May 2013 Vol. 9 No. 2

Editorial/Production Staff

Rindraty Celes Limtiaco, President, G.P.I.

Pacific Island Small Business Develop-

ment Center Network, Editorial

Jae Fermin Medina, Advertising Director

The Pacific Islands Small Business Develop-ment Center is a program supported by theU.S. Small Business Administration under acooperative agreement and extended to thepublic on a non-discriminatory basis. SBAcannot endorse any products, opinions, orservices of any external parties or activities.This material is based on work supportedby the U.S. Small Business Administration.Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recom-mendations expressed are those of the au-thor (s) and do not necessarily reflect theviews of the SBA.

INSIDE• 2013 Women in Business Cham-

pion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 2

• 2013 Small Business

Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 2

• GET, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 3

• Coco-Jo's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 4

• SUP SPN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 6

• Tropical Soap and

Tropical Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 7

• Island Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 7

• Salas Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 8

• Conscious BEauty . . . . . . . . . .Pg 8

• YES Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 9

• MOU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 9

• A New Copra . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 11

• JR Bakery & Catering . . . . . .Pg 11

Visit our website at www.pacificsbdc.com

Like us onFacebook

www.facebook.com/pacificsbdc.com

By: Fred GranilloBusiness Consultant(Guam SBDC)

Tricia Gumataotao is a southerngirl, originally from the village ofAgat. Tricia is married to ShawnGumataotao for 17 years and to-gether have five children. They areproud residents of Southern Guam

and have been a part of the Talofofocommunity since 2001. With abanking career that spanned nearlytwo decades including a stint withthe U.S Department of AgricultureRural Development, Tricia hasspent much of her time in the work-force dedicated to providing thebest customer service, while devel-oping skills in finance, accounting

and compliance. Shawn spent overa decade in broadcast journalismwhere he gained valuable experi-ence in research, communicationand effective writing. He also spenttwo terms as an appointed official toserve the people of Guam workingdirectly with the Governor on veryimportant issues affecting the is-land. Collectively, their experiences

have focused overall on service,which they believe has been lack-ing in today's Guam businesses.This idea of quality service is some-thing they are establishing into thefabric of their business so it be-comes a part of their company cul-ture. Further, they personally seekto reinforce this concept of serviceinto the minds of their kids who veryregularly are seeking opportunitiesto participate in school and sportsactivities.

The Gumataotao’s have alwaysdreamt of owning a business. BothTricia and Shawn were at a cross-roads a couple of years ago asShawn left the government and Tri-cia’s term with the USDA ended.The time was ripe for them to finallyseek their own business opportu-nity. Taking the collective experi-ences as well as government andbusiness connections developedover the years, they felt that theycould provide unique solutions tobusinesses and at a level of servicethat is different. As such, GET, LLCwas born in 2012 and they have notlooked back. For them, customerservice is not just a catch phrase-itis their way of life. Through their

continued on page 3

Shawn and Tricia Gumataotao, owners of GET, LLC, standing near their new aerial boom lift.

By: Kenneth LujanBranch Manager(SBA Guam)

Guam’s top entrepreneurs werehonored by the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration (SBA) at their annualSmall Business Awards ceremonyat the Latte of Freedom, Multi-pur-pose Conference Center in Adelupon April 3, 2013. This year marksthe 60th anniversary of the SBA,and the 23rd year since Guam wasallowed to establish state winnersalong with the 50 states, Puerto Ricoand Virgin Islands.

Small business owners fromacross the island were honored fortheir accomplishments as the is-land’s leading small businesses andchampion of small businesses.“Small businesses drive Guam’seconomy, creating jobs and oppor-tunities for the island in every sectoracross the island region,” said SBAGuam Branch Manager KennethLujan. “The SBA is very proud of thevital role it plays in enabling Guam’sentrepreneurs to succeed. We areexcited to be able to recognize a fewof these great success stories during

these economic times.”The 2013 Guam Award Winners

and Champions are as follows:• Christopher F. Bejado –

Small Business Person of theYear

• Eduardo R. Ilao – Jeffrey But-land Family-Owned Business ofthe Year

• Patricia B. Salas – FinancialServices Champion of the Year

• Anita Borja Enriquez, D.B.A.– Women In Business Cham-pion of the Year

• Frederick J. Horecky – Minor-

ity Small Business Champion ofthe Year

• Ronald M. Young - Entrepre-neurial Success Award

Guam’s Small Business AwardWinners and recipients of theChampion awards were nominatedby local lending institutions, cham-bers of commerce, business organ-izations and government agencies.

For more information on the U.SSmall Business AdministrationGuam Branch, please contact theiroffice at (671)472-7244.

GET, LLC:GETting the Job Done

SBA Honors Guam’s BestEntrepreneurs and Champions

2

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m

Pacific Islands Small Business

Development Center Network

Location: University of Guam, UOG Station

P.O. Box 5014, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Telephone: (671) 735-2590 • Fax: (671) 734-2002

Website: www.pacificsbdc.com

Casey Jeszenka, Network Director

casey@pacificsbdc.com

Georgette F. Reyes, Associate Network Director

georgette@pacificsbdc.com

Nicole Tesiro, Extension Assistant

nicole@pacificsbdc.com

Guam SBDC

P.O. Box 5014, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Telephone: (671) 735-2590 • Fax: (671) 734-2002

Denise Mendiola Hertslet, WIB Program

Coordinator/Business Counselor

Fred Granillo, Business Counselor

Lorie Sablan, Administrative Assistant

Chuuk SBDC

P.O. Box 1143, Weno, Chuuk,

Federated States of Micronesia 96942

Telephone: (691) 330-5846 • Fax: (691) 330-5847

Email: chuuksbdc@mail.fm

Ketsen Haregaichig, Director/ Counselor

Cassandra Dereas, Office Manager

Sardis Betwel, Counselor

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

(CNMI) SBDC

Caller Box 10007, CK

Saipan, MP 96950

Telephone: (670) 664-3018

Fax: (670) 664-3067

Perry Inos Jr., Director/Counselor

Lynette Sablan, Office Manager

Yap SBDC

P.O. Box 1171, Colonia, Yap,

Western Caroline Island 96943

Telephone: (691) 350-4801 • Fax: (691) 350-4803

Email: YSBDC@mail.fm

James Limar, Director

Monica Tinag, Counselor

Janice Fanaglibuw, Office Manager

Michael Gaan, Business Counselor

Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) SBDC

P.O. Box 1727, Majuro,

Marshall Islands, 96960

Telephone: (692) 625-3685

Email: rmisbdc@ntamar.com

Anel Philimon, Director

Leeno Aikuji, Office Manager

Palau SBDC

P.O. Box 9, Koror,

Republic of Palau 96940

Telephone: (680) 587-6004 • Fax: (680) 587-1549

Email: palausbdc@palaunet.com

Lisa Abraham, Director

Maleah Tengadik, Office Assistant

Kosrae SBDC

P.O. Box 577, Tofol, Kosrae State,

Federated States of Micronesia 96944

Telephone: (691) 370-2751 • Fax: (691) 370-2066

Email: kbdac@mail.fm

Skiller Jackson, Director

Alokoa Sigrah, Business Counselor

Atalia Jackson, Office Manager

PISBDCN Advisory Board

Mike Ady,Chairman (Guam)

