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The Entrepreneur’s Source Names U.S. Army Veteran and Entrepreneur as Client of the Year

Infantryman, Paratrooper and Leader of Men – three titles that describe the recipient of this year’s The Entrepreneur’s Source Client of the Year Award. Keith Orr, Sergeant First Class U.S. Army and franchisee of Handyman Matters of Northern Delaware, received the prestigious award from the company’s annual conference this past September. After serving in the U.S. Army for nearly a quarter century, Orr knew entrepreneurship was the right path for him and turned to a coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source for guidance.

Orr’s Honorable Service in the U.S. Army
Now a retired U.S. Army veteran, Orr began his prominent, 24-year-long career in the Army as a Private but rapidly moved up in rank. Throughout his time of service, Orr held numerous chief leadership positions including Fire Team Leader, Squad Leader, Ammunition Chief, Operations NCO, Infantry Platoon Sergeant, Bradley Section Leader, Platoon Sergeant/Master Gunner and finally Senior Instructor/Writer. In his final position with the U.S. Army, his daily duties were mostly managerial and he seized the opportunity to prepare for his departure into civilian life.

Orr’s Journey with The Entrepreneur’s Source
Orr met Matt Thornton, his coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source and now friend, at a “Hiring Our Heroes” career fair in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. Orr and Thorton worked together to find an entrepreneurial path that would make possible the lifestyle that Orr wanted for himself and his family, in addition to employing his highly developed skills.

After exploring his Income, Lifestyle, Wealth and Equity™ (I.L.W.E.™) goals and going through the Discovery Process, Handyman Matters, a home repair and handyman service franchise, seemed to be the perfect fit for Orr. After investing and building his franchise, Orr found quick success – he turned a profit in just his eighth month of business. As a business coach, Thorton could not have been more proud of Orr’s franchise ownership success.

“It has been a pleasure working with Keith,” said Thorton. “His leadership, management, critical thinking and teamwork skills developed through 24 years in the U.S. Army prepared him well for entrepreneurship. Keith followed the E-Source Discovery Process and determined Handyman Matters was a good fit for him. We will continue to help each other as we grow our businesses.”

When looking at franchise opportunities, Orr was specifically looking for an autonomous business, especially the relationship between franchisees and the trust between franchisor and franchisee. This “family feel” was what first attracted Orr to Handyman Matters. Beyond working together to identify his best franchise concept, Orr and Thornton still collaborate monthly.

“[Thornton’s] very interested in helping veterans, so I’ve been giving him insight into how to connect with them and show his value in the community,” said Orr. “In return, he talks to me about how to navigate the business world; he’s been a business coach and a great resource to me.”

In Thornton’s words, Keith is everything respectable about this country and is well worthy of this award. Orr reentered the civilian world after over two decades serving our country and has been thriving as a new entrepreneur. His success spans decades, countries and industries and will not stop at this first entrepreneurial venture.

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