BACKGROUND
Jeffrey Williams and his wife Zeva were thinking about starting a business after many years of employment in different fields. Jeffrey was a manager for a major coffee retailer. Zeva, his wife, a licensed R.N. and MFT, provided services at an elementary school. They decided to start a gourmet mobile coffee café.
CHALLENGES
To start a mobile café would require city and county health permits, capital to convert a van into a working café, and a plan to start their first ever business venture.
In addition, the client was very concerned about how to establish re-sale prices to insure break even points, profitability, and be competitive in today’s market place.
Jeffrey and Zeva knew they had to develop profit and loss projections, cash flow management, and establish cost controls to achieve goals and milestones to be successful. They knew they needed assistance to grow the first prototype.
ACTIONS
Jeffrey enrolled in the CCSBDC new venture classes and began to write his business plans. Jeff Hall, NVT Director, introduced Jeffrey to SBDC hands on business advisor.
RESULTS
Jeffrey and Zeva are about to receive the first mobile food service permit and license in the history of the City of Alameda.
