Northwest Arkansas Florist is a hometown floral design studio located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Established in 1978, residents instantly recognize the large, fiberglass horse on the front lawn of the shop. Repainted regularly by local non-profits, it has become iconic to the area and a large part of the business branding. Over the past 45 years, the business has become the region's premier provider of floral arrangements and gifts for everyday and special events.

New owners Andrew and Megan Hudgens are homegrown Northwest Arkansas natives. Andrew, previously in law enforcement full time as a patrol sergeant, still maintains part-time status with a local law enforcement agency. He holds various certifications and has held positions in criminal investigation and the area's drug task force. Megan graduated summa cum laude from the U of A with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural, food and life sciences and a Master of Science in agricultural economics. She has been in banking for 17 years and is a recent graduate of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fayetteville Class XXXVI.

The couple have different, complementary skills sets they intend to use to further grow this established business.

Reaching out to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the U of A, business consultant Lori Lieblong helped guide the Hudgens through the creation of a business plan and detailed financial projections prior to purchase of the business.

"As a commercial lender, I've been sending prospective and current business owners to the ASBTDC for years, as I know what a valuable resource it is, but never have I been on this side of the table," Megan said. "I can say with absolute certainty Lori made this process so much cleaner, easie, and straightforward for us with her hands-on approach."

Lieblong also assisted the new owners on strategy and crafting a marketing plan.

"She really opened our eyes to things we hadn't considered or thought about already, and even after our closing has taken place, is providing us with much-needed guidance on marketing and tools to grow our new business," they said. "In short, we are so grateful for Lori and the ASBTDC for the work you put in every day helping people like us realize dreams."

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the U of A helps small business In Northwest Arkansas thrive. With offices in Fayetteville and Bentonville, ASBTDC consultants provide one-on-one confidential consulting at no cost to the client and in-person and virtual trainings and workshops to help entrepreneurs gain the knowledge and skill to be successful.

The ASBTDC at the U of A is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a unit of the Division of Economic Development, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.