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Delice de la Vallee, Sonoma

Sheana Davis wears many hats. Working as a chef and caterer under her name, she also founded the Epicurean Connection in 1992, dedicated to culinary education and all things epicurean, especially fermented foods – cheese, wine, and beer.

Snap Shot, Livermore

Company Profile:
"Being an avid Scrapbooker, I was frustrated at the lack of organizational tools" says Judy Galletti. "There were totable items that everyone was using. These items were, usually, on wheels in the form of luggage. When you arrived at your destination, you had to bend over, unpack, organize, clear the tabletop (of things that you just unpacked) and begin. It used to take me forever to get started (sometimes up to an hour and a half). About three years ago, I made myself an organizing system. The idea was to have everything in a transparent tote that could be placed on the tabletop and, in one action, I'd be ready to work. I was so relieved to spend my time scrapping and NOT setting up. Friends told me to patent it. I thought they were crazy. How could I possibly do that? Then I saw you on TV. You had several women with you. They each had an invention, created to make their lives easier. They were ordinary people who were just trying to solve one of the problems they had. AND they had succeeded."

Rejuvenation and Well Being, Cotati

Rejuvenation & Well Being is a holistic bodywork and nutritional counseling business located in the small town of Cotati, CA. Initially the owner was a Jin Shin Jyutsu (holistic body work) practitioner and her entire revenue stream was her fee for service private practice. The business model has shifted over the past two years. Currently, the business is primarily a nutritional counseling business that derives a significant amount of revenue from product sales. Jin Shin Jyutsu provides a small amount of revenue and is a far second to the nutritional counseling business.

Present Life Counseling of Marin, Kentfield

Marion Barnett is a licensed psychotherapist (MFT) in private practice devoted to working with individuals and families who may be: depressed, anxious, have chronic or acute physical illness, or troubling life transitions.

Net Flow Corporation, Napa

Company Profile - Net-Flow Corporation is a technology business that provides a range of customized options for Web hosting, E-Business design and development, and network/IT support and consultation for small to medium-sized businesses. Beginning in 2003 and continuing throughout 2004, owner Dean Bowen developed a new series of low cost products -marketed to small businesses- that streamline customer relationships, internet marketing and internet commerce through technology applications. Located in Napa, CA the company was founded in 1995 by Dean Bowen and has enjoyed modest success during and after the boom and bust of Silicon Valley’s “Dot.Coms.”

Communication Academy, Cupertino

Company Profile:
Communication Academy offers a series of hands-on, fun-filled public speaking, debate, reading, writing and listening classes to elementary, middle school and high school students in the Silicon Valley. The Chows have crafted an innovative program for students by incorporating the best practices from college communication classes and professional presentation training, and carefully adapted them for younger students. Their process takes the fear out of public speaking and promotes critical thinking skills.

The Tile Warehouse, San Jose

Company Profile: Guillermo Espinoza Mendoza has been in the tile distribution and retail industry for more than 15 years. His Mexican company, Copa de la Piedad, is a very successful distribution company and has many retail storefronts in Mexico. Wanting to expand the U.S. distribution of glazed and unglazed floor tile and ceramic mosaics, and unglazed quarry tile, Mendoza set up shop in San Jose. The Tile Warehouse offers a comprehensive line of tile products in a range of colors, textures and finishes from manufacturers in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, and Asia.

Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Advocates, Los Gatos

Ms. Ranger is a former technical writer for Sun Microsystems. After the 2001 tech bubble collapse she wanted to develop a business that was low stress, meaningful and helped people. She was referred to the SBDC by a satisfied SBDC client, Hans Schmitt of Dance Sport in San Jose. With her training and expertise in massage therapy she eventually set up her business in Los Gatos and shared office space with a chiropractor.

Advanced Displays and Signs, Eureka

Ted Sheets has been making signs since 1984. In 2006 he began to look at the possibility of moving out of his garage, which was full to the rafters. Ted wanted to expand his sign business and started looking at sign franchise opportunities. But he didn’t know how to tell if it was a good deal or not. How much cash would he need, and what was the monthly break even?

The Forks Lounge, Willow Creek

When the opportunity first came up in 2006 to buy The Forks Lounge in Willow Creek, in Northern California, Kim Walker and Steve Martinez were very excited. When they started to look for financing, however, they were less confident in their abilities to complete a business plan that lenders would find acceptable. Even though they had both worked in business for a number of years, the commercial loan process was something entirely new.