Woman Owned Business Interview

Female Entrepreneur Interview with Patty Knowles

Patty Knowles, a young woman entrepreneur, went into business and started Power Assemblies back in 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada with the goal in mind to provide electrical distributors with an alternative solution for custom fabricated power distribution equipment. 

All Power Assemblies’ products are manufactured in-house right here in the USA and are never outsourced. Patty worked to develop a strategic business model that primarily revolves around the success of her distribution partners.

With inventory always on hand and ready to go, we provide innovative power solutions for our authorized electrical distributors. Below you’ll find an interview with Patty Knowles that we’ve conducted to learn more about her success story with Power Assemblies and what lead her to where she is today.

Melinda (Interviewer):

Hi Patty, Why did you decide to go into business and start Power Assemblies? What motivated this decision?

Patty Knowles:

That’s a great question, I was working in finance for a distributor, and I saw an opportunity. That opportunity was to provide the products that we were purchasing from a variety of vendors. It seemed that we couldn’t find just one great source to buy the portable power products from. I thought if my company could do this ourselves, I could create a great opportunity.

Melinda (Interviewer):

Wow, I can imagine there were setbacks. Did you have any setbacks when you first started? and if so, how long did it take to overcome?

Patty Knowles:

The biggest setback for me was cash flow – trying to get paid from customers before we had to pay our vendors, and of course finding the right people for the job.

Melinda (Interviewer):

How did you persevere through the tough times?

Patty Knowles:

Well, I think managing finances and being on top of the finances really helped us get through those times.

Melinda (Interviewer):

Do you believe you faced any additional challenges or obstacles because of your gender as a female entrepreneur in this somewhat male-dominated field?

Patty Knowles:

Actually, not really. I feel like it’s been a benefit to be a female. I’ve had lots of doors open up to me being a woman-owned business and it’s actually been really beneficial.

Melinda (Interviewer):

How did you find dependable employees that have the experience to work on & build all the custom products that Power Assemblies offer? 

Patty Knowles:

Right, It can be really difficult. We’ve found some key employees that we keep through thick and thin, but sometimes we do have to hire temporary workers if we find ourselves in the middle of a big job that requires extra hands to get it done on time.

Melinda (Interviewer):

What would you say is one of the main tactics that you’ve implemented that has been highly effective to help you grow your business?

Patty Knowles:

Well obviously if you don’t have a great product you’re not really going to be successful, so creating really outstanding products has been a key for us. Developing a mutually beneficial distribution network has been one of our greater accomplishments for Power Assemblies.

Melinda (Interviewer):

Do you have any tips or recommendations for the women entrepreneurs of the future that are interested in starting their own business?

Patty Knowles:

I would say not to be afraid and just go for it. If you have an idea that you believe could benefit others, then give it a shot. You should educate yourself and put a plan together followed by action and go for it.

Melinda (Interviewer):

We would like to thank Patty for taking the time to sit down and chat with us today. Thank you for your time and for giving our readers a chance to learn more about Power Assemblies. For more information about Power Assemblies and our innovative power solutions, you can visit us online or contact us at [email protected].