Phillip Reklai,Vice Chairman (Palau)

Casey Jeszenka, Secretary (PISBDCN/Guam)

James Gilmar, Member (Yap)

Robert Pinho, Member (RMI)

Fred Skilling, Member (Kosrae)

Mason Fritz, Member (Chuuk)

Anita Enriquez, Member (Guam)

Rindraty Limtiaco, Member (Guam)

Christine Quichocho, Member (Guam)

Lee Webber, Member (Guam)

James, Arenovski, Member (CNMI)

Rachel Leon Guerrero, Ex-Officio (GEDCA)

Ken Lujan, Ex-Officio (SBA)

Pacific Business Partners

Officers, Staff and Board Members

By: Kenneth LujanBranch Manager(SBA Guam)

SBA’s 2013 Women in Business

Champion of the Year, Anita Borja

Enriquez, blends the business

philosophies of the “old school” with

that of the “new school” to balance

the scales of education and entre-

preneurship. As Dean of the School

of Business and Public Administra-

tion at the University of Guam, Dr.

Anita Borja Enriquez recognizes

the value of education through her

parents and hard work.

Growing up in the southern vil-

lage of Agat along with six other sib-

lings, Anita assisted her mother in

supporting

their family

by working

at her

mother ’s

small gro-

cery store.

She learned

very early in

her life that

she should

not depend on others, but instead

work hard to achieve her dreams of

success. A former corporate plan-

ning and development manager

and management consultant, she

established her first business at the

age of 19 as “Anita J. Borja’s Book-

keeping Services”.

A strong proponent of economic

development, Anita established the

UOG Pacific Center for Economic

Initiatives in 2006, and has secured

over $1 million in technical assistant

grants from the U.S Dept. of Com-

merce Economic Development Ad-

ministration, the Defense Logistics

Agency in 2008 to establish the

Guam Procurement Technical As-

sistance Center, the U.S Small

Business Administration to estab-

lish the new Guam Veterans Busi-

ness Outreach Center, and the

Department of the Interior Office of

Insular Affairs to support a commu-

nity and economic development

forum in 2009 and to launch the

“Buy Local Guam” marketing edu-

cational campaign in 2011. She

also oversees the Pacific Islands

Small Business Development Cen-

ter Network/Guam SBDC, which is

funded in part by the U.S Small

Business Administration, along with

the Women in Business program

which is funded by the Bank of

Guam. All these programs have all

benefited the interest of women en-

treprenuership and support eco-

nomic and developmental growth

of our region.

Anita’s love for her island and the

need to improve upon the overall

quality of life for its residents is most

evident in her work with economic

development and small business

development. She mentors the

SIGMA Society, Soroptimist college

club that focuses on “best for

women” and counsels up and com-

ing female entrepreneurs. She

transfers this passion to her stu-

dents, peers and to leaders in the

community every day at the Univer-

sity of Guam and in the many civic

and social organizations she as-

sists.

Reflecting on her parents’ early

experiences as entrepreneurs, with

limited knowledge and lack of fund-

ing resources, helped to explain her

strong advocacy for leveraging as

much resources as possible to help

small businesses, particularly

women-owned small businesses,

succeed in the marketplace. Guam

is proud to have the distinct honor

of having Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez

as the SBA’s 2013 Women In Busi-

ness Champion of the Year!

For more information on the U.S.Small Business AdministrationGuam Branch, contact their officeat (671)472-7244.

2013 WomenIn Business

Champion of the Year

Dr. Anita B. Enriquez Dean, School of Business & Public Administration,

University of Guam

By: Kenneth LujanBranch Manager(SBA Guam)

Infusing the best Chamorro cui-sine, Hafa Adai spirit and worldyrefinement are ingredients for suc-cess used by SBA’s 2013 SmallBusiness Person of the Year,Christopher F. Bejado. He, alongwith business partner, GeofferyPerez, embodies the philosophy

that is synonymous to that of theircompany name; PROA and Mari-anas Slingstone – the proa canoe,known for its incredible speed andagility, and the slingstone for itsbrilliant accuracy.

The son of a Filipino migrant,Chris grew up learning about thechallenges and rewards of smallbusiness ownership by studyinghis father at work every day. Afterobtaining a degree in Travel Indus-

try Management in Hawaii, he dis-covered a love for the restaurantbusiness. At age 23, Chris re-turned to Guam and opened hisfirst restaurant, De Niro’s PastaKitchen. While the restaurant re-mained open for two years, hequickly learned from his experi-ence, working for other compa-nies.

In 2006, PROA opened with 12employees. Noting one of hisproudest accomplishments ofbeing able to provide employmentand career opportunities for localyouth and remembering his aspi-rations as a young college student,Chris builds on his staff’s desire forinspiration and a way to creativelyuse their talents. Along with hismanagement team, they takeevery opportunity to nurture themand hopefully instill a passion forcooking or for small business own-ership. They also stay true to itsphilosophy of farm-fresh local in-gredients, warm hospitality, atten-tive service and innovative foodpairings. They maintain a strongvisibility and presence at all foodevents and competitions, aiming tomaintain an elevated presence forChamorro cuisine. Their presenceat local culinary events and their

2011 win at the Micronesian Chef’sCup was a testament to their phi-losophy of quality, innovation, andwarmth. In November 2012,PROA opened its 2nd restaurantin the heart of Hagatna as a wayto revitalize the capital of Guam.

Chris has always believed thatgiving back to the community is animportant civic duty. He has con-tributed much time and resourcesto organizations such as the GuamHumanities Council, Guam Edu-cational Radio Foundation, andthe American Cancer Society. Hiscontributions to our love of ourfood, our hospitality and ouruniqueness are immeasureable.He would like to be the venue thatintroduces these young individualsto the excitement and challengesof the restaurant and hospitality in-dustries, and hopefully enagethem to become entrepreneurs inthe future. The journey looks brightfor this year’s SBA 2013 SmallBusiness Person of the Year!

For more information on the U.SSmall Business AdministrationGuam Branch, contact their office at(671)472-7244.

2013 Small BusinessPerson of the Year

Kenneth Lujan, SBA Guam Branch Manager and ChristopherBejado, 2013 SBA Small Business Person of the Year recipient

3

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

artn

ers

ww

w.p

ac

ificsb

dc

.co

m

phrase-it is their way of life.Through their business, they intendon contributing positively to theGuam economy in a more activeand socially responsive way. Takingthe combination of those businessand government experiences andpassing them to their consulting andconstruction materials and suppliesbusiness segments has been lifechanging for them. Plus, they arestarting to see a profitable future fortheir business.

The Gumataotao’s started theirbusiness primarily to continue takingcare of their family and paying thebills. As they transitioned from theirregular jobs it was important forthem to quickly identify sources ofincome. Hence, they created a for-mal business entity with two distinctpurposes: to provide business-to-

business consulting services andconstruction materials and supplies.They have since added a third seg-ment, equipment rental, which isnow providing a steady source of in-come. They took aspects of theirprevious jobs-public relations, busi-ness development, notary publicservices, public policy creation, pro-gram administration-and put themtogether to provide a "one-stop"shop for those in Guam or interestedin coming to Guam to do businesshere. Then, they leveraged thosebusiness and government contactsto create a new business. The Gu-mataotao’s believe the U.S. Territoryoffers unique opportunities and ad-vantages and further believe theirbusiness can help customers im-prove their bottom lines and allow forincreased opportunities that may not

have been realized in their firstglance into working in Guam and theWestern Pacific.

