Your entrepreneurial journey starts here
IMPACT
report
2020-21
INCLUSIVENESS: We value the uniqueness of people and their perspectives.
We modify our service approach to ensure clients are supported regardless of their culture, age, or gender.
optimism: We look at challenges from all angles, knowing we will find a positive outcome. We propose solutions to problems and actively work toward them with the confidence that they will be achieved. respect: We treat each individual with high regard, appreciation, and courtesy. We honor the contributions of individuals. We seek open communication with our clients, our community, and each other.
COLLABORATION: We work together sharing time, resources, and abilities of one another while working toward common goals.
INtegrity: Our integrity is demonstrated when we do what we say we will do and complete tasks on schedule. Growth comes from acknowledging and learning from our mistakes.
VISION
We exist to create a future in which our rural economy thrives from access to livable wage jobs, sustainable economic growth, and a high quality of life, regardless of life stage or background.
mission
We educate and advocate for small business so that local entrepreneurs receive the information they need to launch and expand their business.
Values
Our Values are our North Star
WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21
the journey begins
There is no doubt that the past two years
have challenged us all to adapt our
lifestyles as well as our business models
to meet the “new normal.” On March
17, 2020, as the nation began to shut
down, we transitioned our team to be
completely virtual and fully operational
within 48 hours. We found ourselves at
the tip of the economic crisis that was
soon to descend and the entire team rose
to meet this moment head-on.
Our daily engagement with entrepreneurs has shown us that many are living a life driven more by fortitude than by fear. Their tenacity in the face of the unknown gives us, the West Center team, the strength to help them in every way we can. In 2021 alone, West Center served 626 clients through direct counseling, helped 82 businesses receive $11.5 million in grants and loans, delivered 104 workshops to 2,617 attendees, and assisted 23 new business start-ups.
What has emerged from the experience of the past two years is the knowledge that our work as a small business development specialist is more important than ever.
Our StartUp Mendocino program was postponed following a highly successful first year in 2019. The break gave us time to re-envision the course, which launched in January 2022 as the county’s only business accelerator program. With a focus on collaboration over competition, 13 emerging entrepreneurs participated in a specially designed curriculum. They now move forward with new tools to make their businesses more efficient, effective, productive, and profitable, as well as a peer-to-peer network that will help them on their entrepreneurial journey.
In 2021, we focused on expanding services to the county’s growing Latino business population. We launched Centro Latino West, a new identity for our Spanish language business program, with Spanish language videos and social media outreach and in 2022 will open a Dream Fund training program for Spanish speakers. Our advising team now includes three bilingual advisors.
Our new website is live! The site now provides users with a clear path to advising appointments, easy sign-up for trainings, and access to local business—essential services in the “new normal.” The pandemic served to highlight the failings in our rural infrastructure, especially with access to basic services: broadband, healthcare, childcare, and housing. In 2020, West Center spearheaded MOVE2030: Mendocino Opportunities to build a Vibrant Economy. The goal of MOVE2030 was to advance an economic resiliency strategy for the next ten years. Among the findings in the County of Mendocino Economic Development Analysis report was the need for a lead economic development agency. In May 2022, the County appointed West Center to fill that role to provide services in three strategic areas: economic development capacity; business recruitment and retention; and workforce development.
We are proud to share this impact report, which describes our services and highlights a few of the intrepid entrepreneurs we served these past two years. It provides highlights of our signature programs: Centro Latino West, StartUp Mendocino, and Emergency Preparation, and an update on the ongoing economic development initiative. MOVE2030 was just the beginning of public-private partnerships that will become the catalyst for change in our rural region.
We all continue to recover from the shock of COVID but innovations often rise out of disasters, so now is the time for us to rely on each other and work together to build a stronger local economy that works for our communities.
On behalf of the West Center team, we look forward to continuing to provide vital services, guidance, and advice to serve our community and help our region rise.
Mary Anne Petrillo, ceo
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 1
the west
center story
For more than 30 years, West Center has
been creating self-sufficiency and prosperity
for individuals through business ownership
in Mendocino County. We are recognized
within our rural region for developing no-cost
innovative programs to educate and train
individuals to launch sustainable businesses,
raise family incomes, and provide economic
stability and mobility in their communities. We
have grown from exclusively providing small
business technical assistance to becoming an
economic development hub helping to grow a
sustainable rural economy, and have expanded
our services into Lake County.
West Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization initially launched in 1988 by the
James Irvine Foundation’s Women’s Economic
Development Initiative to address the needs of
impoverished women. We are one of only two
Women’s Business Centers (WBC) in Northern
California, and we are also the Mendocino-Lake
Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
We are very proud of the community trust we
have built over the decades, solidified by our
impact in the region. Our unique approach of
developing the whole entrepreneur – through
culturally effective and compassionate
counseling, leadership training, mentorship.
and innovative programming – has made West
Center the ‘go to’ agency for rural business
development. As evidenced by hundreds of
client support letters, West Center has helped
many business owners achieve their goals.
Across the country, but particularly in rural
communities, economic security is out of
reach for many. We recognize that every
business start has the potential to transform
a community, and that entrepreneurship is a
central pillar of economic recovery. Support
of rural business owners fosters a more
diverse and vibrant economic ecosystem,
ensuring prosperity for individuals, their
families, and entire communities.
We welcome you to join us.
$37.7
since 2008
million
capital infusion
2 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21
ECONOMIC
IMPACT NUMBERS
2020-2021
“The journey I have been on with my business would not be successful without West’s support. Each connection with a content-area expert has helped me develop my knowledge, skills, and abilities. I am a more confident and knowledgeable business owner because of these experiences.”
Amy Collins, Village Sock Shop
1,198 clients
servED
225 TRAINING EVENTS
50 business starts
5,388 TRAINING
ATTENDEES
$18 million capital
infusion
2,575 JOBS CREATED/
RETAINED
$8.3 million sales
increase 1,026 CLIENTS
COUNSELED
counseling
hours
business
starts
317
7,133 since 2008
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 3
ADVISING
Taking the entrepreneurial path is an exciting and
challenging adventure. Our clients have an idea for a
business but often don’t know how to begin their business journey. For them, the first step is to contact West Business Development Center where they will obtain no-cost
guidance, advice, and training that will put them on the road to success. The West Center team of advisors, who
are experts in a wide range of business practices with
experience in many different industries, are primed to guide clients as they begin their journey.
OUR
services
No business will be
like your business
since 2008
businesses
Launched
547
TRAINING
West Center creates training programs
and workshops that are relevant and help
small business owners to succeed. In 2021,
West Center delivered 106 training events
attended by more than 2,700 participants.
Our training topics range from the fundamentals
of financial literacy and the ABCs of Digital
Technology series to specialized offerings
such as our Artists in Action series that gives
creative entrepreneurs a grounding in how to
make art a full-time business proposition.
Average 2,465Training AttendeeS
Average 3,417 counseling hours
4 4 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21
GREAT BUSINESSES
START WITH GREAT IDEAS
jobs created/
retained
since 2008
3,641
5 IT STARTS WITH AN IDEA
Happy Rides STARTs a Journey
In 2020, Lori Enriquez came to West Center for guidance on how to turn her idea into a business. From personal experience she knew how challenging it was to secure non-emergency medical transportation for those we know and love. With the assistance of West Center’s advising staff and programs like StartUp Mendocino, Lori launched Happy Rides Inc., a non-emergency medical transportation company, in Fort Bragg, California. In early 2022, Lori became a participant in the StartUp Mendocino business accelerator program and also expanded her business footprint to Ukiah, California.
IT’s fueled by passion
AN ADVENTURE BEGINS
Leonardo Gaona loves to build houses. He loves the process of starting with an idea, creating a plan, and completing a house for someone to call home. Leonardo came to West Center for help when he wanted to take his entrepreneurial idea and create a plan for his own business. He realized that in addition to being able to build a house, he also had to know the rules. Working with West Center’s advisors, Leonardo is building his construction company into an entity that’s starting to hire employees and grow. “StartUp [Mendocino] is an extremely valuable asset for me, being able to double check myself, my business and
learn things I had not realized before. I feel so honored and inspired toward a greater purpose for Happy Rides,
than I had when we first began.”
Lori Enriquez, Happy Rides Inc.
"When you join with someone that has your back, you can do anything. It doesn’t matter the size of your project, put your heart in what you do and you can achieve anything." Leonardo Gaona, Gaona Construction Inc.
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 5
Sustainable
businesses
grow
over time
“We’ve made the evolution from working all hours of the day (and night!) to being able to organize our time and create structure in our day. We learned that the most effective way to be successful is to have structure. Now our current business is successful and thriving.”
