Kaney was in the US Navy working in a shipyard when she fell off the balcony of a dry docked vessel and became a quadriplegic. After her recovery, Kaney began looking for work, but was met with many closed doors. “My resume got me job interviews, but it seems when I pulled up in my wheelchair no one wanted to hire me,” shares Kaney. Instead, potential employers focused on things like special accommodations that would need to be made for her rather than the value she would bring as an employee.
After several rejections, Kaney decided on a different path: she started her own business. Kaney’s father, uncle, and brother were all roofers, so starting up a roofing business was a natural step. But it was a rough start for her.
Initially Kaney had difficulty finding a bonding company to financially back her projects which impeded her company’s growth. In addition, Kaney applied to be designated by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a women-owned business, a service-disabled veteran-owned business and member of the 8(a) Business Development Program for disadvantaged businesses, but she was denied all around. Kaney also discovered that she’d made several mistakes when she initially set up her business, and this too was a roadblock for growth.
Though she was discouraged, Kaney didn’t stop moving forward. She began taking business development classes which helped broaden her understanding of how a business works.
“I realized how much I needed to learn because it’s not just running your business, it’s the marketing, the financials and everything else.”
Her military background was an asset during this time of ravamping her business. She got in touch with a non-profit business accelerator for military veterans, and received training via Operation Hand Salute, a program for disabled business owners.
All of Kaney’s dedication and hard work paid off as she applied her new knowledge, and her business began thriving. She received a substantial line of credit and began working on larger contracts. She was even named National Veteran-Owned Business Association’s 2015 Woman Vetrepreneur of the Year. What had started out as a 2-person company has now transformed into an 18-person operation.
Way to go, Kaney!
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