The Gumataotao’s noted theirbusiness counselor, Fred Granillo,has been instrumental in gettingtheir business to where it is today.Further, the business advice andprofessionalism they have receivedfrom the SBDC continues to inspirethem to strive for more. In particular,when it came to assistance in refin-ing the business plan and financialprojections that were required andhighly contributory to securing abusiness loan with the Bank ofGuam. They also found that theSBDC is an important asset to all ofGuam's small businesses and en-courage more to take advantage oftheir services they provide includingbusiness education, business plandevelopment, finance advice, overallbookkeeping requirements andhuman resources information.

The start-up process was tediousfor the Gumataotao’s. From thecompletion of the limited liabilitycompany documents, completingthe business license process atGuam Rev and Tax, completing thebusiness plan, and securing a busi-ness loan through the Bank ofGuam, the start-up process was alesson in patience, perseveranceand hard-work. But well worth all theeffort and stress as the company isproperly established and has a cleardirection with the business plan.

The business was initially fundedthrough personal savings. Althoughthey knew the use of the personalfunds was a risk, they were deter-mined to make the business a suc-cess. Through hard work they were

able to secure a number of differentcontracts and projects within a sixmonth period. These contractseventually assisted the business inobtaining an equipment loan withthe Bank of Guam in support of theirbusiness activities.

The biggest challenge in startingup the business was just engagingtheir attorney in establishing thecompany. They were admittedlynervous on what the future held forthem in the very competitive market-place. But with each successivemeeting and contract, things havegotten better. The market researchalso was challenging. Especially,the decision to take on a few strate-gic forays into the furniture, LEDLighting, structured cabling and aer-ial lift industry has yielded great op-portunity for them. With a similarapproach to the consulting businesssegment has also yielded strong in-terest in a number of different sec-tors from public policy, marketingand construction.

The completion of the companydocuments, including the businesslicense and business plan, was in-strumental in shaping how the busi-ness would either thrive or die. Lessthan a year later, they have securedstrategic partnerships and new busi-ness opportunities that they feel inthe future will make them evenstronger as an organization. Alsothe addition of a strategic web pres-ence, complete with website, gal-leries and blog, has given thebusiness a much larger visibility inGuam and from around the world.

The Gumataotao’s goals are inthe short term-secure initial equip-ment sales with a large construction

company. Long term-expandedconsulting work in the region and aninvestment in new equipment andpermanent office location.

The Gumataotao’s are pro-busi-ness and would advise anyone tojust follow their dreams of businessownership. However, they wouldcaution to properly plan and fund abusiness for optimal opportunity forsuccess. Guam has many talentedpeople who have great ideas-a keyto financial success. They wouldalso advise don't be limited to whatothers may say you can do and al-ways remember to work beyondyour comfort levels as the next bestopportunity may be closer than youmay think. Remember to give thehighest quality of customer servicethat you can as that will differentiateyour business from those whosefocus is sometimes far from thisgreat ideal in business.

For more information about GuamSmall Business Development Centercontact us at (671)735-2590 or visitour website at www.pacificsbdc.com.

continued from page 1

s Business Name: GET, LLC

s Owner: Tricia J.S. Gu-mataotao & Eulogio S. Gu-mataotao

s Type of Business: Con-sulting/Construction materials& supplies/Equipment Rental

s Location: Talofofo, Guam

s Hours of Operation: 8am-5pm

s Contact information:www.get-guam.com

tr ic ia.gumataotao@get-guam.co

Tricia and Shawn Gumataotao, owners of GET, LLC

SAVE A SEAT! REGISTER TODAY! Upcoming Guam SBDC Workshops(MAY-JULY 2013)

GET, LLC: GETting the Job Done

MAYThursday, May 23rd (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline5/21/2013 at 12noon“Discipline, Termination and KeepingEEOC Out of Your Office. My Employeeis not Working Out. How Do I TerminateHis Employment”Presented by Pacific Human ResourceServices, Inc.Fee: $30 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC Rm #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Friday, May 24th (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline5/22/2013 at 12noon“QuickBooks: Entering and Paying Bills”Presented by Fred Granillo, BusinessCounselorFee: $50 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC Rm #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Thursday, May 30th (12noon – 2:00pm)**Registration & payment deadline5/28/2013 at 12noon“WIB: Growth Venture:StrengtheningProduct/Service”Presented by Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Senior Business Counselor/WIB Program

CoordinatorFee: $20 per personLocation: Bank of Guam Headquarters2nd floor Conference Room

JUNETuesday, June 4th (9:00am – 12noon)**Registration & payment deadline5/31/2013 at 12 noon“12 Steps to Successful Customer ServiceManagement”Presented by Toshie Ito, Motiva Training &ConsultingFee: $30 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC RM #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Friday, June 14th (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline6/12/2013 at 12noon“How to Prepare a Financial Plan”Presented by Fred Granillo, BusinessCounselorFee: $20 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC RM #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Tuesday, June 18th (9am – 12noon)**Registration & payment deadline6/14/2013 at 12noon“How to Coach Employees with Correc-tive and Positive Feedback”

Presented by Toshie Ito, Motiva Training &ConsultingFee: $30 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC RM #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Thursday, June 27th (12noon - 2:00pm)**Registration & payment deadline6/25/2013 at 12noon“WIB: Growth Venture-Seizing the MarketPresented by Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Senior Business Counselor/WIB ProgramCoordinatorFee: $20 per personLocation: Bank of Guam Headquarters2nd Floor Conference Room

Friday, June 28th (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline6/26/2013 at 12noon“QuickBooks: Setting Up Inventory”Presented by Fred Granillo, BusinessCounselorFee: $50 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC RM #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

JULYFriday, July 5th (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline7/3/2013 at 12noon“How to Start a Business”

Presented by Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Senior Business Counselor/WIB ProgramCoordinatorFee: $20 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC Rm #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Friday, July 12th (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline7/10/2013 at 12noon“QuickBooks: Analyzing Financial Data”Presented by Fred Granillo, BusinessCounselorFee: $50 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC Rm #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Tuesday, July 23rd (8:30am – 11:30am)**Registration & payment deadline7/19/2013 at 12noon“Management 101 or How to Build aTeam”Presented by Pacific Human ResourceServices, Inc.Fee: $30 per personLocation: UOG Guam SBDC Rm #148Leon Guerrero SBPA Building

Thursday, July 25th (12noon – 2:00pm)**Registration & payment deadline7/23/2013 at 12noon“WIB: Growth Venture-Leading the Or-

ganizationPresented by Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Senior Business Counselor/WIB ProgramCoordinatorFee: $20 per personLocation: Bank of Guam Headquarters2nd Floor Conference Room

TO REGISTER log onto http://pisbdcn.ecenterdi-rect.com.

