When an extreme Las Vegas summer brought business to a standstill, Denette Braud, owner of Braud’s Funnel Cake Cafe, was ready. After nearly two decades in business, she knew this heatwave could threaten her outdoor café. But thanks to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, she had a plan. Through the program’s finance courses, Denette learned to manage budgets, track revenue, and truly understand her margins. “Those are the things that will take a company down if you ignore them,” she says. With the financial cushion she’d built, her business survived the slow season – and came out stronger. From humble beginnings as a pop-up tent in 2006 to a thriving cafe serving locals and major resorts, Braud’s has become a Las Vegas favorite. After taking Digital Ready marketing courses, Denette revamped her strategy, launching loyalty programs and email campaigns that boosted subscribers by 50%. She also won a $10,000 grant through the Verizon program, helping bolster her growth. Now, Denette i...