SETTING SAIL: The Pupfish Cafe

Janette is in the middle and Taylor, the new owner, is on the far right

It is important to share all transitions in business – not only how business owners start and run their businesses but also how a business owner navigates out of business. Janette Bachman, founder of the Pupfish Café in Bishop, CA, has been a Paul Terry & Associates client through her small business ownership journey. It started in a UC Berkeley business class with a business action plan. Then there was a business start-up, an expansion and finally, her business exit. We met with Janette to ask her to reflect on her experience. What inspired her to start her business, what were her lessons learned; how did how she manage her eventual business sale?

Was it a long-time dream for you to operate a café?

Not at all! I grew up in a small ranching town in Colorado. The local coffee place was a dingy, smoky establishment that served food to all-night drinkers and truckers. In high school, I had a part-time job there waiting tables. I never thought that one day I would own a small cafe myself.

When did the inspiration hit to start your own business?

I moved to California for college and eventually became a project manager for a contracting firm. I took design classes and learned scheduling, billing, and estimating. It was great paying work, and I was able to buy a house in Oakland. However, eventually my work was really not making me happy. It seemed everybody was always trying to get something for nothing. Then my office re-located to South San Francisco – and that was going to be a longer commute. It started me dreaming about what else I could do.

When did opening a café become your small business dream?

I became a fan of “third wave” coffee shops where the owners knew all their customers by name. I just liked the feel of those places, I began volunteering at a café on weekends and visiting cafes all over the Bay Area. I started to think more seriously about the idea of a café of my own. I realized that as a seasoned project manager, a cafe was just another “project” that I could manage well. I was ready for an adventure.

What were the key elements to opening your café?

I moved to Bishop, CA and opened the Pupfish Café in May 2016. The key elements for me were all the help from friends. Friends convinced me to rent the space in the back of Spellbinder Books. They helped paint its walls to resemble an aqua marine environment where Pupfish might thrive. Other friends helped me manage the social and set up the original website. Other friends even helped make coffee and sandwiches in the early days.

What was the most satisfying part of business ownership for you?

My favorite part of the cafe was interacting with customers – many of whom became good friends. It was also satisfying to add more products, create good internal systems and hire some good employees. However, the most satisfying part of having the café was seeing people come in, talk with each other, and stay to hang out. I purposely kept slow internet and had only one place to plug in to make it a place for interaction instead of work.

What made you ultimately decide that you wanted to exit the business?

I got burned out from all the years of being the sole proprietor of a small cafe in a small tourist town – and especially with the pandemic. Staffing issues became the final straw. I knew it was time to find a new owner. It was a struggle to find people with the right balance of skills and passion for my small business. It was time to let the business go.

What were your goals for selling the business?

I wasn’t focused on selling the business for the highest price. What was most important was that the cafe continued – for both the community and the bookstore where we shared space. So, I needed to find the right person to buy it.

How did you go about finding potential buyers?

I spoke with a few trusted business owners who I thought might be interested. I was looking for someone with energy, youth, ambition, and commitment. In the end, I focused on making the sale to one specific trusted employee. I knew that she was interested, ready to tackle it and would be the best option to maintain the cafe.

How did you assess the value of your business and the asking price?

My first step was to assess what the equipment and fixtures were worth. Then I estimated just how much I would add to get the price I wanted and that would be fair and affordable to the buyer. I had already made significant improvements with equipment, refrigeration, and tables/chairs. It was important to me to sell a turnkey operation.

What were some of your most important lessons learned in selling?

It could have helped us to focus more on paperwork. However, I was selling the business to someone I knew – a past employee and friend, and we negotiated on a “trust” basis. We didn’t involve any lawyers, accountants, or business brokers. This is just what we did to be open and fair – as we simply trusted each other.

What type of help/support did you need and/or did you get during the sales process?

Most of my support came from my business consultant, my bookkeeper, and two business volunteers. I also had support from local friends who provided practical help in tracking inventory, prepping the space with the bookstore people, and transferring marketing information and more. In short, I got a lot of help! I was not alone!

How did you communicate your exit decision to your employees, customers, and suppliers?

I gave staff and suppliers 3 weeks’ notice. We started social media postings and making new signage in the shop. During the transition weeks to the new owner, we put up signage in the cafe so that people who were not aware of the change could see what we were doing and that we were coming back.

How is the café doing now? Are you still involved with the new ownership in any way?

The café is going great! Taylor, the new owner has improved food presentation and she’s making excellent baked goods, quiches, and more. Because of her, there is a whole new crowd of people who have discovered the café. I help with the QuickBooks data entry and offer practical help with catering quotes, sales tax filings, etc. Now, she is running everything on her own and is 100% owner.

Are you happy, given the circumstances, with your decision to sell?

In hindsight, I wish I could have managed my staff better. I could have been quicker to let people go who were not good employees. I miss the day-to-day interactions with local customers and the out-of-town folks. It was a blast getting to know people and making friends. Ultimately, I am pleased with the outcome of the business sale. Now I am back to doing project management work – remotely so I can live and enjoy this great community.

A Mid-life Awakening: Blake Joffe of Beauty’s Bagels

In 2009, Blake Joffe and his partner Amy Remsen moved to Oakland from Philadelphia on a whim, in search of a new city to call home. They fell in love with the Bay Area’s friendly people, beautiful landscape, and amazing food. (Blake was a chef in Philadelphia and after their move worked at Delfina in San Francisco as chef of their pizzeria.) They loved their new home but there was one thing they particularly longed for (aside from warm summer nights): amazing bagels! Armed with their culinary experience, love of food, and desire to work together as a family business, Blake and Amy opened their own bagel shop in 2011 to bring Montreal-style, traditional bagels to the Bay Area. They named the business Beauty’s Bagels to pay homage to the iconic Beauty’s Luncheonette in Montreal.

Starting as a pop-up, Blake and Amy quickly grew the business. They opened their first shop in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood in 2011 and later a second location in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood in 2018. Running this family business was a labor of love and it took a lot of labor – Blake’s and Amy’s and a large crew of employees. After nine years in operation, they were ready to take another big leap; this time away from small business ownership.

In September 2020, Beauty’s Bagels Shop was acquired by Wise Sons Delicatessen, with Blake and Amy joining the Wise Sons team as culinary director and manager of people and culture, respectively. The acquisition brought two of the most prominent players in the Bay Area’s bagel and Jewish food scenes together. The merger allowed Blake and Amy to take advantage of different strengths and culinary perspectives, offering an even better experience for their customers. The merger meant there would be some small changes to the Beauty’s brand, but their mission remained the same, to bring the nostalgia and love behind their food to a new generation. Wise Sons started selling Beauty’s smoked pastrami and sliced rye bread in their Oakland storefront, which was reopened with a full menu of familiar favorites.

The benefits of the acquisition were obvious for Wise Sons, as the addition of two East Bay storefronts to Wise Sons’ five existing Bay Area locations made the newly formed Wise Sons/Beauty’s team a formidable force. Now that Beauty’s and Wise Sons merged, there was a more comprehensive HR program and efficient operational systems behind the scenes. Wise Sons, as a larger company, had the resources to provide such structures. Joining the Wise Sons fold provided a bit more security for Beauty’s employees and ownership.

Ultimately, though, Blake and Amy, decided that they needed to step away from the business all together and make a larger mid-life change.