TO MAKE PAYMENT online log onto your eCen-ter account and click PAY NOWCash, check (payable to University of Guam) &major credit cards (AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, andDiners Club & JCB) accepted.

For more information, please call the Guam SBDCat 735-2590.

DISCLAIMER: The Pacific Islands SBDC Network isfunded in part through a cooperative agreementwith the U.S. Small Business Administration. Allopinions, conclusions or recommendations ex-pressed are those of the author(s) and do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the SBA. Requests forreasonable accommodations for persons with dis-abilities will be made if requested at least twoweeks in advance. For arrangements, please contactNicole Tesiro, P.O. Box 5014 Mangi-lao, Guam 96923, Tel: (671)735-2590, ore-mail

nicole@pacificsbdc.com.Services are extended tothe public on a non-dis-criminatory basis

4

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m

The Kosrae Small Business

Development Center (SBDC)

trainings are open to all quali-

fied small business owners,

managers and key/personnel

and individuals planning to

open or thinking about open-

ing small business ventures.

Trainings are offered at NO

CHARGE (FREE) and will be

held at the Kosrae SBDC

Training Room. For more in-

formation, please call the

Kosrae SBDC at (691)370-

2751 or email

skiller@pacificsbdc.com.

Requests for reasonable accom-

modations for persons with dis-

abilities must be made 72 hours

in advance.

For arrangements, please con-

tact the SBDC at (691)370-2751.

Services are extended to the

public on a non-discriminatory

basis.

Kosrae SBDC Training Schedule(May – June 2013)

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 (10:00am to 12:00am)

“How to Fill Out a Quarterly Gross Revenue Tax Report”Presented by FSM Customs & Tax Administration

Location: Kosrae SBDC Training Room

Thursday, June 20th, 2013 (10:00am to 12:00am)

“Basic Computer Skills”Presented by Kosrae SBDC

Location: Kosrae SBDC Training Room

Thursday, June 27th, 2013 (10:00am to 12:00am)

“Pricing”Presented by Kosrae SBDC

Location: Kosrae SBDC Training Room

Coco-Jo’s Cookies Are a Big Hit In Japan!

By: Jerry Crawford

Business Consultant(Guam SBDC)

Who says Guam can’t bean export nation? Coco-Jo’s cookies have taken thelead to demonstrate faith inour island culture and thethings we can offer theworld. “Our cookies havecaptured the heart andtaste buds of the Japanesetourist,” stated Charles andDenise Selk owners ofCoco-Jo’s. The years ofhard work as a family busi-ness have begun to pay offfor this “Jungle Based Busi-ness”. Located in the lovelyvillage of Inarajan just stepsfrom the clear blue oceanwaters, the Selks haveproven that you can main-tain your family values,work close to home andenjoy island life. Coco-Jo’shas become a local suc-cess selling delicious cook-

ies in many island storesfrom Payless to Duty FreeStores. The term “acciden-tal exporter” applies to theSelk’s business growth intoAsia. They were contactedby a Japanese companyand asked to send cookiesamples for taste tests.After several months of ef-fort on the part of both, theExporter, Coco-Jo’s and theJapanese importer, a palletof cookies left Guamheaded for Japan. TheSelks explain that at thispoint they found out theywere not alone in the busi-ness of exporting. Thecookie shipment ran into animmigration problem andwas turned back at the bor-der. The Selks contactedtheir SBDC counselor JerryCrawford and explained theproblem. “Jerry was anamazing help and supportto us during this challengingtime in our business expan-

sion” stated Charles Selk.“He contacted the US

Embassy in Japan and USCommercial services inHawaii and in a few shorthours we had the answerswe needed and saved therelationship with the Japan-ese importer”. The neededrecipe revisions were madeand before long anotherpallet of Guam cookies leftthe port bound for Japan.The business has seensteady growth month aftermonth in the number of pal-lets shipped to Japan. Be-fore long the Japanesedistributor made a trip toGuam and said, “we needmore Guam products likeyours for export to our com-pany in Japan”. The Selkshave worked introducingother island business peo-ple to the opportunity to sellin Japan. Next time you’reat the store, buy a box ofCoco-Jo’s cookies and take

them home and ask your-self, “why not expand yourbusiness”, “why not start abusiness with export po-tential”?

Remember, you are notalone. The SBDC is hereto help you. Researchhelp, business and finan-cial planning, export assis-tance, and much more.Our services are free. Letus help you succeed likethe Selks and then we canwrite your story for theworld to read.

For more information onhow the Guam SmallBusiness DevelopmentCenter can help you, con-tact us at (671)735-2590or visit our website atwww.pacificsbdc.com. s Business Name: Coco-Jo’s Cookies

s Owner: Charles and Denise Selk

s Type of Business: Food/Beverage

s Contact information: (671)989-6445 or e-

mai l at cocojos@gmai l .com.

5

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

artn

ers

ww

w.p

ac

ificsb

dc

.co

m

By Perry Inos Jr.

Director(CNMI SBDC)

Ponce and Merisa Rasa, ownersof SUP SPN, have lived in the CNMImost of their lives. Growing theirfamily into a family of five in theCNMI, which includes Thia, Kaya,and Iris Rasa, allowed them to beaccustomed to island lifestyle. The

Rasa’s started a business venturethey loved, which allowed them “away to pursue their love of watersports, and most importantly en-gage their family at the same time.”

With the potential the CNMI has,the Rasa’s took on the challenge tostart a business. Merissa Rasastated, “We thought what better thanto have a business where we couldinvest our time promoting the is-

lands, doing what welove, and make moneydoing it.” SUP board-ing, native to Hawaii,was among the hob-bies of the Rasa’s,therefore, what morethan “to bring a littlepiece of Hawaiihere.” Following theocean adventuretrends, the Rasa’srecognized the in-crease in SUPboarding enthusi-asts around theworld in the lastthree years.Having fun in thesun, spendingtime with family,and creating ahealthy, physi-cal lifestyleunder the sun“was the be-

ginning of the idea tostart our own business” stated theRasa’s.

Ponce and Merissa are experi-enced in customer service, sales,and management positions, plus theassistance at the CNMI Small Busi-ness Development Center allowedthem to be confident to fund andstart SUP SPN. The Rasa’s stated,“The one-on-one small businesscounseling by Director Perry A. InosJr. was extremely helpful. Mr. Inospossesses extensive knowledgeand technical expertise, which pre-

pared us to move forward with as-pects of [our] business plan.”

Also, moving past the businessidea and implementing the start upprocess “was very exciting” for theRasa’s. They found the joy and thrillof letting family and friends know ofthe new family business ventureand received positive feedback fromall that heard of their endeavor. Thestart-up process was not easy forthe Rasa’s, “but the learning, stress,frustrations, and sleepless nightsthat came with the process, was allexpected.” Staying positive andpushing through the hurdles sentthem moving forward. With theirowner’s investment the Rasa’sfunded their startup expenses tostart SUP SPN.

Now, the biggest challenge wasfiguring out how they would get theequipment needed from abroad withthe SUP board distributors. Theyfound the difficulty of increasing aSUP boarding business venture,which will be a mobile operation.This would have been difficult to ex-plain the procedures to attain a busi-ness license in the CNMI as it wasthe first of its kind here. Despite thedifficulties, the Rasa’s stated,"Everything had fallen into place.”

