As an entrepreneur, Mark Patterson knows his strengths. When he launched Civilized Coffee, he soon realized that roasted and whole bean coffee was a highly competitive market. So Patterson found a niche with instant coffee and tea and found success. After developing his own proprietary formula for instant espresso powder and earning accolades from a nationwide food-testing organization, Patterson realized he could market his products for baking, coffee drinks and more speciality uses. In turn, Patterson saw skyrocketing sales, he says. Where Patterson needed support was in his accounting, a weakness he discovered after taking courses on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. He was drawn to the program for the opportunity to earn a $10,000 small business grant. “When I found out I won the grant, it really was a big win for me and a big win for Civilized Coffee,” Patterson says. The funding helped Patterson upgrade the company’s branding. To qualify for the grant from Verizon, Patterson took several courses from Digital Ready. “‘Finding the Right Financing for Your Business’ was the aha moment for me,” Patterson shares. He needed to hire a CPA, he says. “And it was the best thing I’ve done for my business.” Growth is where Patterson is focused now, as Civilized Coffee ships instant coffee, tea and other products around the country and the globe. Patterson says, “I see bigger and bigger opportunities. So I want to make sure I’m prepared… and make sure I have all my ducks in a row when that opportunity hits.” Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.

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