For Entrepreneurs

4505 Meats

Producers of Meaty Magic

4505 Meats owner Ryan Farr and his team  keep very busy by providing San Franciscans with high-quality meat products and their famous Chicharrones, while also maintaining a strong presence at San Francisco’s busiest farmer’s markets. Additionally, 4505 Meats offers butchery classes and Ryan recently published an award-winning book called “Whole Beast Butchery”. Ryan has also made excellent use of his local small business resources. La Cocina referred him to PCV’s advising program, and Ryan also recently secured a loan from TMC Working Solutions, another one of PCV’s community partners.
 

PCV recognized that with so much going on, and with an added interest in opening a storefront in Hayes Valley, 4505 Meats would likely benefit greatly from the opportunity to participate in a Strategy Roundtable Session and brainstorm with industry experts. Ryan met with a team of Business Advisors with backgrounds in food, HR and product development.
 

After Ryan’s Roundtable, he got to work quite quickly utilizing PCV’s resources and network. He has met with a number of PCV advisors, and is working to find the right mix of capital to take his business to the next level. Ryan took the advice given to him in his session and is now focused on the area of is business that, with the support of his PCV advisory panel, he has identified as his key to real and sustainable growth.

Ciro's Landscaping

Landscape Installation and Maintenance

Ciro’s Landscaping is a full service landscape Design/Build firm serving all of San Diego County with quality service and products for over 30 years. Owner Ciro Delgadillo was preparing to retire from his successful business when the recession hit. With large loans on two commercial properties and business dramatically slowing, Ciro needed help and was referred to PCV by CDC Small Business Finance.
 

San Diego-based CDC Small Business Finance, the originator of Ciro’s Small Business Administration loan, reviewed the business’ new operating realities, and was determined to deliver a better outcome. Knowing Ciro’s Landscaping needed business expertise to confront the many challenges ahead, CDC brought in its integrated partner PCV.
 

PCV worked with Ciro’s to model realistic business projections and develop a plan for leasing his excess commercial space. PCV provided sound guidance and asked the hard questions. The organization also worked in tandem with Ciro’s Landscaping and CDC to help the company restore its real estate debt payments and its credit. Over the past 3 years, Ciro’s Landscaping has worked with three PCV advisors, and finds itself with a reoriented business plan, simplified business offerings and a full complement of 30 employees. Most importantly, Ciro’s has found solid financial footing and is growing again.

Choicelunch

Locally Sourced, Kid-Approved Lunches

Using fresh, locally-sourced produce, Choicelunch provides kid-approved lunches to schools and parents, making lunchtime easy and healthful. Owner Justin Gagnon and his partners saw their  business experiencing significant growth in a few short years, and realized that they may need help creating a mid to long-term business strategy. PCV set Justin and his team up with a Strategy Roundtable Session, where he met with Business Advisors with expertise in the food and marketing industries.

During its Strategy Roundtable Session, Choicelunch explored several important elements of strategic growth, including reworking marketing strategy, creating employee incentive plans, and forming an advisory board to assist with ongoing strategic direction.  The Choicelunch Strategy Roundtable Session helped to identify specific strategic goals, and the company is well on its way to success.

Kasa Indian Eatery

Simple Homestyle Indian Cuisine

Kasa Indian Eatery, a San Francisco restaurant offering home-style Indian Cuisine, came to Pacific Community Ventures in 2010 looking for advice about financing and expanding their business. PCV recommended a Strategy Roundtable Session to Kasa, where they would have a chance to present their current issues and obstacles to a panel of highly qualified business advisors with expertise in the areas that they needed help in. At their Roundtable Session, Kasa was met with advice and brainstorming from seven business advisors with backgrounds in the food industry, financing and funding, business planning and product management.
 

Kasa, having a successful storefront in the Castro, was eager to expand at the time of their Roundtable Session, and wanted advice from the panel of Business Advisors on how they could make that happen. With years of experience and insight, the Advisors urged Kasa to maintain scalable growth and to focus on their strengths as a business. Today, Kasa continues to find success with their Castro Street location, and has also launched a food truck and catering service, both of which have proven to be fruitful and have provided much-needed jobs in San Francisco.

Petit Collage

Modern Wall Decor and Accessories for Children

Petit Collage’s eco-friendly, vintage-inspired room décor and accessories have captured the hearts of parents everywhere, as well as the attention of tastemakers such as Martha Stewart and The New York Times. Owner and designer Lorena Siminovich had been building Petit Collage steadily for five years when she realized the business was experiencing growing pains. The San Francisco-based company’s increasing popularity required a sustainable strategy and Lorena reached out to PCV.
 

Kicking off with a Strategy Roundtable Session, a crew of volunteer advisors identified key issues for Petit Collage to address in managing its growth. Following that initial session, for volunteers devoted one-on-one time to the business. From developing a granular budget to analyzing operational structure, to setting up HR systems for proper compliance, PCV advisors spent 40 hours supporting Lorena and her team.
 

Lorena has said that “PCV’s help is a combination of top-notch communication and advice, combined with a real, down-to-earth approach”.  Petit Collage has benefitted greatly from PCV’s services, as by the end of 2011, with solid systems in place and the confidence to manage continued success, Petit Collage doubled the workforce of its Mission-district production center.