I asked Blake (who was a Renaissance business planning student and client of mine) to talk with me about selling his business and ask him to share his advice for other small business owners contemplating a similar transition. Here is my interview with Blake…

INTERVIEW WITH BLAKE JOFFE

What was your vision or inspiration for being a business owner in the first place?

I had run restaurant kitchens in the past and wanted to craft a culture and business with my partner Amy. We loved serving people and wanted to do it our way. The bagel shop experience was a big part of my upbringing and I wanted to pass those memories onto a new generation. It was fun, we enjoyed working together and the business did very well.

Do you think being a business owner helped you address personal goals or ambitions?

Yes, I think becoming business owners made us grow up quickly. It also showed us that we could do anything we set our minds to. We developed new personal and business skills as the business grew and we hired more and more people to make the business function better and to provide the services that were being requested by customers.

Why made you decide to exit, and did you have goals in exiting the business?

Mainly managing employees was the on-going and consistent issues for us. We were tired of the never-ending employee problems, difficulty finding morning bakers, and the burn out for all of us. Our goals in exiting included fair compensation for our work and the brand building that we did over the years, but we also wanted our business to live on. We also recognized (after the sale) that that would not happen unless we worked in the business. So, we were okay with letting go and moving on.

How did you go about finding potential buyers?

We were lucky enough to have a friend/business owner who we knew, trusted, and had a similar brand to us. Our company was easily incorporated into theirs. I had spent a lot of time with this friend and often voiced our displeasure about owning this business. At one point, they finally heard us and offered to buy us out. We were happy and ready to consider this option.

How did you assess the value of your business and choose an asking price?

We spoke to a valuation analyst and tried to figure out what our company was worth by analyzing our financials. We calculated what we wanted and negotiated from there. In the end, it was what the buyer was willing to pay, and we were ready to sell.

Did you make improvements or change your business model in order to be ready to sell?

No, we transferred ownership of the business at the beginning of the pandemic which made it easy to make changes since everyone in the restaurant industry was scrambling to make changes. During the business sale process, we learned about all the ways that you can make money by selling your business that you should put into the contract. For us it was the inventory, the brand, the equipment, and the pre-trained staff. We received cash and stock in the business, and we were happy to do so.

What were some of your most important lessons learned during the sales or sales negotiation process?

We were negotiating before the pandemic and had a dollar amount that we were happy with, but once the pandemic hit, I thought the sale was off the table and made this apparent to the buyer. That probably lowered the sale price once we settled. So, the advice I would offer is keep your cards close to your chest even if you are negotiating with a good friend. Our attorney was invaluable in making sure that we received as much as we could.

Are you still involved with Wise Sons or are you over and done with that relationship?

We’ll always be in touch with Wise Sons. We have been friends with the owners for 10 years now. They are currently paying our loan back that we took out to fund our second location. Our payment is connected to Wise Sons and this business connection keeps us close and well informed.

What advice would you give to other small business owners thinking about selling their business?

We felt like even if we didn’t get nearly the amount of money we wanted for our business, at least we are happy with what we’re doing now. To us, that’s the most important thing!

What are you and the family doing now?

We are living in Mexico and plan to stay for one more year. We negotiated working with Wise Sons but realized after some time that we were still burned out. However, we are both very happy with our mid-life awakening!

What advice would you give to others who are planning to be a small business owner?

Be prepared! Don’t rush through your business plan, it’s literally your plan to open a successful business – this is the time to work out, on paper, as many challenges as you can think of. Also, be prepared to bust your ass but make sure you have an exit strategy to remove yourself from the day to day business operations. Keep learning new skills.

Ownership Transition at The Good Life

The Good Life Grocery, a beloved San Francisco natural food store on Potrero Hill (since 1974) and in Bernal Heights (since 1991), is entering a new era of leadership! Last year Lester Zeidman retired from the business after 40 years as co-owner. Long-time employee and General Manager Samantha Zuvella has joined Lester’s wife Kayren Hudiburgh as co-owner of the business. Small business ownership transitions can be difficult, yet through a gradual, step-by-step approach The Good Life Grocery made this transition comfortable and seamless for the owners, employees and customers alike.

We interviewed new co-owner Samantha Zuvella about her experience working with The Good Life Grocery and becoming an owner. (You can learn more about Lester Zeidman and his retirement in this article from the Potrero View.)

*Lester Zeidman, Samantha Zuvella and Kayren Hudiburgh*

How long have you worked for The Good Life Grocery? I have worked at GLG for over 18 years. It was my first real job when I was a teenager in high school, besides babysitting. I was excited to work in the neighborhood where I lived and at a job where I could meet new people. I liked the everyday challenges and excitement of the grocery business and there were a lot of opportunities for growth. I wanted to be financially independent and live on my own, and I knew that I had to take on every opportunity to obtain more responsibility so that I could earn a higher hourly pay.

How has your role in the business changed over the years? I was hired in 2004 as a Courtesy Clerk (or “Bagger”) at the Potrero location. From there I become a Cashier, then a File Clerk for Accounts Payable, and then the Store Supervisor. Lester then trained me to become the Accounts Payable Manager for both stores. This role was a great fit with my education from San Francisco State in Business and Accounting, and I took over payroll and monthly financial reconciliations. From there I was promoted to Assistant General Manager at the Bernal Heights store and then Store Manager at the Potrero store, which involved managing both the Grocery and Deli Departments as well as Customer Service. In 2016, I become General Manager, overseeing the management at both locations while keeping all of my financial responsibilities. I became a minority owner/partner of the business in 2021 and 50% owner/partner in 2022. I continue to work as The Good Life Grocery’s General Manager and CFO.

What inspired you to want to be an owner of the business and when did you start to consider it? In 2013, I almost left the business to work for a much larger organization that was offering me higher pay and lifetime benefits. As much as I loved working at Good Life, I didn’t see the future in it for me at the time. I gave Kayren and Lester my resignation notice and told them I would be leaving in a few months. Their reaction to me wanting to leave made me reconsider, and I started looking at GLG as my lifelong career rather than a first job.

Since then I knew I wanted to become the owner of the business one day and I have worked towards that goal ever since. Kayren and Lester made it clear that they wanted the business to live on well past them. We started talking about how that could happen. I have also cared deeply about the employees that I work with every day. I knew that if I could become an owner, I could give others some of the opportunities that Kayren and Lester gave me. I could help employees become financially secure, feel connected to the business, and proud of themselves and their accomplishments.

Since becoming an owner, have your thoughts or intentions about small business ownership changed? No, because I’ve actually been thinking like an owner for several years. I have worked closely with Lester and Kayren to manage the business and I’ve seen the challenges that small business owners face. I have been fully committed to this job and the success of the company for many years prior to becoming an owner.

Ownership transitions can be a stressful time for any small business and a lot to figure out. What do you think made this transition successful? There is so much trust, respect, and patience between the three of us. Also, we’ve all had the same goal – for The Good Life to continue to thrive as a successful business for many years to come, bringing the community together with good food and good people. Becoming an owner was a business transaction but it felt personal and emotional. I’ve felt like I am making Kayren and Lester proud. I am honored to have their trust and to have been given this opportunity Also, Paul Terry was a major help with the ownership transition, too. He facilitated necessary meetings, kept records of agreements and kept us on track with deadlines and working towards our goal. Without Paul’s hard work and help keeping the wheels turning on this transition, it may not have happened! Ultimately, it was the combination of a solid relationship and the attention to all the details that made this transition a success.

