Serious Entrepreneurship the We Care Way
Updated: Mar 1, 2022
Written By Jahmire Westbrook & Donavan McFadden
If you are considering starting a business and need help or inspiration you might want to sit and read. Trying to start a new business is hard and it can be very intimidating. In this blog our guest discusses with the Marching2More team, Donavan Mcfadden and Roger Lee, about how being a serial entrepreneur has impacted her community. Special guest to the Marching 2 More Podcast and founder of We Care Enterprise, Jemmalyn Hewlett, tells of the ups and downs of owning and operating not one, but 7 local businesses. Together these 3 will have you charged, energized, and informed on how to go out and start your new business.
How did We Care get started?
We Care started with a purpose. Beginning her operation in 2011 with 2 vans, Jemmalyn saw a need
in her community for reliable medical transportation. Since then, We Care non-emergency medical transportation has grown to a fleet of 15 vans and was the catalyst for opening a fleet of businesses, known as We Care Enterprise.
The We Care Enterprise has expanded to open group homes, supportive in-home services, We Care Salon and Spa to provide premium spa treatments with a focus on being inclusive for those who have developmental disabilities. We Care Cafe, We Care Juice bar, Poolside Cooking, and introducing their newest endeavor, We Care Trucking, a new national trucking company. We Care Enterprises are open for business and have positions available for caring individuals looking to join a great team.
How is We Care protecting their businesses during the pandemic?
Keeping safe in the wake of Covid-19 we were curious to know how Jemmalyn kept her workers and customers safe. “Just checking everybody…(health). I hired somebody specifically to clean all day… (At our salon) we’re constantly wiping down when a customer gets up. We have our guests sign in. The sign-in is to let them know that if someone was to catch Covid at our salon we can go through all the names of everybody that entered the salon to notify them. We do everything that we can to be cautious. Not only for ourselves but our customers as well.” Jemmalyn really had a great idea when she thought of this. Not only is it safe, but it also takes time out to show that they truly care for others’ health and well-being. A lot of businesses had to shut down because of the pandemic, but Jemmalyn’s attention to detail and providing valued services were able to keep the We Care Enterprise up and running.
What motivates We Care to move forward in these hard times?
“When I first started a business the purpose of me going into business was because I was tired of being broke… I wanted to make a change. So what I did was I created not only one business, but I opened multiple businesses because that was my backup plan in case of an emergency. Whether it’s a savings account, or it’s having multiple income-generating businesses, you always want to have a backup to avoid ever going backward.” Jemmalyn states energetically, using her inspirational words to get people up and actively working to make their lives better.
Jemmalyn’s gems to starting a business:
Don’t do too much talking, execute.
Get the proper paperwork and licenses for the type of business you want to start. If you are serious about your business, take the right steps to make it happen because no one will be serious about you if you aren’t serious about yourself.
Don’t let anything discourage you.
Work hard for a purpose. In business, it is important to build generational wealth. Pass on the knowledge you gain to the next generation.
Learn the process and be patient with your business.