Ponce and Merissa found thattheir biggest accomplishment waswhen they “purchased their SUPequipment from a surf company inSan Diego and the invoice said ‘paidin full’.”

SUP SPN sees its short term goalfor the first year “to rent all SUP units

eight hundred and forty times andrecuperate investment cost.” Fortheir long term goal, SUP SPN proj-ects “to increase SUP paddlers, toincrease the number of SUP equip-ment on hand, to host annualSaipan SUP races/events, and toopen a water sports shop for rentaland retail in the Surf Rider Hotel.”

Lastly, the advice Ponce andMerissa Rasa gives to others re-garding starting a business is “tovisit the CNMI SBDC to make it hap-pen by figuring out what you lovedoing and work towards having thebest or being the best at whateveryou choose to do.” SUP SPN’s mo-bile operation is open on weekendsand legal holidays from 9am-5pm,however they will accommodateother days and times for requestsmade in advance. For inquiries, con-tact SUP SPN at (670) 285-8110 orvia email at supspn1@gmail.com.

To learn more about the CNMISBDC’s programs and services, call(670)664-3018 or visit our websiteat www.pacificsbdc.com.

6

Month Day Title Island Location

May 30 Apply for a Commercial Loan ROTA Northern Marianas College

June 7 Getting Your Business Online SAIPAN Family Building, 2nd Floor

June 13 Getting Your Business Online ROTA Northern Marianas College

June 21 How to Manage Your Employees TINIAN Tinian Business Center

Presents Business Training Workshops:

All workshops are from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon and will be con-ducted by the CNMI SBDC Director, Perry A. Inos Jr.

Interested in starting and or expanding a business? The CNMISmall Business Development Center (SBDC) trainings are offeredat NO CHARGE (FREE). For more information, please call theCNMI SBDC at (670)664-3018 or e-mail Lynette Sablan at

lynette@pacificsbdc.com or Perry Inos Jr. atperry@pacificsbdc.com.

Requests for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabili-ties must be made 72 hours in advance. For arrangements, pleasecontact the CNMI SBDC at (670)664-3018. Services are extendedto the public on a non-discriminatory basis.

The CNMI Small Business Development Center

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m

From left to right: Justice (Cuki) Alvarez, Mariana Palacios, Shane Al-varez, Frank "The Crank" Camacho, Peachy Rasa, and Mark Nique.

By: Jerry Crawford

Business Consultant (Guam SBDC)

Island Girl Coffee ‘n Quenchersnow has two places to serve youlocated at their original location inMaite and their new location inYigo. The Yigo location offers thesame convenient drive throughwith coffee brewed from the finestArabica beans from across theglobe, sourced from an artisan Ital-ian roaster in the North Americancoffee capital of Seattle. Theyproudly serve Guam the wildlypopular, high quality, and awardwinning Caffé D'Arte - an aromaticand delicious coffee roasted in theItalian tradition. These rich blendsare certain to please sleepy tastebuds!

“Congratulations, Connie andJeff Hurley, on the opening of yoursecond coffee drive through standin Yigo. Readers want to know howyou do it.”

Jeff says, “First we had a visionof our business. Then we put thatvision on paper with a five yearwritten business plan with thanksto Jerry Crawford at the SmallBusiness Development Center.Once we had a detailed business

plan, we began taking steps to im-plement each phase of the plan.We used the Small Business De-velopment Center resources tolearn about available financing onGuam. We successfully opened Is-land Girl Coffee ‘n Quenchers inMaite a year ago.

Three months after opening inMaite, we began taking steps toimplement the next phase of ourbusiness plan…a second location.We spent months locating just theright spot with a good daily vehiclecount, excellent access, and caneasily be seen. We found it in Yigo.At the same time, we contractedfor the building of the next facilityand began obtaining permits andlicenses. The second Island Girltook over nine months, from startto grand opening. Now that wehave created a repeatable busi-ness model, the next Island Girl willlikely take even less time to open.”

Speaking of a repeatable model,has your business changed muchfrom the first vision?

Connie comments, “In manyways we remain true to our first vi-sion but there has been significanttweaking along the way to meetthe needs of our consumers. Wehave added on breakfast sand-wiches and select oatmeal blends

as our busy patrons wanted aneat-it-on-the-go nutritious break-fast. We have experimented withcoffee and drink flavors adding inspecialty teas, energy drinks, spe-cialty waters, and new coffee fla-vorings as customers requestthem or we see new trends emerg-ing in the ever-changing coffeemarket.”

What is the most important partof your business model?

Connie says, “Absolutely, it is ourgreat staff! You are only as good as

your customer service. We hirelocal people with friendly and ‘get itdone right’ attitudes. We are happyto have added 16 employees onGuam. Our repeat clientele will tellyou we have the best Baristas onthe island and we agree. As own-ers, we take on the responsibility ofhiring great people and offering ex-cellent training in customer service.If your drink is not right, bring itback and we will make a new one!We guarantee our work.”

Once again, congratulations on

your second store. Visit Island GirlCoffee ‘n Quenchers website at:www.islandgirlofguam.com orFacebook at: Island Girl Coffee

Of course, stop by one of theirtwo locations:

Route 8 in Maite in front of Syn-ergy Studio Marine Corp. Driveand in the Yigo Payless parking lot.

For more information on howthe Guam Small Business Devel-opment Center can help you;contact us at (671)735-2590 orvisit our website at www.pacifics-bdc.com.

Island Girl Coffee 'n Quenchers new location in Yigo.

By: Jerry CrawfordBusiness Consultant(Guam SBDC)

Barbara McCarron is perhapsone of the happiest and busiestladies on Guam selling herTropic Blends Body Oil. We satdown recently with Barbara tohear how business is doing.

“Sales are booming at TwoLover’s Point, Gun Beach GiftShop, Chamorro Village, DollarDiscount Micronesian Mall, aswell as in a variety of other mom& pop stores throughout the is-land. Tourists love the product aswell as our locals. The oil is ablend of coconut oil with twoother oils which together createa beautiful light colored oil thatabsorbs immediately into skin.People often tell me they use iton their hair too.”

We asked, “What’s the secretto your success?”

Barbara pointed out, “I am con-stantly testing my market. What Imean is I create new fragrancesI believe tourists or locals maylike. I then have the retail salespeople track how well the newfragrances do and what the cus-

tomers are saying. I started mycompany with bar soap and thebody oil line with four fragrances.I decided to discontinue largemanufacturing of soap and con-centrate on the body oil line. Inow have ten established bodyoil fragrances with two more newfragrances currently being mar-ket tested. As trends change inthe world market, I change withthem. Last year heavy flowerscents were my most requested.This year I am seeing a move to-ward the clean citrus and spicescents.

Another market that has sur-

prised me is the Micronesiancommunity. They love the freshscents and use the oil on boththeir hair and body. I am seeingsales increase about 25-30%each quarter in this specific mar-ket.

It has been interesting to watchthe world come to the conclusionthat coconut oil is great for skinand hair. The world market isasking for it. I have an inquiryfrom Japan to export my productto them and I have made contactin Hong Kong. I also haveSaipan and Palau asking for myproducts. Jerry Crawford, with

SBDC, has assisted me inpreparing my product for the ex-port market.”

