Thanks to North Coast SBDC for this story!
BACKGROUND
Beck’s Bakery is a wholesale bread bakery located in Arcata, California. They use locally grown grains in their breads and crackers and grind them fresh in-house with a stone mill!
CHALLENGES
Owner Rhonda Wiedenbeck had always dreamed of starting and running a bakery, so she got experience in baking, large-scale food production, and attended a few workshops, but when it became a more feasible goal Rhonda realized she needed more help with running the business-end of the bakery. She needed financial projections, marketing help, and a commercial kitchen. Rhonda was familiar with North Coast SBDC, but now it was time to put ideas into motion.
ACTIONS
Rhonda met with North Coast SBDC advisor Janet DePace and quickly realized that the preparation needed to apply for a commercial kitchen space was one of the most involved processes she would undertake because she needed a full proposal which included a detailed business plan. Ms. DePace assisted her to develop these plans, and Rhonda also participated in a specialized program and workshops that helped her to move forward with her business. Rhonda was especially smart in that she created a Kickstarter campaign “Delivering Beck’s Bakery to Humboldt!”, with which she raised $4,065!
RESULTS
Rhonda was approved for a commercial kitchen space in a highly competitive application process, and Beck’s Bakery successfully opened for business. The bakery currently employs five people. Because Rhonda purchased a grain mill, she is able to sell the milled grains as an additional source of income for her business.
“I had so many ideas and concerns around starting and running my business, and my SBDC business advisor helped me to focus and prioritize them so that I could achieve great success,” said Rhonda of her experience with the SBDC.
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