Lama Nasser-Gammett, The Forest People
Growing is
the Adventure
Chart your own course
Lama and The Forest People
Lama Nasser-Gammett was ready to take her mushroom company to the next level. The grand prize winner of the 2019 StartUp Mendocino pitch competition, Lama of Anderson Valley’s The Forest People is grateful to the advisors at West Center for helping her business get off the ground and grow. Her successful pitch gave Lama and her husband, Matthew, the confidence and funds to invest in their business and make “Radically Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation” a full-time proposition.
Lama and her mushrooms and other produce are regulars at farmers’ markets around Mendocino County.
counseling hours
since 2008
33K
6 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 Technical Assistance
$4.8 million in EIDL and PPP loans in 2020
“Mendocino County has been very supportive of us. They’ve helped us get through the pandemic. And they are also
supportive of other local vendors. I think that Mendocino County is an amazing place to start a new small business or to grow your small business.”
John Strangio, Ukiah Valley Athletic Club
Let intuition be your guide
Ukiah Valley Athletic Club Takes the Plunge
When John Strangio heard that the Ukiah Valley Athletic Club was for sale, he wasted no time in getting his wife, Lauren, and mother-in-law, Deni, to sign on as partners. They all saw the potential of this “diamond in the rough” club and worked hard to turn it into a successful business, eventually adding two new locations in Ukiah under the same brand.
John recognized that there was a lack of sports accessibility for kids (and adults) and turned to West Center for help with his idea to create a sports complex that will benefit the entire community.
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 7
“If you’ve got an idea for a really great company or product but you don’t have a clue about business, West Center is the ideal place to go because they will give you free information and guide you to people who will make your dream or
product a reality. It’s an incredible service.”
Steve Heckeroth, Solectrac/Ideanomics
Success is
Passion
plus
Planning
Who Says Dreams
Don’t Come True?
Dare to dream big
Solectrac: From Navarro Ridge to national distribution
It pays to dream big. Stever Heckeroth saw a tractor demonstration at a county fair and the light bulb went off. He realized that the weight of a battery could be an integral part of an electric tractor that can do everything a diesel tractor does except without pollution or noise. More than 30 years after his revelation, West Center helped Steve launch a highly successful crowdfunding campaign that raised more than a million dollars and enabled Steve to ink a deal with Ideanomics, a global giant in sustainable transportation. In 2022, Solectrac/Ideanomics signed a nationwide distribution deal with Brim Tractor. 8 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 “We were so focused on getting the saffron in and growing it that we didn’t have time, energy, or experience on the next step, which was marketing. Our advisor suggested we reach out to a specific food writer… and we got an amazing twopage spread story….” Melinda Price, Peace and Plenty Farm
GRANTS DISTRIBUTED
$750,000 BUSINESS RESILIENCY GRANTS IN 2020
Spicing up the mix
Peace and Plenty Farm
Melinda and Simon Price knew they wanted to farm when they bought property in Kelseyville in Lake County but what their crop would be was another matter. Rather than rely on the usual farm staples, they took a leap of faith by planting 50,000 crocus corms that would yield the world’s most precious spice: saffron! Saffron sales alone made it hard to sustain the farm, so they reached out to West Center’s specialty foods advisor for help in creating multiple value-added products to add to their highly successful farmstand that carries fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, flowers, and more. Melinda and Simon have been featured in regional and national media.
clients served
since 2008
3,469
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 9
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
Su negocio es tan importante como su familia y su comunidad
ELEGANCIA RODRIGUEZ COSIENDO UNA NUEVA CARRERA
Maria Rodriguez, owner of Elegancia Rodriguez, is a talented dressmaker who had ambitions of starting her own business but didn’t know where to turn. On the advice of a friend, she called West Center and received the services of Centro Latino West that helped her to start and grow her dressmaking shop. She now has a thriving business in Ukiah where she creates dresses for weddings, quinceañeras, and other special occasions.
Centro Latino West Mi lugar para ser “the best”
In 2021, West Center served
127 Latino clients
West Center created Centro Latino West to be the go-to business hub for the Latino community in Mendocino and Lake Counties. This specialized program offers outreach, one-on-one confidential business advising services, workshops, counseling, access to financial resources, and support— all in Spanish. The West Center team has three fluent Spanish-language advisors who engage with our Latino clients. And we have designed a social media outreach program that is specifically tailored for the Latino audience. In 2022, West Center will launch an intensive business training program, similar to StartUp Mendocino, for Latino business owners. “A friend told me I should open my own
business but I didn’t know how to do it.
I didn’t even know English! She said,
‘I know about this organization called
West Center.’ I opened my business
practically without speaking a word of
English. But thanks to West Center, they
taught me everything I needed to know.”
“Una amiga me dijo que debería abrir
mi propio negocio pero no sabía cómo
hacerlo. ¡Ni siquiera sabía inglés!
Ella dijo: ‘Sé de esta organización
llamada West Center’. Abrí mi negocio
prácticamente sin hablar una palabra
de inglés. Pero gracias a West Center, me
enseñaron todo lo que necesitaba saber.”
Maria Rodriguez,
Elegancia Rodriguez
10 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 startup mendocino:
StartUp Mendocino is Mendocino County’s only business accelerator program.
StartUp Mendocino began in 2019 with a pitch competition that attracted more than 80 applications and concluded with a well attended competitive event, awarding cash prizes to the top five competitors. The pandemic created a pause in the program but in 2022 West Center launched a re-envisioned business accelerator program. This 23-week program is now focused on giving local entrepreneurs with great ideas the opportunity to participate in a course of intensive training designed to give them a solid foundation for building a successful and sustainable business. 13 StartUp Mendocino participants
graduated on June 9, 2022
startup mendocino
Accelerating sustainable businesses
in rural regions
"I am so grateful for this opportunity
because it led me to StartUp Mendocino
— this accelerated business growth
program has created a space for me
to drill down and connect with other
business owners in many different
fields from all walks of life.”
Jasmine Epperson,
Epperson Consulting
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 11
It’s a reality in today’s world that disasters of all types have become far too frequent. Climate change and a global pandemic threaten our stability, and floods, hurricanes, fires, and earthquakes are a persistent threat. West Center has experienced first-hand how rural businesses struggle to re-open and stay in business following a natural disaster and how lack of planning for an emergency hinders
operations. To help businesses prepare, West Center
has developed a program designed to deliver the steps
necessary to create an emergency preparedness plan
particular to a business’s situation and location.
West Center is translating this program to be available to Spanish speakers.
ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF BUSINESSES DO NOT REOPEN AFTER DISASTERS.
HAVING AN EMERGENCY DISASTER PLAN AND A CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN IN PLACE CAN REDUCE THAT RISK AND HELP THE BUSINESS RECOVER FASTER. [ FEMA ]
SIGNATURE
PROGRAMS
emergency preparation
Protecting your business
12 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 move 2030
small business
is the economy
Mendocino Opportunities for building a
Vibrant Economy—or MOVE 2030—was
created to establish a vision that lays the
groundwork for a more resilient economy
created through public and private
partnerships to provide a healthy economy
that benefits all. The plan has three main
areas of focus: business expansion and
development; technology expansion; and
green infrastructure. Since its inception in
2020, the initiative has completed phase
one of the plan encompassing governance,
data research, community engagement,
and foundational and transformational
recommendations. The recommendations
are contained in the County of Mendocino
Economic Development Analysis report.
In May 2022, West Center was named the
Economic Development liaison organization
for Mendocino County.
“As Mendocino County
faces falling revenue and
rising needs, MOVE 2030 is
helping county residents
with boundless energy,
intense focus, and practical
approaches … to help pull
themselves out of the current
economic muck through hard
work, entrepreneurial zeal,
and the satisfaction that
comes from seeing their dreams
become realities.”
Tom Murphy, Gualala
Municipal Advisory Council
www.move2030.org
THREE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF FOSTERING INCLUSIVE
AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH
EXPLORE
what is currently shaping
the economy of the region
what skills are needed
to drive a new economy
what assets can expand to make
Mendocino County more resilient
CREATE
community-wide existing
initiatives with potential to
advance economic outcomes
economic growth to become
a more resilient community
revitalization of
communities of color
INVEST
a roadmap for the next decade to
ensure Mendocino County’s
economic resiliency
a strategic economic framework
of activities and effort
stories of resiliency in the face
of a changing world
small businesses make up
89% of the mendocino county economy
This work was prepared using Federal funds from the
Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department
of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions,
and recommendations are those of the author and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 13
staff
Mary Anne Petrillo, CEO
Jo Williams, Director of Operations
Laura Brooks, WBC Director
Alison de Grassi, Director of Marketing
Kevin Williams, SBDC Director
Steve Lamb, Client Services Mgr
Paloma Patterson, Business Development Mgr
Lillian Rubie, Customer Care Specialist
Kelly Gieser, Event Coordinator
advisors
Paula McDonell, Marketing & Market Research
Baqi Kopelman, Marketing & Advertising
Lisa McCormack, Human Resources
Anni Minuzzo, Specialty Foods
Joe Rodola, Finance & Loans
Kira Wojack, Marketing & Social Media
George Verástegui, Generalist
Julia Siderakis, Restaurants & Entrepreneurs
Marinela Miclea, Marketing & Social Media
meet OUR team
Kevin Williams
Jo Williams
(left to right) Alison de Grassi, Mary Anne Petrillo, Steve Lamb, Paloma Patterson, Laura Brooks, Lillian Rubie, Kelly Gieser
14 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 Our Board serves to guide the organization as it moves through growth and change. Each Board member brings their perspective and life experiences to their role.
