Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Steffanie Rivers didn’t originally set out to change her business model — she simply wanted smarter ways to promote her drone photography company, TCB Drones, in Dallas, Texas. But after taking free courses from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Rivers found new strategies that not only boosted her company’s visibility, but also helped her rethink what the business could become.
When she first launched TCB Drones, Rivers struggled to find the time and confidence to market her business consistently. Through virtual, self-paced courses and live events from Digital Ready, Rivers learned digital marketing strategies that led her to rebuild her website and expand her storytelling online. Those changes quickly boosted her visibility. “I saw the results,” she says. After the website redesign, visits increased by several hundred percent.
Rivers believed her business had potential for international expansion. Through Digital Ready, she reached out to experts with international experience who gave her tips and contacts. They also suggested she lean into her idea for a drone academy. She shifted her focus to expanding the academy — now teaching students worldwide, both online and in person. This refocused business model, along with the new marketing approach and strategically rebuilt website, led to a threefold increase in inquiries for services and classes.
“Talking to people as if you’re telling a story means a lot more than just trying to do a commercial and sell them something,” she says. “And the response spoke volumes to me.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
#VerizonSmallBusinessDigitalReady #DigitalReady #CitizenVerizon #SmallBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness
Steffanie Rivers didn’t originally set out to change her business model — she simply wanted smarter ways to promote her drone photography company, TCB Drones, in Dallas, Texas. But after taking free courses from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Rivers found new strategies that not only boosted her company’s visibility, but also helped her rethink what the business could become.
When she first launched TCB Drones, Rivers struggled to find the time and confidence to market her business consistently. Through virtual, self-paced courses and live events from Digital Ready, Rivers learned digital marketing strategies that led her to rebuild her website and expand her storytelling online. Those changes quickly boosted her visibility. “I saw the results,” she says. After the website redesign, visits increased by several hundred percent.
Rivers believed her business had potential for international expansion. Through Digital Ready, she reached out to experts with international experience who gave her tips and contacts. They also suggested she lean into her idea for a drone academy. She shifted her focus to expanding the academy — now teaching students worldwide, both online and in person. This refocused business model, along with the new marketing approach and strategically rebuilt website, led to a threefold increase in inquiries for services and classes.
“Talking to people as if you’re telling a story means a lot more than just trying to do a commercial and sell them something,” she says. “And the response spoke volumes to me.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
#VerizonSmallBusinessDigitalReady #DigitalReady #CitizenVerizon #SmallBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness
