The information and guidance provided by Don Kasle and the Small Business
Development Centers in general is the best I ever had - bar none! Any small business owner should
look to meet with the Small Business Development Centers. Although I spent four years at USC and
graduated with a degree in business, I have learned more about OPERATIONS and getting my company
funded in the past 6 months, then at my entire college career combined. This was the best "investment"
I have ever made in our business.
I have been working with Don Kasle of Tri Tech for approximately six months. Since that time,
I turned my business plan and product ideas into an operating new business -- BeachSmart, LLC
(a new California LLC). We now have an operating website (beachsmart.com), our trade name has been
approved by the USPTO, and we have patents pending on approximately a half dozen of our innovative
new beach products.
We produced prototypes of our first product (the BeachPool) last summer, and test marketed it in
select retailers in Laguna Beach, with enthusiastic consumer response. We now are meeting with
potential investors and strategic partners, and hope to move into full-scale production and sale
of our products later this year. Don's wise counseling has played a critical role in this process.
Greg Trimarche
CEO/Owner
Good morning Mark:
Having worked with Mr. Don Kasle on a couple of occasions has proven to be a great benefit to our company.
Since we have last met with Mr. Kasle, we have signed an exclusive Lease Agreement with a large global
company who will be overseeing Sales, Marketing, Production and distribution for Crunchmat, LLC. His words
of encouragement and advice have been much appreciated.
We had a pre-evaluation of $2.4 million for the company as it sits to date and with this company coming
on board with us, our projections for this coming year should exceed $10 million plus in revenue.
We also created 17 new jobs, and retained 6 jobs. Let us know of any additional needs you may have,
we appreciate the service TriTech SBDC provides and enjoy your day!
Chris Hayes
President/CEO
We got introduced to TriTech during 2010 JPL high tech conference. As the result
of consulting that we received from TriTech we were able to obtain government contracts, increase sales
and retain our existing staff.
I would like to share the following two success stories, which we were able to achieve as a result of
TriTech consulting help:
1-Obtain Navy Seaport-E ID1Q contract.
2-lncreased revenue by $100K as the result of the SBIR grant from NASA.
I believe that TriTech provides an excellent service to small businesses especially during these difficult
economical times. I would like to thank the following TriTech staff for their dedication and service during
2010: Edwin Setzer, Mark Mitchell.
Feel free to contact me should you have any question.
Sincerely,
Alireza Bakhshl
I am writing this letter to extend my appreciation as a small business owner
in Riverside County for the services provided to my company by TriTech SBDC. During this tough economic
time, the prospect of growing a company, starting a new company, or finding valuable resources to aid
in business development is difficult. The services offered by TriTech SDBC made this process simple and
rewarding.
Specifically, I appreciate your insight into matching my company with that of Amro Albanna. He has
proved to be a wealth of knowledge regarding fund raising for our venture, and also a great counselor
in some of the struggles we have experienced as a business.
Through the advice and guidance of your organization, we have been able to wade the dangerous waters of
this economic downturn and have expanded our business into a new market and have extended our services
to many schools, municipal governments, and commercial accounts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
I look forward to a continued relationship with your organization, with Mr. Albanna, and a positive and
hopeful time of economic growth in the near future. It is organizations like yours that will help the
small businesses in the inland empire grow and develop. Please let me know if there is anything I can
do to assist and help in your endeavor.
Guy Reams
President, Conduit Networks, Inc.
I have great news! I ran a 3rd quarter P&L and for the first time in our 7 year
history, we are in the black, actually making a profit! I know that you know TurboSchedule™ is a great
idea but I've been unable to focus long enough to penetrate those markets that hold the greatest potential
to grow sales. As a result, I've lost money, year after year by spending on development without being sure
if a given project was worth the investment.
Your patience and wisdom not only helped me prove 'the dog would eat the dog food' but taught me focus on
the biggest most inviting bowl(s). With your help, I learned that I was starving the company as I ran from
bowl to bowl (project to project) without taking the time to gain benefit from what I found.
I've personally invested over $700,000 and finally turning profitable is very exciting. But more
important is that with your help we have developed a plan for the future.
With your guidance we now have a well written business plan, an energetic tactical approach to secure
funding, and the resources to find and recruit the marketing, sales and management talent that can bring
us to higher levels of success.
Owning a small business is no 'field of dreams'. You've helped me learn that simply 'building it' won't
insure that 'they will come'. With your help, and the help of the people you have made available, I
am certain that the potential of my company will be realized.
Thanks again for helping me get to this level.
Douglas T. Duncan
Almond Hill Enterprises, Inc.
I wanted to take a moment to thank Bill Waldo for all his help and guidance.
eCardConnect is a rolling start-up based right here in Irvine, CA. I was speaking with our banker a few
months back and he told me about TriTech and Bill Waldo. I contacted Bill and he could not have been more
helpful.
He got us introduced to the right people to get our business plan developed, he guided us on what to look
for in this crazy money marketplace, but best of all, he was perfectly candid about our product and its
chances of being funded. This allowed us to make the right decisions as we positioned ourselves to move
across the Country. I am glad TriTech is there and especially glad Bill Waldo is available to small
businesses like eCardConnect.
Daniel Walker, CEO
Over the past several months I have receive assistance with structuring offering
documents to a few potential investors but did not complete a round of funds. Don has been very helpful in
strategy and investor specific perspectives. We have recently changed our course of action to move toward
gaining sales traction first prior to pursuing raising capital.
Today, we met with a group having a large buyer base which will allow the site to start charging
subscription fees for access to inventory access and valuable disclosure information on the inventory.
Don helped lay out a strategy and approach for conversations on equity between partners. The new
potential partners are motivated to move forward which will allow the company to generate sufficient
capital to launch the website and provide for salaries for all team members.
Eddie Rezek, President
erezek@bidday.com
www.BidDay.com
Mr. Ed Setzer worked with my associate, Dr. Hajnalka Nagy and I to help us to
understand the essential aspects of our business, which could not have come at a more important time.
Beginning in the spring of 2008, Ed met with us on a consistent weekly basis coaching us through the basics of
accounting, and really gave us insight as to what were the major underpinnings of our business, without which
we may not have survived the difficulties of 2008, when several of our Lines of Credit simply dried up, as a
result of the global financial crisis.
Specifically, he helped us understand our cash flow situation, provided finance "tutorials," developed a
break-even analysis to size problems and opportunities and finally provided insight on how increasing sales
was essential to deal with the immediate problems we faced.
It was his insight and willingness to share along with our willingness to listen and to do the
heavy-lifting of the painful changes required of us that got us through.
Ed may rightfully be credited with helping to retain several jobs at our Company as a result of his advice.
Our sincere thanks go out to Mr. Ed Setzer for pushing us to learn the essential skills of managing
our growing business, Noble Media, Inc and The Reader Magazine.
Yours truly,
Chris Theodore \ President
|
