America’s SBDC Blog

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Success Story: Veteran Business Owner

January 15, 2014

David Otano is owner/operator of Coqui Disposal Services LLC, an 8A and Service Connected Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business providing refuse disposal removal services that was formed in March of 2008. He is president/owner of Coqui Disposal Services, LLC and has been a Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC) client from initial start-up in February 2008.

David has built his business by successfully submitting proposals on and winning small sub contracts to haul and dispose of trash at Tyndall Air Force Base within months of start- up. VBOC assisted David with preparing a capabilities statement and guiding him through use of his Service Connected Disability Status for proposing on set-aside procurement opportunities in Government contracting.

The discussion of David acquiring 8a company status began as early as October of 2008, as well as discussions on registering with the Veterans Administration through the CvE program in their closed bidding system for Coqui to provide waste disposal services to the Veterans Administration (VA). David is currently working under a $3,000,000, Sub contract to provide waste removal at Tyndall Air Force Base. (more…)

SBDC Success Story: Washington

January 8, 2014

State: Washington
Center: Vancouver SBDC
Client Name: Natalie Fairchild

Just five years after creating Pacific Perks, a “personal cafe” start-up, Jim and Natalie Fairchild are in the enviable position of owning a business that isn’t just sustainable, but scalable. Ask her where she wants to be in five years and Natalie says she is of two minds: build an empire or maintain a life-work balance?

A goal of $1 million in revenues is not unrealistic, she said, depending on how hard they want to work. That’s a fair question, especially since Jim was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and left his high-powered job in sports marketing in 2007 so that he could achieve a healthier lifestyle.

They started with one espresso cart and a business plan that promised clients a personal barista to make coffee drinks for two hours for $300, with no drink limits and no extra charges. They’ve grown to six carts and can now provide mobile service for omelets, smoothies, quesadillas and ice cream sundaes, in addition to the espresso service. (more…)

The New Year – Time to Get in Shape

January 7, 2014

Another holiday season has come and gone and hopefully all of your best wishes came true.  Most of us are now focused on the New Year with high expectations and new commitments for success.  And in many cases that includes those high minded New Year’s resolutions that probably include losing a few pounds or maybe just striving to get in shape.

Committing to better health is a great way to start the year whether that includes a better diet, a daily walk or short jog, or maybe even just one less dessert each week. The key is to just pick something and then stick to it long enough to build a habit that leads to the result you want.

The same process should apply to your business.  The New Year is a great time to stop and evaluate your business activity… to get your business in shape.

Take the time to actually write this stuff down.  What are you doing this week to get one more customer?  Set up a call program or a networking event that fits with your industry to contact potential new relationships. Set a goal that matches your time availability and then stick to it.  Make a habit of keeping that schedule.

Don’t stop with just new customers.  Take some time to review your banking relationships, your key vendors, and even your process for ordering office supplies.  How much are you paying for rent, for internet access, for bank charges and even overnight deliveries?  Take some time to review your overall business procedures and processes.  Consider new technologies for efficiency and cost savings. (more…)

Introducing Friday 15: Small Business Tips

January 2, 2014

Looking for ways to grow your business online? Meet Friday 15.

In 15 minutes, you could check email, take a nap, dance to your favorite song…three times, or you could learn some new tips to help your business succeed on the web. Friday 15: Small Business Tips is a series from Google’s Get Your Business Online program designed to help small businesses like yours make the most of their online presence.

Friday 15 answers questions like: How should I choose the pictures on my website?  How can I monitor my business online? How should I handle a bad review?  And more.  Check out highlights from two Friday 15 lessons below. Enjoy!

Attract customers with clear page names and descriptions

One quick and easy way to help Google and other search engines understand your website is to add names and descriptions to your webpages. A page name, or page title, describes the content and context of the page. The more specific and informative the title, the better chance that page has to be displayed on a related search.  For example, use “Hours and Location,” instead of “About Us.” (more…)

Small Businesses Need To Be Aware Of Cyber Criminals

December 23, 2013

The risk for cyber espionage continues to evolve as perpetrators are targeting small businesses at an alarming rate. Symantec, a bellwether in the web-security space, recently announced that attacks surged almost three-fold for small businesses or those with less than 250 employees.

Small businesses now account for more than 31% of all web attacks or greater than 300 million incidents annually. Given this backdrop, should your business consider investing in greater security measures and cyber liability insurance?

Why are small businesses being targeted?

Attackers are recognizing now that it’s more effective to go after the weakest link than to focus on the largest companies in the world. If they can attack a million different websites with ease versus one large website, it’s more strategic for them to go after the small players. The data that these cyber criminals are targeting include bank account information, customer data and intellectual property. (more…)