unleashing
national impact
igniting local
transformation
Del Harrison was an established figure in the music and production industry when she launched her business providing voice-over services. To succeed in the highly-saturated entertainment industry, Del knew she needed to find new opportunities to expand, so she sought services from the SBDC.
"When I started getting mentoring from SBDC, it helped me to really align with my goals and set reachable milestones that I could track."
Del worked with her advisors to pursue new avenues for business expansion, increase her social media presence and refine her business plan. Her advisors helped her to submit two proposals that were competitive and complied with solicitation requirements for Comedy Under the Stars and YDD (Youth Development Department) in Los Angeles. They also helped her apply for grants and other forms of funding.
As a result, Del successfully won 2 contacts and received the $10,000 Business Interruption Fund for artists affected by the Hollywood strikes. The funding helped her upgrade her business equipment, which led to her radio show Up Late with Sha & Del. The show was later picked up by 108 Soul FM New York and broadcast on iHeartRadio. This success paved the way for two monthly specials on Sirius XM, celebrating Black History and Women's History Month on the She So Funny Channel. The momentum continued with the production of her comedy special, From the Mouth of a Black Woman, which now airs on Amazon Prime and Sirius XM.
Alex Aguilar had been working at Everytable for two years and was exploring purchasing an existing Everytable location through their social equity program. He needed assistance in understanding the structure of the franchise deal, the loan documents included, and piecing together the financial data.
"The SBDC is a great resource. Working with my advisors has brought me so much confidence."
In February, 2024, Alex Aguilar contacted the Long Beach SBDC to ask for assistance. The business advisors took Alex's current financial income and expense numbers to create forward-looking projections to ensure that he could cash flow the loan repayment, royalties due, and end the first five years with enough profit to renew the franchise on his own. His advisor also reviewed the lease and made sure Alex understood the terms of the sub-lease.
After the franchisor reviewed the projections that had been created by the SBDC and Alex, the franchisor increased the loan amount by $100,000, allowing for additional operating capital. As a result, Alex entered into the agreement with the franchisor knowing what he was signing, understanding the numbers, and feeling comfortable to continue managing the business into additional profitability.
PanDia Seeds, Inc. sought to expand its international presence, but lacked the necessary funding and resources to scale effectively. As a small business owner, Robert Campana needed guidance on navigating export programs and international trade opportunities. Without financial support for marketing and outreach, breaking into new global markets presented a significant challenge.
"My SBDC Advisor introduced me to programs that I didn’t know about and that I wouldn’t have looked at without her encouragement."
To support PanDia Seeds, Inc.'s expansion into international markets, SBDC International Advisor Simona Racek guided owner Robert Campana through the application process for the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). This program provided essential funding for marketing efforts, enabling the company to establish a stronger global presence. Additionally, Simona introduced Robert to valuable business resources and programs he may not have otherwise considered, ensuring that PanDia Seeds could maximize growth opportunities.
Through PanDia’s secured STEP funding, the business expanded its marketing reach overseas and increased international presence in secondary and tertiary markets. In 2024, PanDia Seeds increased exports by nearly $1 million and hired its 8th full time employee. Due to this success, Robert launched a second company called Leaf’d Box - a subscription-based service delivering young vegetable plants and herbs, with each subscription providing a year of clean drinking water people in need. Robert continues to develop new products and is expanding both businesses to further serve farmers and communities worldwide.