The DRDA/CPAs and a BORSA Plan Can Help You Fund a New Business

A recent interview with entrepreneur Stacy Ryan described a convincing method to acquire money quickly for any startup venture. Not only is Stacy a pilot with the United States Navy, but also the owner of a new Massage Heights franchise in Florida. With help from the DRDA/CPAs firm in Houston and the BORSA (Business Owners Retirement Savings Account) plan, she acquired capital for her new business from the holdings in her own retirement account without paying distributions, taxes or penalties.

Can you tell us about your background and how you came to the point in your career to start your own business?

People always ask me about how I went from being a navy pilot to a Massage Heights franchisee. For me it’s a very basic passion. Whether I was flying ten miles off the coast, or whether I was teaching students in Texas how to fly multi-engine advanced aircraft, every time I landed I would always go get a massage. It was a very humorous time in my life when my crew used to joke with me to just get a full treatment each time because quote “she’ll smell better, feel better, look better, and be a lot nice when she comes back.”

I’ve been around the world, and been blessed to go on four full Gulf deployments to numerous cities. However, every time I flew, my body would ache and my joints would hurt, and I wasn’t about ask one of the three hundred guys in my squadron to rub my back. So instead I would seek out the nearest resort. It was a pretty easy decision for me because I figured that since I have two small children and a husband on active duty, I needed to do something a little different. I went on a search to find an organization that supported what I believed in, and Massage Heights was that organization.

Since you found the type of business that you really had a passion for, and you knew you would be successful, along came the issue of financing. How did you learn about the BORSA plan and the DRDA/CPA firm?

If you’re like me and work for a living, and you don’t have $500,000 dollars extra sitting around somewhere, then you’re going to really have to try hard and pinch pennies in order to make your dream a reality. Some of the people in Massage Heights, the franchise director and some of the regional developers, had more cash than I did available. They recommended that I find some lenders who used creative financing, meaning that I could take my savings and money that I thought was untouchable, my IRA for example, and make that into a C-Corp. I then had access to that money so I could begin my own business. It’s a very interesting process and DRDA helped walk me through it. I told them many times I thought I was a smart girl because I could fly airplanes and am trained in technical systems, but it can be overwhelming. DRDA really got me through the process by explaining everything from IRS requirements for a C-Corp to how we were actually going to switch my IRA into being usable funds for me to start my business.

What is the best piece of advice that you would give to someone who wants to start their own business?

I would say find a goal and clearly define it, and then immediately start building your team. I played team sports as a kid and I went through the navel academy because everyone was wearing the same thing and achieving the same goals. It comes down to teamwork. I don’t think any one person can achieve greatness without the help of others. Always utilize sources such as the expert team at DRDA/CPAs to build a strong support group.

For more information on the BORSA plan and how it can help you achieve your new business dreams, contact Suzy Granger of the DRDA/CPAs at 281-954-6023 or visit them online at www.drdacpa.com today!