U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Resource Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LOS ANGELES EDITION 2020 Small Business resource guide GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN LOS ANGELES 1 2 CONTENTS Los Angeles Edition 2020 Local Business Funding Assistance Programs 8 National Success Story 24 National Success Story Jerado and Joyce Reynolds Jennifer and Jeff Herbert’s know their local landscape for meadery has expanded into a entrepreneurship support. multimillion dollar enterprise thanks to SBA assistance. 11 Local SBA Resource Partners 27 SBA Lenders 13 Your Advocates 32 Need Financing? 14 How to Start a Business 34 Go Global with International Trade 19 Opportunities for Veterans 36 R&D Opportunities for 20 Write Your Business Plan High Growth Startups 22 Entrepreneurial 38 National Success Story Opportunities Cheeseburger Baby owner Stephanie Vitori persevered 23 Local Success Story through a financial storm and a Thanks to help from the SBA, the natural disaster. Garcias have opened a second location and started exporting 42 Surety Bonds their products to the Caribbean and South America. Contracting 44 National Success Story Jennifer Rahn steers the course for Admiral Engineering, succeeding as a small business subcontractor. 47 Government Contracting 48 SBA Certification Programs 49 Woman-Owned Small Business Certification ON THE COVER Aracely and Alfredo Garcias, photo courtesy of the SBA; employee from Printing Palace, Santa Monica, courtesy J. Emilio Flores; Los Angeles skyline, photo by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board 3 4 5 PUBLISHED BY New South Media, Inc. 304.413.0104 | newsouthmedia.com PUBLISHER Nikki Bowman, [email protected] DESIGNER Hayley Richard, [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Holly Leleux-Thubron, [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITORS Pam Kasey, [email protected] OPERATIONS MANAGER Meggan Hoyman, [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Heather Mills, [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES Kelley McGinnis, Bryson Taylor [email protected] Copyright: New South Media, Inc. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohib- ited without the express written permission of the publisher. © 2019 NEW SOUTH MEDIA, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Marketing & Customer Service directs the publication of the Small Business Resource Guide under SBA Contract #SBAHQ- Small 17-C-0018. SBA publication summer 2019 national edition #mcs-0089. WRITER/EDITOR businesses Becky Bosshart (202) 205-6677 power our [email protected] economy. DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Paula Panissidi Tavares [email protected] The SBA The SBA’s participation in this publication is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of the contractor or any advertiser or other participant appearing here. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondis- powers criminatory basis. Directory listings do not constitute or imply an endorsement by the SBA of any small opinions, products, or services of any private individual or entity. businesses. Printed in the United States of America. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information con- tained here is accurate as of the date of publication, the information is subject to change without notice. The contractor that publishes this guide, the federal govern- Whether you dream of transforming your ment, or agents thereof shall not be held liable for any damages arising from the use business idea into a thriving company, growing of or reliance on the information contained in this publication. your customer base, or expanding into new markets or locations, the SBA is here for you. We offer programs, expertise, and access to capital that will empower you to take your small business to the next level of success. Stop by your local SBA office or visit SBA.gov to learn how you can move your business forward with confidence. 6 SBA Los Angeles District Office 312 N. Spring St., fifth floor Los Angeles, CA 90012 [email protected] @SBA_LosAngeles sba.gov/ca/la District Director Letter s district director for the U.S. Small Business In the area of government contracting, the SBA works diligently Administration office covering Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, to ensure a level playing field by helping small businesses access and Ventura counties, I have the opportunity to engage contracting opportunities. Last year, over 8,600 local firms competed Awith many small business owners and entrepreneurs across our for and won nearly $3.2 billion in government contracts. region. In the last year, the SBA Los Angeles District Office has Entrepreneurs ignite ideas and spark action, and the SBA provides empowered small businesses owners by helping them find allies, resources so you can thrive in a vibrant ecosystem. Stay up to date with advocates, and mentors in the community through our SBA events near you and get valuable local business information by following Resource Partner network. This network includes 10 local Small us on