After over ten years of owning and operating Nevada Adult Day Health Care Centers in Las Vegas, Christopher Vito signed up for Nevada SBDC advising services, seeking assistance with raising capital and possibly developing an expansion plan. Vito, a Filipino immigrant with an impressive resume of managing hospitals all over the country, had successfully expanded his business by leveraging SBA loans. But now, with money tight, he was unsure whether the best use of new capital would be to support his staff with payroll expenditures and bolster his marketing and branding presence, or to expand to a new market by opening a third location.
"I'm so thankful for the good organizations like Nevada SBDC that have helped me. By helping me navigate federal funds and maneuvering for more capital, Nevada SBDC gave me the confidence to move forward with my business."
Christopher Vito was paired with Nevada SBDC advisor Charae Parks, operating out of the Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas. Parks then had a goal setting session with Vito to discern his needs and want in regard to his business. Using these goals, Parks quickly developed an action plan to assess the current state of his company, analyze his prospects for expansion, and begin the process of applying for the new Technical and Economic Assistance Program (TEAP) grant meant to assist area businesses that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. By using for and receiving the TEAP grant, Vito would not only be allowed some cash-flow breathing room but would also have the opportunity to expand his business and clientele census.
After receiving guidance from Parks, Vito applied for the TEAP grant and was awarded a total of $25,000. Parks also assisted Vito in complying with the quarterly reporting requirements to receive the funds. With this new amount of capital awarded in early 2023, Vito quickly moved forward with his plan to open a third location in the Las Vegas area.
Leanne Duong-Ma has been running a small business named Direct Source Procurement, supplying sustainable and eco-friendly reusable food packaging and food service, providing items like cups, lids, and straws to area businesses since 2017. The Las Vegas-based company had been making steady growth for a few years. Still, Duong-Ma believed that her women/minority-owned certified business could serve a much larger market. Duong-Ma reached out to the Nevada SBDC for assistance with marketing strategy and market research and to discover what e-commerce options were available to her.
Duong-Ma was paired with Nevada SBDC advisor Catherine Francisco, operating out of the new Asian American and Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas. To assist with networking and expanding her marketability, Francisco invited Duong-Ma to a national networking conference and to take part in the Super Bowl Business Connect program. This program connects experienced, event-ready Las Vegas businesses with opportunities to compete for contracts related to Super Bowl LVIII, taking place in Las Vegas in 2024. Because Direct Source Procurement was already a woman and minority-owned certified business, they were in a perfect position to take advantage of this program. After creating a pitch, the Duong-Ma applied and was selected as a supplier for the upcoming Super Bowl. Francisco also assisted Duong-Ma in applying for the Clark County Technical and Economic Assistance Program (TEAP) grant, which disburses funds to small businesses in the Clark County area that were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Direct Source Procurement is now an official supplier of Super Bowl LVIII, a massive win for the business that will undoubtedly lead to other contracting opportunities in the future. The company was also approved for a $25,000 TEAP grant, granting Duong-Ma some additional capital to expand her marketing efforts. She then leveraged these big wins to respond to an RFP from the Clark County School District and is now awaiting school board confirmation to be a supplier for one of the nation's largest school districts.
When Golden MFG, a small, minority-owned printing company in Las Vegas, reached out to the Nevada SBDC in early 2023, they already had an established place of business and a business plan and were experiencing steady growth. However, they knew that they needed to move to a more significant operations center, adjust their marketing plan in order to maintain their rate of growth, and needed a cash infusion to accomplish these needs. By building a more extensive network and expanding operations and their marketing footprint, Golden MFG was sure they could grow to service the larger Las Vegas area. However, executing these tasks proved difficult, and they needed guidance to accomplish these growth milestones.
Golden MFG was matched with experienced Nevada SBDC Advisor Anabel Navarro, who walked them through their options for expanding their local network through the Nevada SBDC's Made in Nevada program, joining local Chambers of Commerce, and completing their Minority Business Certification. Navarro also informed them of the new Technical and Economic Assistance Program, a grant program available to small businesses in Clark County that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the Nevada SBDC was providing technical assistance. In subsequent meetings, Navarro assisted the client in joining the Made in Nevada program and setting up their Shop Made in Nevada e-commerce store, completing the application for the TEAP grant, as well as guiding them in compiling the reporting documentation required to receive the grant funds
Golden MFG was awarded a TEAP grant of $25,000, a much-needed cash infusion that allowed them to transition to a more prominent location in March 2023. They also completed their MBE Minority-owned Business Certification, joined the Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, and joined the Made in Nevada program in an effort to expand their network within the valley and across the state. While they have yet to establish their free-to-use e-commerce store on the Shop Made in Nevada platform, Golden MFG has reached consistent monthly sales of $80,000, and is using their new connections and resources to retool their marketing efforts.
