ABILENE SBDC

Client Name:

Treca Peacock and Eddie Edington

Company:

     

Prairie Star

Type of Business:

Convenience Store

SBDC Assistance:

  

Business Plan

Results:

Store opened and made striking impression

Employees Hired:

11 Full-time; 6 Part-time
 


     The new building housing this business makes a striking impression on everyone seeing it.  Though it is located on US Highway 180 in the small town of Albany, Texas, its architecture is suitable for an Interstate Highway location.  The store was designed with an especially unique interior décor featuring a balcony eating area, which provides an ambiance befitting the architecture.  Ms. Peacock, who manages the business she owns with her brother, reports that restaurant sales from the beginning exceeded projections by a considerable amount. 


WEST TEXAS A&M SBDC

Client Name:

Mike Hughes

Company:

     

The Blue Gator Bar & Grill

Type of Business:

Restaurant

SBDC Assistance:

  

Business Plan

Results:

Business Start-Up
Employees Hired: 10FT and 3PT

 

     Mike Hughes contacted the WTAMU Small Business Development Center in late August of 2001. For two weeks, Mike and the SBDC counselors worked diligently to create a strong business plan that Mike could present to potential lenders. Mike’s hard work paid off, and he was able to open The Blue Gator Bar & Grill on Valentine’s Day, 2002. The restaurant is located at 2903 West 6th Street, in the heart of Amarillo’s historic San Jacinto area. The Blue Gator gears up for weekends, which feature live blues, zydeco and classic rock music performances. Mike happily admits that “business is better than we expected” and that expansion plans are already underway.

LUBBOCK SBDC

Client Name:

Scott Stofel

Company:

     

Dot.Com Coffee

Type of Business:

Drive-thru coffee shop

SBDC Assistance:

  

Business Plan

Results:

Business Start-Up


    The Small Business Development Center at Texas Tech University-Lubbock and Scott Stofel are proud to announce the grand opening of Dot.Com Coffee, a drive-thru coffee shop located at 66th and Indiana, in the southwest corner of KK’s Craft and Antique Mall parking lot.  This location provides a very convenient source for everything from coffee, tea, and pastries, to bagel sandwiches.  All products are reasonably priced, with tax included!  Dot.Com Coffee may be a drive-thru, but it features a full-service menu.  All products are made to order and served fresh from 6:30 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday.  Scott hopes that this is the first of a chain of locations and his current plans include an eat-in location featuring high-speed internet access.
    Scott first came to the TTU Small Business Development Center with his idea to revolutionize the local retail coffee business in December of 2002.  He attended the free Start-up Business Orientation workshop where he learned about all aspects of starting a business in Lubbock.  He then worked with the SBDC staff and Senior Business Counselor and Finance Specialist, Lisa Low, to finalize his business plan and create financial projections in order to attract an investor.  He also utilized the Northwest Texas Business and Industry Data Center to obtain research about the coffee industry as well as demographic and traffic count data for his proposed location. 

“I really didn’t know the first thing about writing a business plan, I was really glad to see that there are programs like the SBDC to assist young business hopefuls.”
 

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PERMIAN BASIN SBDC

Client Name:

Dalila Melendez

Company:

     

Western Grill Steak House

Type of Business:

Restaurant

SBDC Assistance:

  

Business Plan, Financial Projections, SBA Loan Acquisition

Results:

Business Start-up


   Dalila Melendez saw an opportunity in Andrews, Texas to fulfill her dream.  When K-Bobs closed their operation in Andrews, Dalila purchased their former location and opened the Western Grill Steak House in September of 2001.  She offers delicious steaks, cooked to order, a daily buffet, and provides meeting areas for business functions or private parties. The Western Grill has been in business for almost a year and is a popular gathering place for people throughout the Permian Basin.  The company is still growing and new people are discovering the steak house for the first time almost daily. Dalila has been able to expand the business since it first opened and has found that she must employ additional people to meet the demands of her customers. 
   Dalila contacted the SBDC from the very beginning.  The SBDC provided a sounding board for her ideas and once she decided the exact format for her business, the SBDC assisted her with business planning, financial projections, and SBA loan acquisition.

MIDWESTERN STATE SBDC

Client Name:

Mr. Mitchell

Company:

     

Hobby Town USA

Type of Business:

Hobby Store

SBDC Assistance:

  

SBA Loan Acquisition

Results:

Store opened and made striking impression

Employees Hired:

3 Full-time; 2 Part-time

 
  Mr. Mitchell came to the SBDC in August of 2000 for assistance with purchasing a franchise of Hobby Town USA.  The SBDC assisted him with reviewing the franchise agreement and understanding all of its terms.  The SBDC also assisted in the preparation of cash flow projections, the development of a business plan, and helped him with preparation of a loan package.  The SBDC also collected demographic data to help the client determine the location of the store.
 Hobby Town opened in mid-August and currently has three full time employees and two part time employees. 

TARLETON SBDC

Client Name:

  

Jami Dominguez

Company:

  

About Graphics

Type of Business:

  

Custom Graphics, Signs and Banners

SBDC Assistance:

  

Loan processes, marketing and advertising assistance

Results:

  

Business Start-up

Employees Hired:

  

2 full time

  Jami Dominguez is the owner and manager of About Graphics. Her company has been in business for 2 years but has just in the last month opened up her new storefront at 531 South Graham. The store provides services like banners, truck lettering, magnetic signs, yard signs, window decals, and aluminum signs. They also have 35 years of experience in trade shows, building convention exhibits, stage props and 3-D set-ups. Currently the company has 2 full time employees and a 4000 square foot building. The SBDC has helped Jami with loan processes, marketing and advertising assistance. Need a new sign for a grand opening, team decal, or banner, go to About Graphics, where nothing is too small when it's important to you.