How did the pandemic affect the business? The pandemic brought positive light to grocery stores as essential businesses and our customers were very appreciative that we were there for them every day without fail during some really scary times. The pandemic also brought us waves of employment applications and qualified candidates wanting lots of responsibilities. Supply chain issues are really what affected us the most. We weren’t able to get our everyday products easily so our buyers worked extra hard to find other options from other suppliers to keep food staples on the shelves for our customers.

On a personal level, how do you manage through these challenging times? I try to take it day by day when the job feels overwhelming. I have always been a person that likes a challenge. It is overcoming those challenges that is most rewarding. The feeling of getting through it, working with a team to find resolution, and then finally accomplishing the goal are worth all of it. I am a goal setter, and though it may take me longer than expected to accomplish the goal, one day, I know I will get there. Other than my family (I am married with two kids under 5 years old) and my close relationships, overcoming challenges at GLG is what brings me joy.

What should people know about managing a grocery store that you think they don’t? There are a million different pieces to the puzzle and sometimes the pieces change sizes. We are constantly trying to figure out how to rearrange the puzzle to keep it complete. Having a strong team and the ability to be flexible is extremely important. Every day there is something new. Our employees are our biggest asset. Investing in them helps them feel connected and committed to the business. Many employees may never see grocery as a career opportunity but there are some who find out along the way that this is their passion and they want to learn it all.

How is business doing now? The Good Life Grocery isn’t going anywhere! We are working hard to offer our customers the best shopping experience. We are proud to say that we will soon be offering online shopping options with pick-up or delivery service. I want our customers to know that we will go the extra mile to find the product they are looking for. If it is not in our stores, we can special order it. We welcome feedback and we encourage customers to request items that they would like to buy in our stores. Most customers don’t know that we also do special order catering. We can do anything from a pasta dinner for 100 people, to a beautiful charcuterie board cheese platter for the holiday table.

Business Owner Profile: Andrine Smith of The ReCrafting Co.

In 2014, after taking Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s Business Planning Class taught by Paul Terry and a team of teachers, Andrine Smith opened The Re-Crafting Co, a crafter’s resource for quality recycled crafting materials supplies and tools in Alameda.

We celebrated Andrine’s business in this earlier blog post featuring Renaissance graduates who launched small businesses in 2014. Now, 8 years later, we are returning to those small business owners to ask them about their businesses, how they’ve been managing through the pandemic and what insights they’d like to share about small business ownership.

An interview with…

Andrine Smith, Owner
The Recrafting Co.

2449 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA

What inspired you to start your business? After practicing law in San Francisco for over 20 years, I wanted to start my own small business that would more closely align with my personal interests and values. After casting about for two years, I came up the idea of a consignment shop for recycled crafting supplies for knitting, sewing, paper crafts, needlework, beading, jewelry making, etc., which was the idea I brought to Renaissance in 2013.

Tell me about the first few years of getting your business off the ground. Since no one else that I could find had ever started a crafting supplies consignment shop, I had to figure out a lot on my own. Over time, I determined what products sold the best, what products made the most money, how to best use the space I had, and how to merchandise the products I accepted. That took some time, and although I had other sources of income, the first couple of years were lean. But at the same time other things happened. I surprised myself by the attractive and colorful shop I created, that customers consistently compliment me on and where I find myself enjoying my days. There also came overwhelming support from the community for the recycling aspect of the business.

Did the pandemic lead to operational changes for your business? During the shut-down, selling online with pick-up or delivery was not economically viable for a small resale business like mine. But once I was able to re-open after the shut-down, there were no major operational changes. People were looking for new crafting pastimes or expanding existing crafting while sheltering in place, and my in-store business actually increased! I knew from my business planning research that the reduced resale prices for crafting supplies would help make my business recession resistant but I never imagined it would turn out to be pandemic resistant.

Are there specific marketing or management strategies that work well for you? Social media is effective. Also, pre-pandemic, opening the shop on Wednesday evenings for an “Open Craft Night’ was popular and productive.

On a personal level, how have you been managing through these challenging times? My most effective coping mechanisms have been regular exercise and yoga, my own crafting projects and my own customers and craft community. Post pandemic shutdown, my little shop became not just a place to find great yarn, quilting fabric, etc. at low prices, but also a sort of drop in group therapy clinic where people could share and commiserate and find support and humor.

How is your business doing now? My business is doing well I believe. I find most of my consignors are as happy to find a way of recycling their stashes to other eager crafters as they are to receive some compensation for what they consign. I get thanked daily “for being here”, which is very gratifying. I discovered a community of extremely talented makers, inspired crafters, and generally fun people, who have become my friends, as well as, my customers. All of this has made my small shop possibly the most successful and rewarding of my several varied careers. Also, my shop is making money.

What does the future hold for your business? My experience indicates there is definitely a demand for this type business and there is no real competition that I am aware of. I have learned what it would take to make this venture truly financially successful but it would require, among other things, a larger space and hiring employees. At this stage in my life and with retirement coming soon, I do not have the ambition to take that on. I plan to enjoy my shop for another year or two while I look for someone younger who can take what I created to the next level.

A Support Group Success Story

When I taught the Business Planning Class at Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (a class I taught for over 30 years), I talked with students often about the importance of having a strong personal support system. That may not sound like a “hard-core” business topic but I believe it is central to success as a small business owner. One BP Class assignment was for each student to develop their own personal support system. That could mean finding a support partner or mentor, or developing a peer support group or a team of advisors. (See my post about these four types of personal support systems.)

As small business owners we are responsible for every aspect of our business. We develop our products and/or services, market our business, create good management and financial systems, and define our business culture. We are juggling so much and it can be overwhelming and also isolating, especially if we are a solo entrepreneur. Having other business owners around us (be it one person or a small group) who are dealing with similar challenges is very helpful. They understand what we are going through and will have advice and their own perspective to share. They can help us stay focused on our business goals and hold us accountable.

Recently, in conversation with Business Planning Class graduate, Tracy Lemmon, I was very pleased to learn that she still meets regularly with the peer support group that she started when she was a student in my class in 2012! Tracy told me that she and her support partners, Kay (a fellow BP Class grad) and Marina, credit their support group for their personal and professional success and happiness. Those are strong words!

With 10 years of experience supporting each other, I thought it would be helpful for other small business owners to learn how Tracy, Kay and Marina structure their group, tackle big and smaller issues, and also get their advice on how to start a group of one’s own. These three amazing women had so many details to share!

Here is my interview with…

Tracy Lemmon, owner of Lemmon Employment Law & Conflict Resolution
Kay Suk, Mediator, U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit (past owner of Forward Mediation)
Marina Sarmiento Feehan, Senior Attorney, CA Department of General Services (past owner of Positive Counsel)

1. How do you structure your meetings?

MARINA: Before Covid we met monthly, in person. Monthly meetings allow us to do our homework and achieve goals in between meetings. Monthly keeps us accountable, and if we need more accountability, we text or call for more support during the month.

TRACY: When we first started in 2012 (during Kay’s and my Renaissance course with Paul), we met once a month and there was a strong focus on business issues, development, cash flow and marketing. As we got to know each other better (and got busier) we moved to quarterly meetings, with a January New Year stock taking / goal setting in-person meeting (with Wheel of Life comparisons each year) with dinner and something fun afterwards. We are back to monthly now, and that works for trying to implement what we discussed, accountability, and support.

2. What is your meeting agenda?

MARINA: We don’t really have an agenda for each meeting, but Kay did ask for more structure. I’ll leave it to Kay to give her reasons. Usually we follow a format of checking in and giving updates on our goals, obstacles, or we raise an issue that is currently bothering us.

TRACY: We don’t have a specific agenda but everyone has their “turn” to share good/bad, updates, challenges. We really share and celebrate successes and encourage “bragging” as we have become a 360 support group, well beyond just business. We do take notes for ourselves and each other to help with continuity and accountability.

KAY: As Marina mentioned, I do like to have more structure in a meeting than perhaps Marina and Tracy. So when I feel the need, the other two allow me to come up with an agenda and try to stick to it. We even have a spreadsheet with annual or monthly goals that we update from time to time. Over time, I realized that imposing an agenda on this group was not the best format. Nowadays, we use structure when necessary and if not, we do check ins and celebrations as Tracy indicated.

3. Do you use any business or meeting management tools? What has been most helpful?

TRACY: Wheel of Life is a key component to our January stock taking/goal setting meeting. We give numbers re: satisfaction in 8 areas, then list what is going on, and what we want to accomplish in each area in the new year. Now that we have been meeting for 10 years, it’s fun to look back on where we came from, and how we have evolved.

Our Goals Spreadsheet is helpful, too. I find that I usually fill it out shortly before our meetings (accountability!) We use a shared Google Doc so we can all see each other’s progress.

KAY – We also used the SMART goal system and kept track of action items especially in the beginning to break down our objectives to manageable follow-up activities.

MARINA: SMART means Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time bound Goals.

4. Have there been times when you haven’t met regularly? If so, why?

TRACY: We have all remained engaged and in touch. Sometimes we need to step back, slow down, or skip a meeting, and we all agree to reconnect or set our next date so we don’t ebb out.

KAY: Putting the next date on the calendar keeps us on track. In the beginning it was on a particular day of the month. These days, we set the next date on the calendar before we finish the meeting and prioritize it.

MARINA: This has been my longest running goal group. I attribute its longevity to (1) similar goals and desires in life (2) strong trust, and (3) strong bonds of friendship – we love each other.

5. How well did you know each other before you started meeting together? Were you all at the same stage of business or doing the same type of businesses?

MARINA: I met Kay at an Asian Bar Association women’s event and she was a total stranger. I liked what Kay had to say during the meeting and I approached her after the event as I found her interesting and wanted to be her friend. I don’t think she knew what hit her. Kay told me about Renaissance and the advice to get a support group and I told her about my previous successful Goal Groups. She suggested forming one with Tracy, who I did not know. But what a small world – Tracy went to UCLA law school with my brother (which is where I went) and my brother had good things to say about Tracy. I liked Tracy immediately when we met. I tend to trust my gut when I meet people and my gut was happy. We were all at the same stage of starting our businesses and although I was launching a career-life coaching business geared toward lawyers, it was in the same world so our business and marketing goals went well together.

TRACY: Yes, each of us were attorneys who wanted to make a new start in a new area, less law, more satisfaction, more mediation and resolution (for Kay and I), more personal connection and meaning for Marina. It was helpful to be at the same stage as no one was dispensing wisdom or advice, we were all muddling through it together, bonded by our Renaissance teachings!

6. From your perspectives, what are the qualities that matter when you are looking for other people to join a support group?

MARINA: Trustworthy, friendly, open-minded, goal oriented, has “worked” on themselves or willing to do so, self-aware and self-motivated, and smart.

TRACY: What Marina said. Not judgmental and not someone who tells you what to do, rather someone who listens to what your goals are, and helps you find your best way to achieve them. We do not “should on each other” in our group, for the most part. Except for Kay, the (loving) Enforcer!!!

KAY: Yes, I have a lot of the oldest sister energy. But Marina and Tracy have helped me to ease up! Having said that, I think having a process (Enforcer) person in the group that is committed to keeping a group going especially in the beginning before people know a lot about each other is helpful. Luckily, we were all pretty committed from the start, which was key.

7. How do you support one other during meetings?

TRACY: We really listen carefully and deeply, we listen to understand each other’s goals, emotions, trials and focus on helping each in her own way, rather than telling each other ideas what to do better. Of course that happens sometimes, but gently and as a suggestion. Reminding each other of past goals, successes, trials in a very loving way to help shape reflections and suggestions to each other.

KAY: I think we all strive for what Tracy said. But sometimes we fall short. During those times, we have learned to give each other grace and see the comments in the best light because we have built trust.

MARINA: We give each other hugs when needed; give examples of our own failures/successes if that will help give insight; we also celebrate and celebration is IMPORTANT. There were times when we lost sight of what we accomplished and were thinking in a glass half-empty way, and we’ve had to stop and look at what we’ve achieved. It can be too easy to focus on the negative, or what needs to be done and not appreciate where you’ve been and where you are now.

8. Have there ever been moments when you have been at odds or had to give someone else in the group “tough” advice?

MARINA: Oh this happens all the time and that is why TRUST and friendship is so important. We know each other really well by now and love each other dearly. We’ve been through so many ups and downs, wins and failures. We ask for reality checks from each other and value each other’s opinions and advice. I know I can get too direct at times. I’ll pull myself back as soon as I notice and apologize immediately. The great thing about this group is I learn from Tracy and Kay how to communicate better. I’m more of a thinker than a feeler and can come in guns blazing. Luckily, I have Kay and Tracy to temper my guns. There is so much trust and safety in the group that we can reveal things we might not raise with other people without fear of judgment; yes there may be hard truths or tough love but it’s done out of care and concern for the other person.

TRACY: Yes, we have sometimes pushed too hard, or pressed a sore subject to the point someone says the equivalent of “back off.” We apologize and reconnect naturally and well, so things never get to the point of hostilities, and certainly no gossip. We are all each other’s mutual support network, free to speak our truth about ourselves and to each other, and when that “truth” is not well received, we come in closer to figure out why, and to reframe or at least to reassure. It’s nice to be in a group with two mediators! There is very little conflict and what does arise makes us stronger.

KAY: Ditto. The level of vulnerability in the group is off the charts. We all have our own strong personalities but not too much ego. I think it helps that we are not in direct competition with each other in our businesses. We also share a lot of failures and trials which have helped us to bond.

9. What advice do you have for other small business owners who want to start a similar group?

TRACY: It is useful to find people who know, like and trust you early on. I think this is more important than being at the same stage, or in the same business or industry. Trusting and valuing each other is what makes these groups work. I’ve heard people talk about starting their “own personal Board of Directors” to keep them on track. That is nice, but this is more fluid, more organic and goes both ways.

KAY: I agree with Tracy. I initially would have thought meeting with people who are in the same business, market or someone who could teach me something would be more important than meeting with people I like. It’s a business group, not a social group. But the two kind of go together. I don’t think a purely business group would have lasted as long as ours. I think meeting with people you like and want to spend time with is key.

MARINA: This is my 5th or 6th Goal Group and it always helps to be with people similarly situated. It seemed each Goal Group ended up having a particular focus, even though it didn’t start out that way; it just seemed folks were seeking similar goals. One group was about dating and relationship success; another was about career advancement; one was about major change – career, divorce, marriage; most Goal Groups lasted about a year, then naturally stopped when the group members achieved their goals.

