When Eric Gray walked away from a grueling 70- to 100-hour workweek with the Mississippi Department of Transportation, he was looking for more than a career change — he was looking for a better life. With encouragement from his family and support from the Entrepreneurship Team at Communities Unlimited (CU), he launched Five Star Painting in Pearl, Mississippi in 2024, determined to build something sustainable on his own terms.

Less than a year later, that determination is paying off.

“Business has started to pick up,” Gray said. “People have been booking like crazy.”

Since launching, Gray has completed about 20 residential jobs, earning consistent five-star customer reviews that have strengthened his online presence.

He recently completed a project for Chick-fil-A in Greenville and, with his newly approved commercial license, is now preparing to bid on larger contracts. “Now that I’ve got my commercial license, I’m looking at cash flow solutions to help cover bigger jobs that are coming up.”

Behind the scenes, Gray has remained connected with CU’s Entrepreneurship Team, particularly Management Consultant Tracy Cook, who helped him navigate both the business launch and its early growing pains.

In 2024, before securing a startup loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA), Gray first had to put in the groundwork. He needed a business plan, financial projections, and financial statements to support his application. Tracy worked closely with him to build those documents from the ground up — aligning projected costs and revenue goals with both the business model and Gray’s family budget.

Once the franchise was up and running, CU continued working closely with Gray to monitor performance in real time. Tracy tracked production costs, overhead, and monthly revenue, benchmarking financial performance against the original projections. Their focus was on identifying profitability trends and pinpointing when the business would reach sustainability.

The first few months were challenging, as Gray navigated high startup costs and slower initial cash flow. But the consistent financial tracking paid off: thanks to increased demand for exterior painting services, his monthly revenue steadily climbed. By March 2025 — several months ahead of schedule — Gray had already reached his break-even point. At that stage, Five Star Painting had increased monthly revenue by nearly 280% over what was originally projected, achieving profitability levels that rivaled national benchmarks for similar franchises.

“Honestly, just being out there on the ground,” Gray attributed to his early business success. “I’m putting up yard signs, handing out door hangers, meeting people in the community. I realized that footwork makes a difference — just talking to people and introducing myself goes a long way.”

While his day-to-day is now packed with projects, Gray and Tracy still check in about once a month — especially to talk about long-term strategy and future financing options.

He’s also grown personally from the experience. “Finding my niche in sales has been big for me. I had to get comfortable with approaching people. Every job teaches me something new — about materials, paint, siding, or just how to explain the work to customers.”

As Eric continues to evolve as both an entrepreneur and a leader, he credits the support from CU for helping him chart his course.

“It’s been a great experience. I’d recommend working with CU to any business owner. Sometimes, you need someone to help guide you — especially when you’re figuring it out as you go. With the right support, you can find your way.”

And that support may soon grow. As Eric takes steps toward securing bigger commercial jobs, he’s considering working with CU’s Lending Team to explore contract financing — a tool that can help cover upfront costs for materials and labor on large projects. As a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), CU provides flexible lending options tailored to small business owners across its seven-state Southern footprint.

“That’s what I’m looking into now,” Gray said. “I’ve got some nice jobs coming up, and with the commercial license, CU’s contract financing could help me.”

For Gray, it’s just another way to keep building the business — and life — he envisioned when he took that first leap.

“It’s been a journey to get to this point, but it’s a blessing to see it start coming together,” he concluded.