We asked, “How so?”Barbara enthusiastically said,

“Jerry has taken the mystery outof how to export. He has carefullywalked me through the basics ofexport, explained my roll andtasks, as well as the role andtasks of shippers, distributors,and retailers. He explained how Iget paid by foreign distributorswith no risk. His clear picture ofwho does what took away myfear of exporting. My role andtasks to export are no more com-

plicated or difficult than what I dofor retailers in our local market. Iwas surprised to learn that for-eign distributors often want topurchase my product in bulk.They will then have the oil bottledand labeled on their side for dis-tribution to their retailers. Inmany ways it is easier to exportmy oils in bulk, without packag-ing and labeling, than making upthe four ounce bottles with labelsfor retail sales on Guam. In fact,I am embracing this next phaseof my business…export to worldmarkets.”

Visit Tropic Soap and TropicBlends Body Oil website at:www.tropicsoap.com

For more information on howthe Guam Small Business Devel-opment Center can help you;contact us at (671)735-2590 orvisit our website at www.pacifics-bdc.com.

7

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

artn

ers

ww

w.p

ac

ificsb

dc

.co

m

s Business Name: Tropic Soapand Tropic Blends Body Oils Owner: Barbara McCarrons Type of Business: Bath & Body/Health & Beautys Contact information: (671)637-

Tropical Soap and Tropic BlendsBody Oil has Best Year Ever!

s Business Name: Island GirlCoffee n’ Quencherss Owner: Connie and Jeff Hur-leys Type of Business: Food &Beverages Location: Market WholeSale Distributors BuildingMaite, GU 96910 and YigoPayless/Calvo Plaza Yigo, GU96929s Hours of Operation: 6:00a.m. – 6:00 p.m. s Contact information:Maite Location (671)989-3727;Yigo Location (671)989-3728

Island Girl Coffee ‘n QuenchersOpens Their New Yigo Location

8

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m

By Denise Mendiola-HertsletSenior Business Counselor/Bank of

Guam WIB Coordinator, (Guam SBDC)

Yolanda Bordallo was born and raised onGuam and attended San Diego State Uni-versity. Upon graduation, she opened animport furnishing store but closed her doorsthree years after due to the recession. Sheconsidered this a “fabulous experience!” Af-terwards, Yolanda focused mostly in sales;always top dog but not high ticket items anda few management positions that she foundvery interesting. Then she decided to gointo an area which she found was fun forher. She began studying skincare and mas-sage and worked in a couple of “naturalspas” and stocked personal care productsfor a small natural retailer who went out ofbusiness. Yolanda thought this was a greatopportunity to move this stock to Guam andthen relocate home to be near family and bea part of the natural, green movement start-ing up on Island.

Why did you decide to start your ownbusiness?

YB: I thought it was a good opportunityin a niche market.

What experience do you have in thistype of business?

YB: I worked in a couple of natural spas,then retail sales with an existing natural re-tailer. I did independent sales for severalnatural skincare/food product lines, and at-tended numerous Skincare, Spa, BEauty,

Holistic Health and Wellness, Natural andOrganic Products, and Green IndustryTradeshows.

How did the Guam Small Business De-velopment Center and other resourceshelp you?

YB: I have attended several workshopswhich were helpful. The counselors showedme the need to do a business plan, so Icould understand my business, where I wasgoing and what I needed to do to get there.This was important to me, especially if I wasgoing to seek funding.

What was the start-up process like?YB: I brought everything (inventory and

supplies) that I had from San Diego becauseI was planning on moving back to Guam.

How did you fund your business?YB: A good friend of mine gave me start-

up money and then I used every penny Ihad towards equipment and more inventory.

What were some of the biggest chal-lenges you experienced in the start-upprocess.

YB: Marketing the business seemed tooexpensive and I had virtually no funds. I amnot savvy with social marketing, though I amforcing myself to do it now out of necessity!

What is your most memorable triumphin your start-up process?

YB: Just having it all come together as faras timing with Dr. Horinouchi's WellnessClinic…This is an interesting story! Thevery first day he learned he would be leavingSDA was the day that I came into his office

and introducedmyself and sug-gested we teamup! Before I ar-rived to Guam, Ihad it in mymind that Iwould like to joinup with a Well-ness Clinic.And, it hasworked out, withGod’s blessingof course!

What areyour short-term and long-term plans foryour business?

YB: Clearing out existing inventory, paringdown inventory and stock to strictly thera-peutic products, and focusing on marketingthe business.

What advice would you give to otherswho want to start a business at thistime?

YB: Be very conservative with inventory.Keep expenses low... and market aggres-sively!

For more information about the Bank ofGuam Women in Business Program at theUOG-Guam Small Business DevelopmentCenter, contact Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Program Coordinator and Senior BusinessCounselor at denise@pacificsbdc.com or

671-735-2594.

By: Denise Mendiola-Hertslet

Senior Business Counselor/Bank ofGuam WIB Program Coordinator

(Guam SBDC)

Salas Gardens: I Lanchera is a freshproduce store located in I Sengsong

Chamorro (The Chamorro Village) Unit 111in Hagåtña. Fresh fruits and vegetablesfrom Marilyn Salas’ Humatak Farm arebrought to the Village daily.

On August 2011, Marilyn Salas, owner,contacted UOG’s Small Business Devel-opment Center (SBDC) and received

warm enthusias-tic, and profes-sional assistancef r o m

SBDC’s Business Counselor, DeniseMendiola Hertslet. Application forms andother documents were prepared withDenise’s assistance and in January 2013,Chamorro Village Manager, Jeff San Nico-las, called with the best news- her applica-tion was accepted and space wasavailable for a produce store.

Salas Gardens provides fresh producelocally grown in Guam. These fresh, or-

ganic, healthy fruits and vegeta-bles (niyok, lemai, aga’, manggo’,manga, lemon, donne’,kangkong, bilembines, etc.)come from Marilyn and Ansito’sHumatak Farm. Her businessgoals by phases include: 1) pro-viding fresh produce at reason-able prices to her customers, 2)marketing the business by pro-viding added-value productsand services, and 3) focusingon educational programs foryouth and elders related to

farming and eating fresh, lo-cally grown produce.

In its first two months, SalasGardens is taking its first steps

and Marilyn’s female family members fromGuam and Chuuk are “the lancheras”(farmer women) operating and taking own-ership of the store’s development. Theirfriendly service invites you back to SalasGardens every time!

For more information about the Bank ofGuam Women in Business Program at theUOG-Guam Small Business DevelopmentCenter, contact Denise Mendiola-Hertslet,Senior Business Counselor/WIB ProgramCoordinator at denise@pacificsbdc.com or(671)735-2594.

sBusiness Name: Conscious BEauty &WELL-being Spatiques Owner: Yolanda BordallosType of Business: Skincare/Spa Bou-tiques Location: Dr. Horinouchi's WellnessClinic across from GPOs Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs 8-6,Fri 9-3s Contact information: 671-646-9333

sBusiness Name: Salas Gardens: ILanchera

s Owner: Marilyn Salas

s Type of Business: Retail of LocalFresh Produce

s Location: Unit 111, Chamorro Vil-lage, Hagatna

s Contact information:ilanchera@gmail.com

SALAS GARDENS: I LANCHERAFruits and vegetables are organic , fresh, healthy, and locally grown!