10. How has the pandemic changed how you meet and/or how you support one another?

TRACY: Luckily our relationships were strongly melded before the pandemic. We now meet usually by Zoom, but try to get together in person at least two times a year. We stepped up the frequency of our meetings for a while to offer more support during these times of isolation.

KAY: When we started the group, we all lived in San Francisco. Since then Tracy has moved to Oakland and Marina to Burlingame and now Sacramento. Thanks to Zoom, we can still meet.

MARINA: I do miss our monthly in person meetings. I would like to go back to having an in-person meeting three times a year, where we meet in person, either at each other’s home or at a fun location. Zoom is convenient but for me, nothing beats the energy of the in person meetings.

Business Owner Profile: Sean Patrick of Calibur

In 2014, after taking Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s Business Planning Class taught by Paul Terry and a team of teachers, Sean Patrick opened Calibur, an organic burger shop in the West Portal neighborhood of San Francisco.

We celebrated Sean’s business in this earlier blog post featuring Renaissance graduates who launched small businesses in 2014. Now, 8 years later, we are returning to some of those small business owners to ask them about their businesses, how they’ve been managing through the pandemic, and what insights they’d like to share about the real issues in starting and KEEPING a small business IN business!

An interview with…

Sean Patrick, Co-Owner

Calibur

68 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco

What inspired you to start your business? A desire to be in charge/responsible for the decisions that will impact my work life and offer a product I am proud to represent. I have often considered the decision and wondered if it were correct or how it could have been done better. My thoughts on small business have definitely changed as I have learned a lot by being in business for 8 years. You have to be willing to adapt, try new things and accept the decisions that did not work out and move on. I don’t call them incorrect decisions, just decisions that didn’t work and led to a better overall product or service. This can be a difficult balancing act with your original desires and goals.

Did the pandemic lead to operational changes? Dramatically. We used to have 35 seats and now we have a purely “to-go” model with only a parklet for seating. This has changed our business model immensely. We are significantly more efficient now, both in quality and speed of service. We are more focused on one business model instead of melding two (in house and to go). For our location this was difficult with such a small kitchen and tiny staging area. We would probably not have committed to a “to-go” only menu if the pandemic had not pushed us (…and to be fair, may not have been successful if the pandemic had not pushed consumers to be more accepting of it). We did close for 11 weeks in early 2020, without knowing if we would be able to reopen ever again. This was an extremely scary time, with our entire life savings invested and potentially nothing to show for it. We were lucky to get a PPP loan, and this enabled us to confidently reopen, with our new format and rehire ALL our employees (except two that moved out of the city). We were also lucky to be in a super supportive neighborhood that made a conscious effort to support their local businesses. We could just have easily opened our concept in an area like downtown and PPP money would not have saved us.

Are there specific marketing strategies you use that worked well? We work very well with our community and through our community get the word out about our business. We support other local businesses, we do joint promotions, we are a part of the local merchant association, we support local schools, and during the pandemic we helped with neighborhood relief programs. Having a business partner has been a great support factor. We are able to bounce ideas off each and having both come from a restaurant and catering background, as well as a combined 15 years restaurant sales and consulting experience, we had a wide network of help.

On a more personal level, how have you been managing through these challenging times? I have a deep appreciation for my home life and family. I am taking time to enjoy the now. Evening walks with the family have helped me stay grounded.

How is your business doing now? The business is doing well, utilizing the delivery programs customers are so keen to purchase through, but the apparent unstoppable increases in the cost of supplies and just doing business in general is becoming really scary. Our cost of goods in the last year has increased exponentially. In such a small margin field, it is difficult to absorb even small increases, and trying to incorporate increases on every item we purchase, compounded with new delivery fees, service charges and gas surcharges, it is hard to keep prices at our target point.

Any advice you would give to others starting a business at this time? As far as giving advice, I would suggest that people spend more time talking to people in the field they want to work in. This sounds so simple, but is often the most overlooked, free and useful advice you can get. It is amazing how helpful people can be, and how much time they can save you by explaining why they do things a certain way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, the worst thing that can happen is people say no.

Any specific products or services to promote for Calibur? Burgers, Fries & Milkshakes…. That’s what we do, and we do it well. Like Burgers…… Love Calibur!

Business Owner Profile: Tim Lee of Liquid Gold

July 22, 2022
Profiles
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In 2014, after taking Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s Business Planning Class taught by Paul Terry and a team of teachers, Tim Lee opened Liquid Gold, a craft beer, wine and cider tap room and bottle shop located in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.

We celebrated Tim’s business many years back in this blog post featuring Renaissance graduates who launched small businesses in 2014. Now, 8 years later, we are returning to those small business owners to ask them about their businesses, how they’ve been managing through the pandemic and what insights they’d like to share about small business ownership.

AN INTERVIEW WITH TIM LEE OF LIQUID GOLD

What inspired you to start your business? I’ve always dreamed about running my own business and pursuing a career that I would love and truly enjoy. I believed in the idea that if you work in what you love, it won’t feel like work. I was also tired of working in mundane jobs that didn’t bring any job satisfaction.

Did the pandemic lead to operational changes? Yes, we had to take our inventory online. We created a web store and sold all of our products for pick-up or shipping. We built an outdoor parklet, which has helped as well. Since customers were not allowed to drink in store, we also shortened our store hours to cut costs.

Are there specific marketing or management strategies you used (and/or continue to use) that worked well? We used some social media advertising to promote pickup and shipping orders. Once the pandemic started, I relied on my staff to run the business in store and I worked from home. I wanted to keep my staff employed and I didn’t want to potentially expose my family to Covid. As a result of this, I’ve developed even more trust in my staff to keep things running smoothly while I’m not physically there anymore.

On a more personal level, how have you been managing through these challenging times? It’s been tough, especially with two young kids, but I’ve stayed positive and have become better with making the most of my work time at home.

How is your business doing now? My business is doing better, but still not back to pre-pandemic levels. I am optimistic about the future but not sure if/when business will be back to normal.

Any specific products or services you’d like to promote? Beer catering! We do occasional catering events at business offices, retail stores, parties, etc. You can learn more here: https://www.liquidgoldsf.com/beer-catering.

Any advice you would give to others starting a small business at this time? Follow your dreams and work hard. You can do it!

Is there anything else you’d like to share? We are celebrating our 8th anniversary on October 22nd! Please join us for a beer!

Business Owner Profile: Steve Fox of Urban Putt

July 22, 2022
Profiles
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In 2014, after taking Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s Business Planning Class taught by Paul Terry and a team of teachers, Steve Fox opened Urban Putt, an indoor miniature golf course and restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission district.

We celebrated Steve’s business many years back in this blog post featuring Renaissance graduates who launched small businesses in 2014. Now, 8 years later, we are returning to those small business owners to ask them about their businesses, how they’ve been managing through the pandemic and what insights they’d like to share about small business ownership.

An interview with Steve Fox of Urban Putt

What inspired you to start your business? At age 55, I had grown disenchanted with publishing (my career of 35 years, at the time), which seemed to be in steep decline. I realized I needed a change, maybe even a clean start, or I would end up bitter and depressed. For many years, my wife and I had hosted “bring-your-own-hole” mini-golf parties at our San Francisco house, and we saw how much people enjoyed them. I began daydreaming about the possibility of starting a mini-golf course in the city. With no clue how to even begin, I enrolled in your business startup class at Renaissance Entrepreneur Center, where I crystallized the idea and ultimately wrote a business plan. Keep in mind, I had no illusions about being an entrepreneur or a small business owner. I just knew I loved mini-golf and I drew joy from giving parties as happy, engaged people milled about. That was the germ of the idea.