board of directors
Paul Garza, Jr., Board Chair
Retired
Karen Arnold
Mendocino Coast Clinics,
Human Resources Manager
Michelle Hutchins, Chair-Elect
Superintendent of Schools for the
Mendocino County Office of Education
Dr. David Pai
Mendocino College, Associate
Professor of Computer Science
David B. Thurber,
Vice President, Branch Manager,
Tri Counties Bank
Honorable John Haschak
Mendocino County
3rd District Supervisor
Dr. Timothy Karas, Treasurer
Superintendent/President for the
Mendocino-Lake Community College District
Todd Andrus,
Branch Experience Manager,
Redwood Credit Union
Honorable Glenn McGourty
Mendocino County
1st District Supervisor
Experience Dedication Partnership
“My direct experience with the West Business Center during the pandemic this past year was a game changer. West is truly a valuable resource for small businesses throughout the county and a pivotal player in the economic development of our communities.” Jim Roberts, Board Member
Gerardo "Gerry" Gonzalez
Secretary
Council Member, City of Willits
Jim Roberts
Owner,
The Madrones & The Brambles
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 15
West Center is host to the Mendocino Women’s
Business Center (WBC). The Office of Women’s
Business Ownership helps women entrepreneurs
through programs coordinated by the Small
Business Administration program. Nationally, in
2021, the WBCs assisted in 3,289 new business
starts, supported 89,697 jobs, and facilitated 1.4
million capital transactions for WBC clientele.
As part of the Northern California SBDC network,
the Mendo-Lake SBDC serves all of Mendocino and
Lake Counties. The Mendo-Lake SBDC is hosted
by West Business Development Center, a nonprofit
business development organization that helps
entrepreneurs start up, get financing, grow sales,
create jobs, expand, sell/buy a business, and more.
many thanks to
our fiscal sponsors
GRATITUDE to
the organizations
that support us
16 WEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IMPACT REPORT 2020-21 The Community Foundation of Mendocino County
John and Sandra Mayfield Family Economic Development Fund Adventist Health
Café Beaujolais
The Madrones & The Brambles
Charlie Kelly, LPL Financial
Veikko Properties
North Coast Brewing Company
Lia Patterson, Realtor, Luxe Places International Realty Economic Development & Financing Corporation
Paul Garza, Jr.
Carrie Marcovich
Dr. David Pai
Grace Rahusen
Rotary Club of Ukiah
Jeffry Tavelli
Lisa McCormack
My Chic Farmhouse
Gerry Gonzalez
Dr. Timothy Karas
many thanks to our Local sponsors
training sessions
since 2008
2,525
Mar 31, 22 Mar 31, 21 $ Change
ASSETS
Current Assets
Checking/Savings 417,642 437,633 (19,991)
Accounts Receivable 180,130 144,744 35,386
Other Current Assets 54,843 21,744 33,099
Total Current Assets 652,615 604,121 48,494
TOTAL ASSETS 652,615 604,121 48,494
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable 29,205 34,713 (5,508)
Credit Cards 4,585 3,197 1,388
Other Current Liabilities 152,331 56,692 95,639
Total Current Liabilities 186,121 94,602 91,519
Total Liabilities 186,121 94,602 91,519
Equity 466,494 509,520 (43,025)
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 652,615 604,121 48,494
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
As of March 31, 2022 / Accrual Basis
WWW.WESTCENTER.ORG 17
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with
the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions,
conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of
the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation.
Funded in part through a Grant with the Governor’s
Office of Business and Economic Development.
www.westcenter.org
CALL 707 964 7571
345 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, CA 95437
185 E. Church St., Ukiah, CA 95482
helping our communities grow
one business at a time