Your Guiding Light

3volution Organics is a natural products brokerage based in Santa Maria, California, a city situated in rural Santa Barbara County. Owners Raymond and Paula Herrera consulted with the SBDC to work on a strategy to grow their business. Their SBDC advisor helped them develop a plan to expand to international markets, and helped them win an SBA STEP ICEP grant. They've used the funds to locate a distributor in the UAE, develop international contracts, and complete the paperwork to enter the Canadian market. Their advisor also helped with an SBA 7(a) loan that has helped fund four new hires. Says Raymond and Paula, "We are fortunate to continue working with the SBDC on our 2022 global expansion strategy."

SBDC client April Showers had a vision to launch an apparel business that would "remind women of color how unique, divine and magical we truly are." Using an image of a unicorn she had designed in multiple shades to match the many complexions of women of color, April launched Afro Unicorn and sold her design on t-shirts, mugs, and other products. She worked with LA SBDC business advisors on business planning, marketing, cash flow and funding. Through social media, Afro Unicorn caught the attention of celebrities including Oprah and, after just 2 years in business, April became the first Black woman retailer to sign a licensing deal with 3800+ Walmart stores.

With a shortage of support from low-cost legal clinics in the Los Angeles area, small business owners were using expensive online services to form their new LLCs. In response to the need, the LA SBDC piloted an informational clinic run by legal experts to teach participants about business structures and how to register their LLCs through the California Secretary of State's website.  Instead of downloading a generic operating agreement, participants drafted their own custom document based on the SBDC instructors' plain-language explanations. In addition to avoiding unnecessary legal fees, each participant gained a true understanding of their operating agreement, which now serves as a manual to manage and run their new businesses.

Supply-chain disruptions centering around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been front and center in the news. Since the pandemic began, SBDC clients in the Los Angeles region have faced an array of challenges related to export, import, and logistics in general, but SBDC advisors are well-equipped to help. The Go Global Trade Program provides specialized assistance to new and established exporters. The program's advisors guide small business owners through developing an export plan and global marketing strategy. They help businesses navigate export/import regulations and documentation. And they support SBDC clients as they access funding, such as the STEP program, for promoting export activities.

Founder of Relivin Marketing

Eco Focused CEO Jacqueline Gilyard Jones developed a prototype for a greentech product that required university collaboration to refine its design. She came to the SBDC for help accessing funding. In the words of Jones, "The SBDC assigned me an advisor to help and support me through the process of applying for an SBIR grant. She was able to provide not only technical advice but also grant application advice. And that's what I personally needed — to have both — to accomplish my goal."

Working with local partners, the LA SBDC helped organize PPE Unite to distribute free face shields, masks, and hand sanitizer to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura County small businesses. Over 30 million units of free PPE distributed throughout LA, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. 24 mobile distribution events brought PPE directly to the small business communities that needed it most. 40,000+ small businesses received supplies, 70% were microbusinesses with fewer than 10 employees.

Serina Lim took over her parents' jewelry business, Phnom Pich, and had increased its profitability before COVID. However, her retail space was damaged significantly during the civil unrest in 2020. Then COVID hit and the added safety restrictions significantly cut into her sales. Her SBDC advisor helped her prepare financial statements and projections to apply for a CARL loan, which has provided working capital, as well as financed her pivot to online sales. Online sales have been strong, and she has regained the upward trajectory of her pre-COVID days. Her advisor has connected her with additional funding in 2021 and is now helping with an EIDL increase.

photo credit: Brian van der Brug-Los Angeles Times

After serving several years in the Coast Guard, Anthony Scerra came to the SBDC in 2019 for help with his dream of starting his own deli and pizzeria. Fast forward to 2020, Porthole Deli and Pizzeria opened, and then the pandemic hit. He had to streamline his business by reducing staffing and hours. In 2021, the SBDC helped Scerra access first- and second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. He used the funds to pay employees and cover other operating expenses. Through hard work and the support of his family, customers, and the SBDC, Porthole Deli survived – and today continues to grow in sales.

Founder of Skyview Concessions

As a retired teacher, Cynthia Howard has created a second career for herself as a notary. She specializes in visiting patients confined in hospitals and nursing homes. As the pandemic began, she was the only notary in her area willing to wear a full-body protective suit and help patients put their affairs in order. As facilities reopened, her SBDC advisor helped her create and implement a strategy to rebuild her client base that leveraged the trust she had built with healthcare facility staff.