Since you started your business, have your thoughts about small business ownership changed? In retrospect, I was incredibly naïve about what such a venture would require. I had expertise in management and hiring but lacked virtually any other relevant skills. Over the last eight years of running Urban Putt, I’ve had to develop expertise in raising money (a very big deal, as it turns out), financial management, food service, and the endless minutiae of being the boss of your own business. On any given day, one might have to deal with insurance, corporate taxes, arbitrary city regulations, plumbing leaks, business licenses, marketing and advertising, responding to bad reviews on Yelp, neighborhood power outages, questionable employee behavior, drunks, tech issues, menu changes, point-of-sale system SNAFUs, payroll issues, credit card fraud, 3 AM calls from the Fire Department (blessedly always a false alarm so far), broken minigolf holes, P&Ls and balance sheets, and more. There are many sleepless nights.

Given all that business ownership entails, is it worth it? Even given all of that, I would still recommend owning a small business for anyone with the stomach for it. The rewards of self-determination are manifest. Sadly, the job is often more reactive as opposed to proactive, even if you try to plan everything out. My best advice for others would be to start small, and grow into it.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? The pandemic was punishing, and nearly closed the business for good. In San Francisco, we were forced to close for more than a year (starting in March 2020). We had also opened Urban Putt Denver in September 2019, and that was closed for about six months before reopening. We had to lay off employees and tighten our belts. If we had not gotten PPP loans for both businesses, we wouldn’t have made it back.

How have you managed re-opening? What operational changes have you implemented? Once we reopened, business was greatly reduced, with occupancy restrictions, nervous customers, and the collapse of corporate parties, a big source of our revenue.

Faced with lower sales, we reopened with a reduced staff. Then as business started coming back, we learned that we could get by with smaller payroll. In truth, we wanted to hire more folks, but we literally could not find qualified people to work. This enforced discipline ended up making us reevaluate our staffing needs.

We also changed many elements of our service model. For instance, instead of providing table service, customers place orders at the bar and then food runners bring their orders out to them. We also experimented with different reservation models. For the first year or so, reservations simply guaranteed entry into the building, since we were primarily concerned with crowding and exposure during COVID. We have more recently returned to accepting dinner reservations and are re-instituting limited table service. The key is to test, learn, and implement based on metrics.

Similarly, we have pared down our menu to make it easier to get food out the door with a reduced kitchen staff. And we are making a greater effort to use many of the same ingredients in multiple dishes, again for cost and time savings. Because of our tighter margins, we are examining and revising menus much more frequently, and looking closely at costs. At the philosophical level, we want to make sure the ingredients are of high quality, since that is critical to our brand; we would rather remove an item than go with cheaper ingredients that would compromise the product.

We have also started looking more closely at different metrics to keep track of how we are doing. I’ve been paying attention to Gross Profit after Prime Costs (GPPC), which is a percentage that shows how we are doing with costs we can control. Of course, I also look at Net Operating Income (NOI) and costs of goods. The main lesson I took away from COVID is that you need to examine all your procedures regularly. Just because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t make it right.

On a personal level, how have you been managing through these challenging times? I would love to be more Zen, but it is simply not in my nature. To deal with the stress over the last several years, I have started walking to work every day, about 90 minutes roundtrip, while listening to audio books. It’s a great way to stay collected and take your mind off the day-to-day. This also has the added benefit of allowing me to catch up on great works of fiction that I should have read back in college. How could a former English major never have read Moby Dick?

Any specific products or services to promote? I want customers to eat, drink, play mini-golf and encounter the joy that is Urban Putt San Francisco. I would certainly also like for more local companies to throw their parties at Urban Putt. Daytime team-building events and evening buyouts, when partygoers have the place entirely to themselves, are a fabulous way to bring the staff together. Inquiries start at https://www.urbanputt.com/events-san-francisco/

UnoEth: A Father-Daughter Business Partnership

After a trip to Ethiopia to visit family, Xiomara Rose-Tedla’s father brought back a leather messenger bag as a gift for Xiomara. That bag and the interest it received from friends and strangers alike led to Xiomara and her father, Dagne Tedla, to found UnoEth in 2015. UnoEth, which means ‘one Ethiopia,’ partners with artisans and small business owners in Addis Ababa to produce handmade leather handbags, totes, backpacks, duffels and accessories. All UnoEth goods can be purchased online or in person by appointment at UnoEth’s studio in Oakland, CA.

An interview with Xiomara Rosa-Tedla, co-owner of UnoEth

What was your experience with entrepreneurship before launching UnoEth? I have a degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing, which led to a career in Advertising, Marketing and Merchandising. This background gave me the foundation and knowledge on how to start a business. My inspiration, though, is my mother, who has been an entrepreneur for many years. Watching her grow her law firm inspired me in so many ways to launch my own business. She is an incredible role model and sounding board. I love that being a business owner allows me to design my own life. I am able to create my own schedule and set the pace for my growing brand.

In launching your business, what kind of support did you get from immediate family members? In the beginning, our immediate family members were our biggest supporters in so many ways. They were the first to purchase our merchandise, offer their own areas of expertise in legal, marketing, tech support, etc., and they helped promote our business to their personal networks. Word of mouth spread like a wildfire and helped us grow our brand without costing us a dime.

How has being a young Black woman impacted your experience as a small business owner? There are definitely challenges that I repeatedly faced in launching and growing our business. One of the main obstacles is in finding funding to grow our brand. Statistically, Black women receive the lowest amounts of funding compared to any other gender or race.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? When the pandemic first hit, we were almost at a standstill in terms of sales. Fifty percent of our business came from pop-up, in-person events across the country and all of our major events were canceled until the foreseeable future. Online sales were slow as well because we were out of stock in our best-selling styles. We were waiting to receive product from Ethiopia but due to the pandemic, all cargo shipments were on hold for several months. Things turned for the better after a surge of support for Black-owned and small businesses in late May-June 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. We received a huge lift in sales and press, which carried on throughout the year. 2020 and 2021 turned out to be our biggest sales years yet.

How has your business had to change in order to survive and grow? Since we were not able to sell in-person, we had to pivot and focus on driving sales online. We increased our advertising spending on different platforms and saw a lot of success in our efforts. I am happy to report that we are now doing well. Business is up and we are so grateful to be healthy during this global pandemic.

What advice do you have for other small family business owners? When we first launched UnoEth, my father and I had to learn how to communicate as business partners, which is totally different than our regular father-daughter dynamic and required a lot of patience. Understanding our different working styles and how to effectively communicate was essential to creating a seamless working dynamic.

What advice do you have for other young, Black, female small business owners? Create a strong business plan. This will create a solid foundation and a roadmap to success.

What excites you most about the future of your business? What excites me the most is duplicating our business model and working with more artisans all over the world. It gives me great joy to witness our partners’ businesses grow and to see our customers enjoy and wear the products that we create.

Any specific products to promote? Our Telak Messenger bag is our first original style that sparked the idea of launching our brand and is still today’s best seller. It inspired us to create our line of handmade, leather handbags, backpacks, wallets and more. Check out our entire line at unoeth.com.

This interview was originally conducted for the USF Gellert Family Business Resources Center’s blog.