Top: Salas Gardens: I Lanchera owner, Marilyn Salas, displays her business sign in front of the store.

Fresh produce harvested at herHumatak Farm.

Yolanda Bordallo, owner of Conscious BEauty & WELL-being Spatique

By: Lisa AbrahamDirector(Palau SBDC)

A Memorandum of Understanding wassigned by President Tommy E. Remengesau,Minister of Community and Cultural AffairsBaklai Temengil, Palau Small Business De-velopment Center (SBDC) Executive DirectorLisa K. Abraham and Palau National YouthCouncil (PNYC) President Hayden Seklii onMarch 15, 2013—Youth Day in the Republicof Palau.

The purpose of the MOU is to “create theconditions that will enable the launching andsustainability of a YES Business Incubator tobe locally situated on PYNC premises withbusiness support assistance through thePNYC and SBDC.”

The primary objectives of the MOU are to:(i) allow access to space for minimal rentalfees and shared utility costs; (ii) grow the localprivate sector; (iii) expand employment op-portunities; (iv) skill-set development and ca-pacity building for young entrepreneurs and(v) the “creation of an enduring and effectiverelationship between the PNYC and thePalau SBDC.”

The MOU signing on Youth Day 2013marked the official launch of the YES busi-ness plan competition’s second phase, andthe signing was attended by the new wave ofparticipants. To date, there are sixteen (16)participants from Koror and seven (7) partic-ipants from Babeldaob.

This second phase of the YES programwas opened to the Palauan youth who havecompleted high school and are between the

ages of 18 through 35. Participants are ex-pected to commit to approximately 20 class-room hours, with guest speakers andbusiness site visits for exposure. They arealso expected to spend at least 25 hoursworking with their business mentors.

If you would like more information aboutthe Youth Entrepreneur Solution Businessplan competition or the Palau Small BusinessDevelopment, please contact Lisa Abrahamat (680)587-6004 or email at lees@pacifics-bdc.com.

All training/workshops are open to all qualified small busi-ness owners, managers, key personnel, and/or individualsplanning, considering to start or expand their businessventures. All trainings are offered at NO CHARGE (FREE)and will be held at the Chuuk SBDC training room. Pleasecontact your Chuuk SBDC at (691)330-5846 or e-mailcassandra@pacificsbdc.com or ketsen@pacificsbdc.comfor more details.

Request for reasonable accommodations for persons withdisabilities must be made 72 hours in advance. Forarrangements, please call the Chuuk SBDC at (691)330-5846. Services are extended to the public on a non-dis-criminatory basis.

9

May 23, 2013• How to Use Computers in BusinessLearning Objectives: Exposure to Excel and theuse of Excel in small business.

May 24, 2013• Human Resources Learning Objectives: How to be proactive for in-ternal and external customers.

June 17-21, 2013• QuickBooks Hands-on TrainingLearning Objectives: For existing and advancedindividuals on accounting software in a one weektraining sessions covering how to create chart ofaccounts, inventory control, income & expenseaccount controls, and much more……

July 8-19, 2013• Introduction to AccountingLearning Objectives: Learn the basics of account-ing; language and forms. What they are, repre-sent, and how to understand the three financialforms, balance sheet, profit & loss statement, andthe cash flow statement.

All Training/Workshops are open to all qualifiedsmall business owners, managers, key person-nel, and/or individuals planning, considering tostart or expand their business ventures. The train-ing/workshops are presented at low to no costs.All workshops will be held in the Airai at the PalauSBDC.

Please contact your Palau SBDC at(680)587-6004 or cell phone(680)775-5472 or e-mail:lees@pacificsbdc.com orpalausbdc@palaunet.com formore details.

Requests for reasonable ac-commodations must be made72 hours in advance. Servicesare extended to the public on anon-discriminatory basis.

PALAU SBDCMAY - JULY 2013 Train-

ing Schedule

By: Lisa AbrahamDirector(Palau SBDC)

The Youth Entrepreneur Solutions (YES)Action plan launched Phase 2 of its programon March 15, 2013. The theme for this year’sbusiness plan training and competition is:“Building the spirit of Entrepreneurship.”

The YES Action Plan was first launched inApril 2012 and is a joint initiative under theSmall Business Development Center ofPalau (SBDC) and the United Nations Devel-opment Programme (UNDP).

The initiative “seeks to encourage the de-velopment of a dynamic business communityin the young generation” and “[reduce] thecosts associated with youth unemployment,

and in-turn minimizes youth social conflict andsegregation, by helping them achieve eco-nomic independence, and help improve

their self-esteem.” The participants who completed the YES

Action Plan-Phase 1 are: Pauleen K.Brechtefeld, Meked Besebes, Olkeriil Kazuo,C. Merirei Ongelungel, Emily Loughlin andJordy Ngiraidis. Their respective businessplans ranged from organically-producedbeauty products to healthcare services. All sixfinalists are either presently in-business orcontinuing to refine their business plans.

The YES Action Plan-Phase 2 is open tothe Palauan youth who have completed highschool and are between the ages of 18through 35. Participants will commit to ap-proximately 40 class room hours, plus at least25 hours with their business mentors.

If you would like more information about theYouth Entrepreneur Solution Business Plancompetition or the Palau SBDC, please con-tact Lisa Abraham at (680)587-6004 or e-mailat lees@pacificsbdc.com.”

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

artn

ers

ww

w.p

ac

ificsb

dc

.co

m

By: Ketsen HaregaichigDirector(Chuuk SBDC)

Chuuk SBDC is pleased to in-troduce and welcome a newfamily member of the Pacific Is-lands Small Business Develop-ment Center. Mr. Sardis Betwel,is the new Chuuk SBDC Busi-ness counselor.

Sardis Betwel, Chuuk SBDCBusiness Counselor

Chuuk WelcomesNewest Member June 17, 2013

Banking I9:00am-11:00am

June 18, 2013 Banking II9:00am-11:00am

June 19, 2013Business Diversity9:00am-11:00am

June 20, 2013How to Write Business Plan9:00am-11:00am

June 21, 2013Learn to Read & Understand Fi-nancial Statements9:00am-11:00am

Chuuk SBDC June Training Schedule

YES ACTION PLAN-PHASE 2TO LAUNCH ON YOUTH DAY

MOU BETWEEN PALAU SBDC,PNYC SIGNED ON YOUTH DAY

YES participants and President Remengesau hold up YES banner.

President Remengesau signs MOU

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m

10

By: Michael GaanBusiness Counselor(YAP SBDC)

JR Bakery and Catering opened its door forbusiness at the end of last year. Its focus thusfar has been on one bread product, donuts orlocally known as “tempura” which has beenavailable to customers since the opening ofbusiness. When fully operational, the ownerplans to add three other lines of bread productsand food catering which will target the lunchcrowd in Colonia, conferences, and socialevents on island by offering ready-to-eat pack-aged meals.

