“Helping people in business to be more organized and productive”

Taylor Made Organizing works with professionals in both the private and public sector assisting them in creating an office environment that supports them and the work that they do. Lisa Fryrear started Taylor Made organizing in 2007 while still working at a full time job. She completed training and obtained certifications as Professional Organizer and Productivity Trainer. Lisa provides clarity, focus, and freedom to her clients’ lives by implementing organization and productivity systems. In addition to one-on-one consulting, services include workshops and training seminars that accelerate productivity, promote skill development and improve employee collaboration.

Organic Grace is located in the rural town of Garberville and offers home products and building supplies that are healthier for humans and gentler on the earth. The mission is two-fold; first to improve the health of their customers by offering non-toxic products as an alternative to the growing list of mainstream merchandise that contain cancer-causing and other toxic components, and secondly, to educate consumers and promote products that do not poison the earth. In-store sales account for about half of sales, with Internet sales making up the other half.

THE WORKBOOK FOR TEST SUCCESS: How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused on Any Test, is the newest and most needed of test prep books. Written by Dr. Ben Bernstein, a teacher for 40 years and a performance psychologist for 30 years, it gives the test-taker the effective study skills, strategies to reduce test taking anxiety and a guided road map to perform better on tests.

The Liddle Cable Company is a woman-owned cable assembly firm specializing in building coax and wire harness needs of the aerospace and technology industry. Customers include Xradin, Nyad, Savi, Jabil and Lockheed. The business was started in 2005.  During the first 4 months of starting their home-based business both husband and wife held full time day jobs, working 16 hour days and weekends.  The promised Monday deliveries and they delivered. 

Suite Treatments – A NxLevel Success Story

Taking a business to the “NxLevel” requires extensive planning and hard work. Two diligent SBDC clients recently completed the NxLevel Business Training and during the 10-week course, they worked with SBDC advisors to help bring Suite Treatments to the “next level” of success.  Owner/CEO Jacque Barsotti and Vice President, Rachelle Dizon completed the SBDC NxLeveL course and together they wrote an extensive business plan, plus handled a few challenges along the way...

Angela Powell came to the SBDC office for advice on the development of her business plan for e-commerce sales of wash-at-home reusable cloth diapers.  SBDC Business Advisor Jerry Jinnett reviewed the business planning process and followed up by submitting a research request that provided information on customer identification, trends, and diaper-buying issues. Angela has gotten her business up and running: she has developed her website,  and because of the qualified leads generated from the internet that land potential customers on specific pages within the website, the business has turned a profit – just 12 weeks after launching the website!  Social Media marketing (aka Twitter, Facebook and Blogging) and the use of the local Yahoo! Email Group – Napa Moms Club, has enabled Angela to reach over 350 qualified customers in the Napa Valley and thousands more on the internet.  She also created and printed 5”x7” flyers and handed them out with samples of the actual diapers to local OB/GYNs and Pediatricians advising potential customers of the benefits of cloth diapering: Easy, Economical, and Environmentally Friendly.

Alex Andon, Owner of Jellyfish Art became a member of the San Francisco Small Business Development Center’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program in June 2008.  He was in the early stages of starting his business when he was introduced to the SBDC and began making use of its services.  

Valle Translations is a woman-owned, SBA 8(a) certified business that provides English-Spanish translation services globally.  What began in 1994, as a translation company focused on birth certificates and other forms of personal documentation has grown into a sophisticated business serving some of this country’s best known companies including Blue Shield and Oakwood Worldwide.

Rantala Heating & Sheet Metal, Inc. installs and services forced air, hydrolic (e.g. radiant floor), and solar heating systems for home owners on the Mendocino Coast. They manufacture custom metal works including gutters and vents for homes and businesses and provide sheet metal to roofing contractors. The company was founded in 1995 by Edward and Elizabeth Rantala and purchased by the Villalpandos in 2009. Since its inception, Galo Vallalpando worked side-by-side with Edward Rantala, helping him establish and grow the business.

Dennis Cheatham first approached the Solano College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in 2004 for assistance in determining the feasibility of bringing his Guitar Wheel teaching tool to market.  Initially working with Advisor, Jerry Jinnett, Dennis developed h