Jack TerHaar, the founder of Detail Dawgs, is not your typical college student. At the beginning of his junior year, while most of his peers were still figuring out their majors, TerHaar was busy laying the foundation for his very own automotive detailing business. “I wanted to find a way to become my own boss, make my own hours, and still bring in some funds,” he explains with a grin. Thus, Detail Dawgs was born—an entrepreneurial venture that has proven to be both challenging and rewarding for the young go-getter.
However, it wasn’t until TerHaar enrolled in the Accelerator Program at the University of Georgia that the game truly changed for him. “I started to consider that this is a business that I could possibly sustain after college,” he says, reflecting on the pivotal influence of the program. Bob Pinckney, the Milton Anthony “Tony” Greene director of entrepreneurship at UGA, sheds light on the program’s impact: “We take in students who have an idea for a business or maybe they have already started a business. We help them figure out where their market is, what their market is. We focus a lot on customer discovery which is actually reaching out and talking to people about your product or service, if they would buy it, how much they would pay for it, if it is economically viable.”
As TerHaar eagerly anticipates his impending graduation in May, he is also looking forward to continuing the growth of his business. “The UGA program has inspired me to keep building a business I love,” he emphasizes. The support and guidance he received through the program have fortified his determination to carve a successful path in the automotive detailing industry, even in the face of post-graduation uncertainties.
For TerHaar, Detail Dawgs represents more than just a business; it embodies his passion and unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Through dedication and perseverance, he has transformed a college start-up into a promising enterprise that holds significant potential for long-term sustainability. As he embarks on the next chapter of his journey, TerHaar’s story serves as a testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurial education and the tenacity of young visionaries in pursuing their dreams.
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