteered for the Spa Creek Association, The Eastport Yacht Club Foundation, and currently sit on the Board of the Annapolis Film Festival. Giving back is a way to show my love for our city. When not working with clients or volunteering, you can find me walking downtown or on a local path with our retriever named Friday, or on my paddleboard on Spa Creek, the Severn River, Back Creek or somewhere in between.

What else should customers know about your business?

Laura Richards, Founder and Chief Strategist of ScaleUP Consulting Group worked in Marketing for companies like Discovery Communications and Cision, Inc., and in Regional Sports (HTS). After the birth of twins, Laura left the corporate world for an opportunity to control her own schedule, life and destiny partnering with a new “green” Maryland franchise, (she was the franchisee #3, and no units were open when she signed her agreement). Laura had to sink or swim. She didn't drown, and the story of how she turned a potentially dreadful decision into a thriving enterprise, had become the inspiration for her life work.

When did your business open?

Have been working in the field for 5 years.

Number of Employees: 1

Website: www.scaleupsconsultinggroup.com

Phone Number: 4438226934

Email: Laura@scaleupsconsultinggroup

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-richards-progress/

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• Anne Arundel Business Spotlight: Share Your Story With Patch

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