JR Gooflan is the owner of the new operation.He is a born-resident of Yap and was involvedin his family business that once had a bakeryand food catering component for several years.The exposure to and the experience gainedfrom his involvement in the family business in-spired him early on to continue to have an inter-est in baking and food catering as an eventualbusiness undertaking. His business location isright by the main road going through the villageof Rumuu which is about a five-minute drivefrom Colonia going north. He sells on site at hislocation and also through intermediary retailersin Colonia and nearby locations.

What was once a mere business idea that re-cently reached fruition was made possible bybusiness loan financing from the Pacific IslandsDevelopment Bank. JR availed himself of theservices of the Yap Small Business Develop-ment Center. A counselor from the Yap SBDCworked with him to develop his business plan

which eventuallywas submittedas a loan pack-age to the bank.While awaitingreview by thebank for his loanrequest, JR at-tended severalworkshops con-ducted by theYap SBDC onsimple businessrecord-keepingand how to manually generate financial state-ments.

JR is stillmissing ane s s e n t i a lpiece ofequipment forhis business.His breadoven is stillunder orderwhich is to befabricated lo-cally. He is,however, incontact with

the vendor and he should be well underway tofull operation as soon as he overcomes the hur-

dle of having the oven delivered. His businesscurrently employs two people, including himself.He will add a third employee once fully opera-tional.

His advice to other aspiring business individ-uals is “to make sure you have a genuine pas-sion to go into business and be prepared to putin the hard work required and live up to the chal-lenges of being a business owner”.

The Yap Small Business Development Center(SBDC) is an affiliate of the University of Guam’sPISBDCN supported in part, by the U.S SBAunder a cooperative agreement. Services areextended to the general public on a non-discrim-inatory basis. Please call your local SBDC at(691)350-4801/2 for technical assistance.

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

artn

ers

ww

w.p

ac

ificsb

dc

.co

m

11

By: Anel PhilimonDirector (RMI SBDC)

Randy Ebot has been thinking of going intothe world of business for a long time but timeswere not permitted until January 2, 2013 whenhe had his initial visit to the RMI Small BusinessDevelopment Center to obtain proper informa-tion on small business start-up procedures andrequirements. His idea is to buy copra from themakers in Ailinglaplap Atoll and sell them to theTobolar Copra Processing Plant located here inMajuro the Capital City of the Marshall Islands.Mr. Ebot has already built a warehouse whichwill be used for storing all the copra that he willcollect and buy from the people of the atoll. Allof the copra that he collects and buys will beshipped to Majuro on regular field trip shipsgoing to Ailinglaplap.

Ebot stated that all outer island copra makersincluding those from Ailinglaplap Atoll are en-

countering common difficulties in purchasingtheir daily needed items with cash. The only timethey receive cash is when the government andprivate vessels make their regular routine visitsto each of the islands which happens aboutthree times a year. It is very difficult for the outerisland business owners to continue allowingtheir customers to get their immediate needs oncredit and not by cash because it affects thesteady growth and improvement of their busi-nesses. Because of these constraints, Ebot de-cided to open up a Copra Trading Company tohelp solve the on-going problems affecting thelives of the businesses in his home atoll of Ail-inglaplap.

Ebot submitted his business proposal to theBank of Marshall Islands. The bank officials re-alized that the people of Ailinglaplap Atoll willbenefit from the services of the company anddid not take much time for reviewing except toput a stamp of approval on it immediately. Now,the copra makers can exchange their products(copra) for cash and use the cash to purchasetheir family needs on a daily basis which is moreappropriate and convenient for both the makers

and the business as well.Ebot stated that he wouldn’t want to conclude

his statement without expressing his sincere ap-preciation to BOMI’s President and CEO and hisMicro Loan Program officials for making steadygrowth and economic development in the Re-public by considering, reviewing, and approvinga lot of small business loans. Ebot would like toencourage both start up and existing businessowners to start visiting the RMI SBDC at theMinistry of Resources and Development to ob-tain and utilize the valuable services it offers forpeople to get proper understanding on how toprepare a complete business proposal as wellas to operate and manage a business to be-come successful.

Both the RMI SBDC at the Ministry of Re-sources and Development and BOMI would liketo congratulate Ebot for being the first personever to start up a Copra Trading Company in Ail-inglaplap and to wish him luck in his businessendeavors.

To learn more about the RMI SBDC’s pro-grams and services call (692)625-3685 or visitwebsite www.pacificsbdc.com

A New CopraTrading CompanyGets Started onAilinglaplap Atoll

JR Bakery & Catering: New Inventory will Improve Business

Owner of Copra Trading, Randy Ebot & his

Month Topic

May 20, 2013 Financial

Statements

June 19, 2013 RMI Tax

June 20, 2013 RMI Tax

June 21, 2013 Marketing

July 24, 2013 Customer Service

July 25, 2013 Recordkeeping

July 26, 2013 RMI Tax

August 16, 2013 Business Plan

August 17, 2013 Marketing

August 18, 2013 RMI Tax

RMI SBDCTrainingSchedule

All workshops will be held at the RMISBDC from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.All workshops are open to all qualifiedsmall business owners, managers, keypersonnel and individuals planning toopen or considering starting a small busi-ness venture. All workshops are Free ofCharge. Individuals interested in attend-ing the workshops may call the RMISBDC at (692) 625-3685 or e-mail Leeno@ leeno@pacificsbdc.com. Request forreasonable accommodations for personswith disabilities must me made 72 hoursin advance. Services are extended to thepublic on a non-discriminatory basis.

MONTH WORKSHOP TITLE HOURS INSTRUCTOR VENUEMay 20 Debit & Credit 2 Monica SBDCTFMay 28 Income Statement 2 Mike SBDCTFMay 29 Cash Flow 2 Mike SBDCTFMay 30 Balance Sheet 2 Mike SBDCTFMay 31 Linking the 3 Basic Financial Statements 3 Mike SBDCTFJune 13 Charts of Accounts 2 Monica SBDCTFJune 18 Mechanics & Schedules of Recordkeeping 4 Monica SBDCTFJuly 9 Export Marketing (ToTs) 10 TBA SBDCTFAugust 8 Accounting Equation 2 Monica SBDCTFAugust 15 Accounts Receivable & Bad Debts 2 Monica SBDCTFTBA FSM Gross Receipts & Wage Taxes 2 TBA UlithiTBA State Business Licensing Regulations 2 TBA Ultihi

Yap SBDC Training Schedule May through August 2013Workshops listed above will be of-fered to business owners and po-tential business owners during themonths of May through August,2013. For more information, pleasecontact the Yap SBDC @ tele-phone numbers (691)-350-4801/4802 or at email addressysbdc@mail.fm Seating is limited to25 participants per session. Sched-ule is subject to change withoutprior notice.Request for reasonable accommo-dations for persons with disabilitiesmust be made 72 hours in ad-vance. Services extended to thepublic on a non-discriminatorybasis. Call the YAP SBDC at(691)350-4801/2 for arrangements.

JR Gooflan, owner of JR Bakery, (in red) and staff at work.

12

Pa

cific

Bu

sin

ess P

art

ne

rs w

ww

.pa

cif

icsb

dc

.co

m