Capital Metal Works
“It was very nice to have the support of an SBDC consultant who wanted to see my business succeed. At the end of the day, my success is her success as well, and she has always been very good when it comes to keeping me motivated and keeping me in check to make my dreams become a reality.”
Kristopher Lewis, owner
Challenges
Kristopher Lewis is the owner of Capital Metal Works. The concept of his business is to create metal artwork with fiber laser cutting (sheet, round/square tubing), custom signage and more. Kris started working on these projects as a hobby in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but people were very interested in his creative art and he realized that this “hobby” could become legitimate business.
While in the process of establishing his business, some of the challenges were access to capital and opening in the middle of the pandemic. He knew how to run the operational side of the business but he lacked the knowledge on the administrative side as well as what lenders want to see such as projections, business plan, etc.
Strategies
Kris started working with Sandra Beaton (CA Hispanic SBDC advisor) during the Dream Fund Program. One of the requirements of this program was to complete a business plan. Sandra and Kris spent around thirteen weeks working mainly on his business plan, but they also worked on other aspects such as projections, process of hiring, cost analysis, and more.
Results
Thanks to the assistance he received from the CA Hispanic SBDC advisor, Kristopher’s business was eligible and received $10,000 Dream Fund Grant. Additionally, Kristopher applied for $75,000 loan which was approved by US Bank
According to Kristopher the most important part of his experience with CA Hispanic SBDC was the assistance he received by his advisor, Sandra Beaton. Thanks to her dedication to his success, he was able to apply and receive $10,000 CA Dream Fund Grant and a $75,000 loan.