The Pandemic and the Small Family Business

As we begin a new year, we want to acknowledge and feature the resilience of small family-owned businesses in our community throughout the pandemic these past two years.

Operating a small business has always been difficult in the San Francisco Bay Area. Staying in business for many years, or even decades, with consistent success and profitability is a constant struggle in one of the most expensive places in the country.

When the pandemic hit, small family-owned businesses in our community faced so many hurdles. Food establishments were forced to offer only take-out/delivery and build expensive outdoor areas to serve their customers (that may now need to be removed). Retail stores had to restrict access and protect customers and workers with plexiglass shields, masks, and social distancing. Many service businesses had to adjust to working from home instead of the office, with Zoom becoming the most essential business tool. Business owners and their employees (and their families) had to juggle work with childcare and home-schooling responsibilities. Increased social isolation had both physical and mental affects.

Now we are dealing with supply chain problems and many businesses are having a very hard time finding and/or keeping employees. The pandemic and its cascading affects continue.

Yet through it all, small family-owned businesses have shown incredible resilience. They have demonstrated their ability to adjust, to flex and to recover. They have responded effectively to new economic conditions and tapped into their family foundations to leverage their strengths, build on lessons learned and stay in business.

Here are six local family business owners’ stories…

Prerna Sethi
Sethi Couture
Years in business: 9

Sethi Couture was founded in 2012 in San Francisco by sisters Pratima and Prerna Sethi as a wholesale business. They opened their first brick and mortar location in 2017. Raised by parents who are purveyors of rare and unusual diamonds, they were surrounded by exquisite stones at an early age. Growing up in California, the sisters took many trips to India to visit their grandmothers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The combination of California’s nature inspired motifs and intricate details of Indian architecture can be seen throughout their jewelry collection.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? The pandemic really impacted our momentum. We were in growth trajectory and suddenly everything halted. Our wholesale business which was dependent on tradeshows and travel took a big hit. Ultimately, we were unsure on how things would play out, but it forced us to be creative. We quickly pivoted to a digital presence and creating more digital content. We shifted our focus to ecommerce and our social media channels. We also found new ways to connect with our clients and created customized delivery services so that people could continue to celebrate special occasions with meaningful jewelry. Fortunately, although we had some soft sales in the beginning, we were able to quickly recover by the end of 2020. 2021 was an exceptional year for us!

How has being a family-owned business affected how you’ve navigated through the pandemic so far? Being a family-owned business gives us the freedom to prioritize what we value. By this I mean ensuring that we invest in social causes important to us and making sure our teams and their families are taken care of during this challenging time. My sister and business partner has two young children and navigating through remote learning during the pandemic was challenging at first while running a business. We were able to lean on each other, however, and figure out efficient ways to manage our work while minimizing the impact the new normal had on her family. We also ensured our team could prioritized their well-being and their families during a challenging time for all families.

How are you, your family and your business doing now? Our business is doing well right now and in part it is because we learned how to work more efficiently and focus on priorities.We have learned so much in the last two years from our community and each other. By having to look at our business more closely and identify strengths and weaknesses, we have been able to invest in the right areas and be more intentional in our growth plan. Things are going well!

Any specific products you would like to promote? Our stacking rings are the most meaningful expression of our brand. Whether it is a sentimental reminder of a milestone in your life or a way to celebrate your personal journey, each Sethi Couture band tells a story of the past, the present, and the future that can be cherished every day. See our complete online store at sethicouture.com.

Janet Tarlov
Canyon Market
Years in business: 15

After decades working in food retail, Janet Tarlov and her husband Richard started their own business together in 2006 — a 7,000 square-foot, full-service grocery store in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco. When they first opened, they had no idea that the Great Recession would hit a few months later. From the start, they have had to get creative with their business processes and the products that they offered to keep feeding local families and paying their staff. In 2020 when Covid-19 hit San Francisco, they had to rally again. Janet and Richard, like so many small retail business owners, had to navigate confusing rules and regulations, keep their staff and customers safe, deal with supply chain issues, and continue to serve their customers through all the uncertainty. Through it all, Canyon Market has survived and continues to thrive. The business now employs 85 people, 33 of whom have worked for the business for five years or longer.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? Since we are an essential business, we experienced the same chaos that other grocery stores did. Our entire inventory turned over several times in a very short period and we scrambled to get more of anything we could. The safety of staff and vulnerable patrons was our chief concern, requiring us to adapt quickly and continuously for the first few months. Communication was a huge challenge, but we were able to lean in to the trust we had built with our staff and the Glen Park community in order to get through it together as a team.

How has being a family-owned business affected how you have navigated through the pandemic so far? Richard and I were able to be present for our staff by working every day for the first few months–me in the morning and him in the evening. Our young adult children were unexpectedly home from college and were able to help out some once summer came. The happy upside was that the store was no longer busy with commuters coming home late from work, so we were able to close an hour early and sit down for a home cooked family meal every evening.

How are you, your family and your business doing now? We see the additional stress that our peers experience with continuing business interruptions and/or the isolation of having to work from home and we feel quite fortunate. Our kids continue their growing-up journey with one launched in his career and the other back on campus. The business is still adapting week-by-week, but a new normal has slowly begun to establish itself.

What advice do you have for other family-owned business, particularly when the co-owners are spouses? Wow! That is a big question! Fortunately, Richard and I had worked together for many years before we opened our store, so we knew that we could rely on one another to be supportive and honest. I would say that it is imperative to make time for family activities however you can. In our case, that meant family bike rides to school most mornings, since we rarely had weekend family time–we cherish those memories. In the store, it is really important that our professional relationship and vision are very clearly communicated to our staff and that our commitment to their success is obvious to them. Yes, Richard and I are a team, but our team includes everyone in the business.

Any specific products/services you would like to promote? The pandemic has prompted us to launch several online ordering programs at canyonmarket.com for groceries, catering and holiday menus that are available for curbside pick-up or home delivery.

Edgar Barrios
Barrios Painting
Years in business: 22

Barrios Painting provides professional residential and commercial painting services to homeowners, businesses, designers, developers, and contractors in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founder Clodulfo Barrios established the company in 1999 after working for many painting and remodeling companies. Clodulfo slowly grew the business to about 20 employees, with his son Edgar working with him every Saturday and every summer starting at age 15. In 2011 Edgar became a licensed contractor and joined the family business as a co-owner.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? At first, we did not feel the impact. We had just started painting a new 40-unit building on Market and Gough Street and a Victorian house in Pacific Heights. Both jobs were big enough to have our teams work separately. We could avoid close contact for months. However, I began to notice that I was receiving less and less calls for estimates. I reached out to many clients but a lot of projects got put on hold or fell through all together. We felt the impact the most at the beginning of 2021 when we had almost no work for an entire month.

How has being a family-owned business affected how you’ve navigated through the pandemic so far? The pandemic has made us appreciate one another more knowing that something like Covid could end our lives in a blink of an eye. My father got very sick with the virus and we almost lost him. I am so thankful that he has recovered and I can continue to work with him and learn from him.

How are you and your business doing now? Our family is doing a lot better. Our business is starting to pick up again and we are receiving more phone calls and have signed more contracts. It is almost like pre-Covid days. However, now we are dealing with supply chain issues, including paint and supply shortages, delays, and increased material costs of 20-30%.

Any specific services to promote? We are mainly a full interior, exterior and custom cabinet painting company. We also do small remodels for clients including wood floor refinishing, adding/removing walls, drywall, siding and trim. We like to plan these jobs in combination with painting when possible. Learn more about our services on our website, and give us a call for a free estimate: 415-424-2470.

