Internal Newsletter - July 2019
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Happy Summer! Please read on for some important information about a successful new business called
Famous Apples, the upcoming SBDC Conference, and last but not least, an interview with a business advisor who is insanely passionate about helping the Latino community!
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WANTED:
New Business Starts
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We are on track to reach our
jobs supported
,
capital
, and
clients served
goals, and slightly behind on new business starts.
What have you found to be the best channel for finding pre-venture businesses? Let us know by replying to this email or you can
share your ideas here
!
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SHOUT OUT to
Star Van Buren and the
El Camino team! South Bay SBDC has hit a new high - they are at 186% of goal in capital infusion, and recently recorded a $25 million dollar capital investment for a food service client. Way to go!
What's the secret sauce? You'll have to ask Star....
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Client Satisfaction Survey
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Please note that in August, a client satisfaction survey is being sent to active clients who have had an advising session in the last 18 months. We'll share the results as soon as the survey closes. (late August/early September)
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Business Advisor Spotlight
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Claudia Shah --
East LA Initiative
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Business Advisor
for over 8 years; runs the East LA Initiative, targeting Latino business owners
Specialties:
Startup, Social Media, Online Presence, Government Contracting, HR, and General Operations.
Small Business Experience: "
Back home in Colombia, I managed the family business for five years before moving to the US. Here in LA, I was the VP of HR at a credit union and in 2008 during the recession, I started my own HR Consulting and Temp Agency."
"I was recruiting and advising credit unions, helping them with their HR manual, job description, organizational chart, incentive plans, staffing needs, etc. "
"In 2011, I applied for a position as office manager at the SBDC that used to be in Santa Monica College. There I learned the advisor process in Neoserra, managing the paperwork, milestone process, and how to help our clients one on one. I decided to dedicate my time to the SBDC and closed my business in 2013."
Fun fact:
"I'm married twice...with the same guy, in the same year! April in Colombia and December in India. We could've thought it out better because we literally 'tied a knot'. I'm kidding; it has been a great 24 years.
"
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What I've learned from clients:
"
Our clients are full of fun facts and challenges. We have the most amazing and diversified situations. Recently I helped a Latino couple that has been trying to open a caramel apple store for the past two years. They have had all kinds of troubles - starting with business idea, name, location, licenses and permits, social media, and marketing.
It has been a lengthy process involving the Mayor's Office, The Department of Public Works, the managers of the mall, and as many people as we could in order for them to get the permits to open."
(note: see below for the entire success story)
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Best part about being a Business Advisor:
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"The people that I get to meet and talk to everyday is one of the most interesting and fun aspects.
Their stories are amazing, and their passion, desires, and the fact that they are counting on us to make all their dreams come true is a challenge that I love to take on.
Helping the Latino community and being able to make a difference in their lives fills me with gratitude. "
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Success Story - Famous Apples in Northridge, CA
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Cristina Villaseñor had a small online business making caramel nuts when she saw an opportunity to dive into the gourmet caramel apple category. Napoleon Beraza, a long-time friend of Villaseñor, believed in her vision, and together this dynamic duo launched Famous Apples.
Challenges
Like any new business, there were some challenges beginning this new venture. Beraza and Villaseñor knew they had a great concept but did not know how to go about opening a storefront. Beraza, originally from Mexico, made an appointment with the SBDC after attending a social media workshop taught by SBDC Business Advisor Claudia Shah - and learning about the services available in Spanish through the LA SBDC’s East LA initiative for Spanish-speakers in the LA area.
Solutions
Not only was Shah able to get Beraza up to date with social media management, she was also able to guide Famous Apples through the permitting process, including navigating a sea of city inspectors and regulations. SBDC Business Advisor Karie Armstrong put her leasing expertise to work and made recommendations about the terms of their lease. Armstrong also offered guidance on the proper ratio of sales to rent so that they could understand the sales volume they would need to hit in order to be successful in a rented location.
Results
The hard work paid off – Famous Apples held their grand opening in July 2019.
With the help of the SBDC, Beraza and Villaseñor transformed an online business into a brick and mortar success in the Northridge Fashion Center. Their offerings include a great selection of caramel apples in creative designs and flavors, snacks, pastries, and a variety of drinks such as coffee and smoothies. Also, they have a theme menu of caramelized apples for parties and special occasions.
Famous Apples hires from 4 to 6 part-time employees depending on the season and one full-time employee. Beraza and Villaseñor plan to work with the SBDC to refinance a personal loan with a larger banking institution.
Both advise other first-time entrepreneurs to connect with the SBDC,
“Help is good. It’s not easy to do it all by yourself. The Small Business Development Center is there to help you. Take advantage of it!”
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Upcoming: The 39th Annual America's SBDC Conference
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The 39th Annual America's SBDC Conference will take place September 3-6, 2019,
in Long Beach, California, at the Long Beach Convention Center. Each year over 1,300+ SBDC professionals from all over the nation come together for professional development and networking.
There are
180+ workshops
scheduled for this year's conference. Topics include marketing/sales/social media, management/leadership, finance/accounting, business planning and more.
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Have you checked out The Hub's makeover?
In order to provide a better user experience and to make assets easier to find, the Hub has moved to a new platform. You’ll notice some of the menus have been rearranged, but don’t fret - you can still request web changes, download logos, and find success story forms.
(don't worry, the old Hub will be functional as well for a short time, to ease the transition)
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Calling all business advisors...
Share your advising experience with the team!
Fill out this short questionnaire and you could be featured on our next newsletter.
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Summer Hours at Lead Center
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FYI -- the Lead Center follows the summer schedule of it's host, Long Beach City College. That means in the summer, we work four 10-hour days M-Th, and we are closed on Friday. (this also applies to the LBCC Service Center)
Schedule from June 3rd to August 16th:
Monday to Thursday: 7:30am to 6pm
Fridays:
Closed
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