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Music Master Publishing, Vallejo

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

Lonjevitea Kombucha, Petaluma

Michaela Biaggi and Mollie Sitkin are enough to restore anyone’s faith in business partnerships. The duo met while attending a Green MBA program at Dominican University and they are both passionate about business and kombucha – a fermented tea beverage, which they made at home to fuel their busy lifestyles. After writing a business plan for a kombucha beverage company in a business planning class, Biaggi and Sitkin realized that the product was not only viable, but something they both had an interest in pursuing.

The Gardening Tutor, Santa Rosa

Company Profile
There are nurseries that will sell you plants, landscapers who will design and install your garden space and yard maintenance services that will come once a week to mow and blow, but whom do you contact to learn how to do it yourself—to design the yard you want or to keep your yard looking its best throughout the seasons? Professionals only want to do the work for you, and garden books may be too generic for your plants and microclimate. This unmet educational niche in the world of horticulture professionals is the one that The Gardening Tutor fills.

Rok Bistro, Sunnyvale

Rok Bistro, based in downtown Sunnyvale, is a stone-age fondue and steakhouse that provides middle to upper-middle class individuals, couples, and families with a unique and fun environment to celebrate special occasions, entertain guests or simply enjoy a delicious meal. Steve Wright and his partner, Doug Quist, opened the restaurant in September 2008, with the goal of making stone-age cooking one of the most well-known and popular dining-out concepts in the entire Bay Area -- known for its unique, natural, fresh, healthy and entertaining ways of preparing incredibly delicious meals.

Lolly Tree Toys, Santa Cruz

Christy Paul, a young school teacher, saw a need in Santa Cruz for a quality educational toys and games store for children under 10.   She wanted both a store for educators and parents, and also for children to play interactively with the products and create in workshops.  She contacted the Central Coast SBDC and became part of the Youth Entrepreneur Program (YEP) to plan her business and obtain financing with the help of Keith Holtaway, SBDC Certified Business Plan Advisor.  Though the economic climate was a challenge to open a retail business, Paul was hopeful the business would be well received.

Meline Engineering, Los Rios

Lisa Meline is used to being in unique situations, and Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Greater Sacramento knows how to advise entrepreneurs who find themselves there. Ms. Meline is an engineering studies graduate, a curriculum in which less than 20% of students are women, according to a 2006 study by the National Science Foundation. She opened the doors of Meline Engineering in 1995, while in graduate school, and in 1998 she came across a relatively unknown niche when she discovered geothermal heat pump systems.

Gaetano’s Pizzeria, Rocklin

Pizzerias tend to be a dime a dozen, but that didn’t deter Rodney Ray from taking possession of Gaetano’s Pizzeria in Rocklin when the previous owner offered it to him in the fall of 2007. He knew, however, that he first needed to understand the business ingredient of this entrepreneurial recipe, and that’s when he turned to Northern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Sierra College.

Everything Medical, Redding

Like an Olympic athlete, Joe Adelman spent years preparing for his time in the spotlight. That invaluable experience gave him the fortitude to tackle his greatest test yet: running his own business. With help from his coach, Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Shasta College, Mr. Adelman opened the doors of his medical supply business, Everything Medical, in Redding, CA on February 1, 2008. He’s been on a winning sales track ever since.

Christie’s Fine Art and Framing, Yuba City

When Cynthia Jasperson was once asked to frame 100-year-old shaman charms and a beaded dress from a tribe in Borneo, she happily obliged. That can-do spirit has fueled the meteoric growth of her business, Christie’s Fine Art and Framing in Yuba City, since she purchased it from the previous owner a few years ago. With the help of a business loan from Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation and business classes at Northeast California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Yuba Community College District, Ms. Jasperson has built a thriving business.

Center of Excellence in Education, Chico

Armed with nothing more than the meager beginnings of a business plan, Barbara Furry, RNC, MS CCRN, approached the Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Butte College with a vision: She had a fierce desire to offer ongoing medical education to physicians and nurses in the North Valley. Over a decade later, she has seen her dreams come true with the impressive success of her company, Center of Excellence in Education (CEE), which is headquartered in Chico, CA, with an outreach office in Redding, CA.