One person who has benefited from the program is a man named Clive Anthony Senior, “ Tony” to his friend’s and owner of Qualikar. The 29-year-old Connecticut resident is no stranger to the business world. While in college, Senior started a food service company. After that company closed, he started a computer company that did, among other things, networking and repairs. His clients included GE Capital, Unilever, and NGC Golf. But after the .com computer crash, he said, larger companies went after smaller contracts, and Senior found himself out of business.

Before his computer company closed, he had a rather expensive hobby: buying cars at auctions. But one day he met someone who transformed his hobby into help.

“This one woman really touched me,” he said. The woman had two children who attended school in Bridgeport, but her job was in Stamford, 28 miles away. In order to provide for her family, she had to have reliable transportation. The car she had at the time cost her at least $500 a month in repairs.

“It was a bottomless pit,” he said. She called me and said she would rather spend all the money she had to get a reliable car.”

Senior immediately went to work. He went through the process of finding a car, within her specific price-range, that was exactly that: reliable. Since that time, all she’s had to do, in terms of maintenance is to get regular oil changes. She is currently on her way to finishing her nursing degree. “This one car has totally improved her life,” said Senior. Since that first experience, Qualikar has consulted people in a variety of situations.

Mr. Senior expects to expand his business plan to broker new, as well as pre-owned cars. “I think our prospects are limitless.” he said.