Twitter at @SBA_LosAngeles. Register for email updates by visiting Business Development Centers, two Women’s Business Centers, a sba.gov/ca/la. I invite you to explore your entrepreneurial spirit and Veterans Business Outreach Center, and five SCORE chapters, all power your small business dreams by getting to know the SBA and our powered by the SBA. expansive network of resources. Whether you want to start, grow, or Our partnership with lenders throughout the country helped expand your small business, use your local district office and this guide to provide 2,660 local small businesses with access to over $1.75 billion inspire and foster your sustained success. in SBA-backed financing during 2017-2018. Our local microlenders, community-based lenders, and certified development companies Sincerely, connected entrepreneurs with a variety of financing options. Last year, many small businesses start or grew into international trade. These entrepreneurs received over $45 million in SBA-backed export financing, enabling them to act locally but affect the global Victor Parker market. This year, with streamlined processes and technology District Director improvements, we are building on this success. 7 LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE How We Did It Made toJoyce and Jerado Last Reynolds used SBA support to succeed. Written by Micaela Morrissette COURTESY OF SHANA SURECK PHOTOGRAPHY SURECK SHANA OF COURTESY 8 LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE eynolds Welding & Fabrication has grown steadily, building a loyal customer base, since Tips for Jerado Reynolds founded the company in 2005. Success R“At first the company was just Jerado,” recalls his wife and co-owner, Joyce 5 Find a great business mentor. Reynolds. “Then it was him and me part To find your local SBA office and time.” During the day she worked as a resource partners in your area, visit nurse and spent her evenings doing all sba.gov/localresources. the company’s paperwork. The Reynolds sank everything they earned into the business—money, time, and energy. She Have a healthy view remembers with pride helping Jerado of competition. weld a stair railing at a local school. Her COURTESY OF SHANA SURECK PHOTOGRAPHY SURECK SHANA OF COURTESY We’re not always competing. son later attended that same school, We’re a competitor, but if a similar and she watched her child and others SBA Resource Partner, where “from day business has extra work, they’ll send using the rail, benefiting from the one it was, Eureka! Everyone wanted it to us and vice versa. That’s the hard work the couple did together. It to see us win.” Women entrepreneurs relationship to have. was then Joyce decided as much as she receive essential business counseling and loved her day job, she wanted to devote training from this national network of herself full time to the family business community-based centers. Most helpful Record everything you do. in Windsor, Connecticut. She wanted was the detailed personal attention Navigating business relationships to work side-by-side with her husband, available through free one-on-one in this age means keeping an email fully focused on administration and record of everything you do. Leave a business counseling. Joyce also learned business growth. As they both hoped, clear paper trail. about workshops offered by providers like word of mouth spread; clients made the Metropolitan District, a Connecticut referrals. Joyce was soon overwhelmed nonprofit municipal corporation offering with paperwork. They brought on two water and sewer services. At a meet- Sacrifice to ensure quality. employees—doubling up in the busy We don’t cut corners. Sometimes you and-greet, Joyce understood how much seasons. They were able to maintain four have to lose money to do quality work— the SBA could help her business. An full-time employees by 2009. After this, it’s rough, but nothing is more important. SBA professional walked Joyce through Joyce says, they saw that “things were the extensive paperwork and, crucially, not moving.” She wanted to scale up. helped her register the company in Seek SBA assistance to Challenge the System for Award Management The company wasn’t growing in part (sam.gov), positioning the company for see if you qualify for because it wasn’t certified with the new federal contracts. business certifications. state department of transportation or “Resources like the Entrepreneurial We used to look for jobs. Now that prequalified with the Connecticut State Center and the SBA will train you from we’re on the SBA Subcontracting Department of Administrative Services, bottom to top,” Joyce says. “They have Network database, SubNet, and sam.gov, we have a continuous flow Joyce says. She decided to tackle the finance classes that open your eyes of contractors reaching out to us. certification problem full time, leaving regarding taxes. You'll learn how to her nursing career. This was the change register your business. They’ll help she'd been wanting to make, but since with a contract or your website or on two bridges—a lifelong dream. Joyce her background was in health care, accountability statements.