Success Stories
Growing a Healthy Business
BeachGreens, Long Beach, CA
BEFORE:
When Long Beach native Aliye Aydin was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease at age 15, her doctor recommended changing her diet. Little did she know this advice would change her life in more ways than one. Fifteen years later, Aydin is free of kidney disease and shares her passion for healthy, natural food with others via her business, BeachGreens, which delivers organic, sustainably and locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables to homes and businesses in the Long Beach area. more....
From Idea to (Virtual) Reality
Panomatics USA, Ventura, CA
BEFORE:
Taya Pocock, an American, and her husband Daniel, a native German, were living in Germany when they were introduced to Panomatics, an International company that provides Innovative virtual tours. "we loved the idea of creating virtual tours for cities and businesses," says Taya, who has a management and marketing background. Daniel, a web designer and commercial photographer, was influential in launching Panomatics' Munich office, and In 2008, the couple returned to the U.S. to launch the first U.S. office. Seeking general startup help and a refresher course on current U.S. marketing trends, they contacted the Ventura SBDC. more....
Ready, Aim, Business
Lock & Load Gunsmithing, Lompoc, CA
BEFORE:
A native of Lompoc, Jeffrey L. Brewton served in the Navy, then worked as an aircraft mechanic until an on-the-job injury ended that career. Through the California Department of Rehabilitation, Brewton retrained as a gunsmith at Lassen Community College. In 2006, Brewton moved back to Lompoc to start a gunsmithing shop, and turned to Ventura College SBDC consultant Timothy Harrington for help. more....
Upscale Retailer Takes the Next Step to Growth
Mona Moore, Venice, CA
BEFORE:
Lisa Bush; her husband, Scott Vineberg; and their business partner, Anna Variano, owned a successful retail store and Web site selling high-end women’s shoes in Montreal. After relocating to Southern California five years ago, Vineberg and Bush decided to expand to a second location in Venice. As a member of Premier America Credit Union, a sponsoring partner of the SBDC, Bush was eligible to attend SBDC workshops for free. She took the workshop “How to Negotiate With Your Landlord,” then began one-on-one counseling with SBDC Consultant Ben Tenn in June 2009. more....
Restaurateur Serves Up Success
Zzyzx Café, Camarillo, CA
BEFORE:
After attending culinary school and working extensively in the restaurant industry, Brian Fry came to the Ventura College SBDC with a dream to open a “modern breakfast and lunch restaurant” serving hip, healthy, innovative food. Knowing the importance of a “road map,” Fry had already developed a business plan and was looking at locations when a regional Small Business Administration office referred him to the Ventura SBDC in November 2008. more....
A Passion for Shopping Becomes a Business
LaLaLuxe, Los Angeles, CA
BEFORE:
As a teacher, Nicole Pollard spent her summer vacations traveling to places like London, Italy and Japan, where she indulged her passion for shopping. She thought about starting a business hosting luxury shopping tours overseas, until a friend suggested she focus on her native Los Angeles. In February 2008, Pollard came to the Santa Monica SBDC for help financing her startup and completing her business plan. more....
Learning the Art of Business
The Artist Collective, Woodland Hills, CA
BEFORE:
Kristen Gunn has been involved in the arts since age 2. As a teacher in San Bernardino, she worked with a program The Music Center in Los Angeles created to bring musicians, dancers and artists into schools. Eventually, she began administering the program at The Music Center, where she met Robert Gilliam, a hip-hop dancer from Watts with his own dance company. In 2005, they launched The Artist Collective. At schools, summer camps, community events and juvenile halls, the organization unites artists and young people. The goal, says Gunn, is to show creative kids—often from troubled and disadvantaged backgrounds—that “they can develop a career doing what they love.” more....
Securing a Business’s Success
Denson Pace Enterprises, dba Statewide Protective Services/Statewide Maintenance Services, Inglewood, CA
BEFORE:
Janice and Charles Kirk had run Statewide Protective Services, which supplies security to residential and commercial construction sites, as a sole proprietorship since 2002. In July 2008, a company the Kirks had subcontracted with became insolvent, and Janice turned to the El Camino College SBDC for help determining their rights. more....
Printing Entrepreneur Has Designs on Success
Melbert Design Group Inc., Los Angeles, CA
BEFORE:
Melbert Design Group Inc. provides sublimation designs to the apparel manufacturing industry in the form of “transfer paper.” Sublimation printing delivers higher margins by allowing high-quality designs to be transferred onto low-cost garments, giving them a higher perceived value. Melanie Torbert had helped launch the largest sublimation company in the world, Simso Tex, as well as the second-largest, Avid Ink. While launching a division for another company, she realized she didn’t want to be an employee—she wanted her own business. more....