Deborah Bowes
Feldenkrais Movement & Awareness
Years in business: 33 years

Deborah founded the Feldenkrais Center for Movement & Awareness in 1988 with Julie Casson Rubin to offer Feldenkrais lessons, classes and workshops to adults and children. Cliff Smyth joined the business in 1996 when he relocated from Melbourne, Australia. Deborah and Cliff have operated the business together since 1996. They are married with 2 adult children.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? It was a very stressful time. We could no longer offer in-person classes and workshops or see clients for individual Feldenkrais sessions. We didn’t know when or if we would be able to re-open safely. Our rent was high and all of our subcontracted staff left due to Covid. We weren’t sure if we should try to stay open, move to a smaller space or close the Center. In August 2020, we closed the Center in Glen Park and scrambled to move our teaching online. We put our equipment in a storage space and I sublet a treatment room at Noe Integrative Health at 1199 Sanchez Street to continue working part-time with vaccinated clients. Now all my Feldenkrais teaching is on Zoom. As of December 2021 I no longer have an in-person practice. Cliff decided to stop in-person work and only teach online, too. He also increased his teaching hours at Saybrook University. We re-branded to Feldenkrais Movement & Awareness, dropping the word ‘Center’ from the business.

How has being a family-owned business affected how you’ve navigated through the pandemic so far?
We had so many discussions during walks in the park about income streams, how to pivot our business model and manage the change to online work. We made agreements about who would do what to move everything online. We both took on tasks we didn’t like to do, for example, I improved my computer skills to find the appropriate software programs and learn to use them, and I consulted with other online business owners. Cliff managed the website updates and newsletter emails.

How are you and your business doing now? We loved our little Center and so did our students and clients. It was a special place, comfortable, and set up just the way we liked. It felt like a place for healing to happen. It was traumatic at first to make so many decisions and changes, not only for us, but for our students as well. Now we are all online, using Zoom, and it’s going smoothly and is satisfying, although quite different. I developed a successful collaboration with a burgeoning online Feldenkrais program. Since August 2020, I have developed 6 self-paced Feldenkrais learning courses that are hosted on www.movementandcreativity.com. These courses are very popular, and through this affiliation, I have increased my national and international student following. Cliff is a full-time professor at Saybrook University in the Department of Mind-Body Medicine teaching online. He also teaches a weekly Zoom Feldenkrais class.

Any specific services to promote? Yes, you can go to our website to sign up for an online class and access our free recorded classes and guided meditations. Then you can visit my page on the Movement and Creativity website to learn about my courses for pain, pelvic floor issues and more. You can also find me on YouTube (search: deborah bowes pelvic floor)!

Gwen Kaplan
Ace Mailing
Years in business: 43 years

Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Ace Mailing is a full-service direct marketing company offering list acquisition, database creation, management and maintenance, creative services, graphic design, printing, email and postal mail services, fulfillment, and warehousing. Ace Mailing’s clients range from large businesses and the federal government to small firms and non-profits. Gwen and her mother, Royce Dyer, started the business in 1977 and they were soon joined by Gwen’s husband, Steve, a graphic designer. Their sons Miles and Matt grew up with the business, working at Ace Mailing during the summers and after school. After graduating from college, they both joined the business full-time and now co-manage the building with Gwen. Ace is widely recognized in the community for its humanitarian efforts in creating jobs for disadvantaged people and for its commitment to economic development programs.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? Ace Mailing was considered an “official essential business” and remained in full operation during the pandemic. We continued to work with many of our existing clients and also attract new clients during the pandemic, as businesses needed to fully communicate by all media opportunities.

How has being a family-owned business affected how you’ve navigated through the pandemic so far? We look at our business as a three-legged stool. We each contribute our strengths to the business. Matt excels at graphics, printing, marketing, and sales. Miles excels at IT, business management, marketing, and sales. My sweet spot is sales, marketing and government and client relations. We each have our specialty areas and overlapping skill areas so that we can support each other. And all three of us can operate the machines! This is how we can be competent and results-oriented for our clients. The business has always been a team effort and that has continued throughout the pandemic.

How are you and your business doing now? Ace is doing well and we are on target with our business goals this year. We continue to stay very involved with Mission District merchant organizations and the Chamber of Commerce. We are proud to have been located in the Mission since 1983 and on the vibrant 16^th Street corridor since 1986. Our hearts are in San Francisco and our deep roots are in the Mission! Our commitment is stronger than ever to create quality, sustainable jobs for our employees and support the community around us.

Any specific services to promote? We are list specialists and list brokers for postal and email marketing. Our goal is to drive traffic to your website and foot traffic to your location. For more information about our services, check out our website. To reach us directly, call me at 415-863-4223!

Denise Collins
Aunt Ann’s In-House Staffing
Years in business: 60+

Aunt Ann’s is a family-owned referral agency that specializes in matching professional childcare, household, and estate staff with families in the San Francisco Bay Area. The business began with Denise’s grandmother in 1958, transitioned to her mother and father, and then Denise, who became the third-generation owner 1982. Denise works closely with her sister, Sue, to manage the office, employees, and placements.

What happened to your business when the pandemic hit? Prior to the pandemic shutdown, our office upgraded all the technology that we use for our business. These upgrades made it possible to immediately pivot from a brick and mortar office to all of us working remotely from home once stay-at-home orders went into effect. Our landlord reduced our office rent by 50% and we received two PPP loans (both forgiven), which gave us a financial buffer.

How has being a family-owned business affected how you’ve navigated through the pandemic so far? Being a family-owned business hasn’t made much of a difference to how we’ve worked during the pandemic, as our business values and core beliefs remain unchanged. We put people ahead of profit in what we do. This was reflected in our business practices before the pandemic and during the pandemic. We treat all our office employees as if they are family and support each of them in their personal and professional lives. I created a financial compensation structure that generously rewards performance.

This is the 40^th year that I have worked in the family business. Working with family – my sister Sue, my mom Sophie, and my dad Tom – has been and continues to be the best experience of my working career. I came to the family business after a prior career in customer service, marketing, and human resources. I brought my professional skills to the family business and was able to create a marketing and business plan for business growth. My family members supported my vision and allowed me to take the company in a new direction. It has been a gift to have the opportunity to own and guide a generational business for so many years.

How are you and your business doing now? There has been a huge demand for our services during the pandemic. Many people were looking for cooks, nannies, and housekeepers. Families sought nanny educators for learning pods and there was a high demand for nannies so that children could be cared for at home instead of going to day care. We also experienced a large growth in our estate management services with chefs and estate managers in demand due to all the venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs in the SF Bay Area. We are enjoying better work-life balance now that we are all working from home. My personal stress has decreased 100%! We will finalize our decision to continue working remotely in 2022 and we still have the option to return to brick and mortar. The pandemic has given us an opportunity to expand our business. Without it, we may not have had the same level of growth. 2021 was our best year yet!

Any specific services to promote? We are not a job listing service. We meet our candidates and our clients and take the time to match the employer’s needs to the candidate’s needs. Our process includes an extensive application, personal interview, employment eligibility verification, confirmed references and independent background checks. Our focus is on long-term placements but we also help with temporary and on-call hires. Visit our website to learn more about our services and see a complete list of domestic, childcare, estate and private office positions we staff.