Blue Amber Trio Opens Guam Art Boutique at Chamorro Village

By: Denise Mendiola-Hertslet

Senior Business Advisor/WIB Program Coordinator

Guam SBDC

Growing up, Amber Wood and her mother, Char, often dreamed of opening a business together. Char always knew that “Blue Amber” would eventually be the business’s name. Wood’s entrepreneurial journey started in the third grade where she would walk door to door in her little 42-house town collecting recyclables. Wood even had her business card, “Kids who Care.” After that business, Wood and Char decided to open a phone-order pie company where people in her little town could order homemade apple pies made with apples from their own crab apple trees.

As Wood got older, she continued to come up with business ideas while traveling the world. She settled in Thailand where she met Songsri, whom she refers to as her Thai mother. They both shared the love and passion for art. Songsri was a painter, seamstress, crafter, and jewelry designer much like Wood herself. On a shopping trip, they came across beautiful stones and decided to create jewelry to raise funds for Wood to visit Char. Wood had been beading since she was eight and had created a jewelry business while in college. Once Songsri and Wood made enough money, Wood was able to go back to visit Char and share the revitalization of her business venture. Char was ecstatic. She had long loved gemstones and had been collecting for years. They planned a trip across the United States stopping at gift shops and showing their wares out of an old leather suitcase to potential buyers.

Wood continued her jewelry business and continued to traverse the globe. She found herself on Guam along with Char and her sister. This is where she decided to take her business to the next level. Creating the pieces, although time consuming, was the easier part of the start-up process because Wood already had the materials needed and Char invested $3,000 to fund licenses, display materials, tools, and other supplies. Wood set her eye on opening a small shop in Chamorro Village, but in order to secure a spot, her business plan had to be approved by the Guam Small Business Development Center (Guam SBDC). Before her first meeting with Senior Business Advisor Denise Mendiola-Hertslet, Wood drafted a business plan. Wood stated, “Denise was amazingly friendly, made the stepping stones of business development easy to understand and also helped me realize that I needed to tweak my margins if I wanted to make business sustainable.” Wood found that the process to start was time consuming yet straight forward regarding getting the proper paperwork and licenses. Extensive research in finding out vendor fairs, networking, and attending SBDC seminars and business counseling sessions were crucial components in finalizing her business plan from SBDC and gaining approval for the Guam Product Seal from the Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA). Wood quoted, “The start-up process was an adventure, full of research and lots of legwork, but far worth it!”

Wood realized that collaboration with other artisans would be the perfect solution to such time consuming work; therefore, she organized a group of Made in Guam seal holders who had expressed interest in starting up a location together. In March, Wood opened Blue Amber Trio Guam Art Boutique at the Chamorro Village. While the boutique is currently under Blue Amber Trio, it is in many ways an unofficial co-op with the intention to become its own entity. Wood stated that she was filled with great appreciation that the vendor community embraced her with such love to create a system and space for a few of them to come together and grow together. It brings Wood great joy and pride when she sees someone wearing a piece of her jewelry and hear them say things like “This is my favorite pair of earrings” or when she sees repeat customers come back for their third or even fourth piece.

What does the future hold for Blue Amber Trio? Wood explains that in the short run, her plans are to find new and innovative ways to create unique and diverse product offerings that pull on the healing and metaphysical qualities of gemstones, in combination with items found locally on Guam, for not only jewelry but also other Made in Guam gift items. Wood intends to expand her offering to other retail locations throughout the island and not limit it to Guam Art Boutique, Underwater World, and Wednesday Night Market at Chamorro Village. In the long run, Wood plans to add two unique wholesale lines, one less expensive gift item lie for the ABC Stores and/or JP Superstores and a higher end silver line for DFS Galleria, in addition to other plans.

Wood leaves off with letting other entrepreneurs know to, “Go for it! Be on top of your books from the start and take each failure as a lesson with gratitude.” She ends with a quote from Rumi, “What you seek is seeking you.” Guam Art Boutique is open every day from 10:00am – 6:00pm except on Wednesdays and Sundays, they are open from 10:00am-9:00pm and 10:00am – 2:00pm respectively. To find out more information, please contact Amber Wood at 671-998-0560 or email blueambertrio@gmail.com or visit www.guamartboutique.com.

For more information on how the Guam Small Business Development Center can assist you, contact their office at 671-735-2590 or visit their website at www.pacificsbdc.com to register for small business workshops and/or request for FREE confidential one-to-one counseling. 

Advanced Eyecare, LLC: An Interview with Owner Peter Lombard MD

By: Denise Mendiola-Hertslet
Senior Business Advisor/WIB Coordinator
(Guam SBDC)

Freedom, Opportunity, and Service are the foundation blocks of Advanced Eyecare, LLC and the reasons why Peter Lombard MD decided to venture on his own to open up an ophthalmology clinic. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Peter on his journey in opening his business.

Please tell us about yourself and your family.

My mom and dad came to Guam in 1975 and built a house in Pago Bay where they still live.  I have an older sister in Hawaii and my brother Gabe lives with me on Guam. I came back to Guam in 2010 after spending a number of years off island for college, medical school, residency training, and military service.  I am leaving the U.S. Navy this summer to start my own ophthalmology clinic.

Why did you decide to start your own business?

Freedom, opportunity, service.  I have the opportunity to build something special and long-lasting, from the ground up.  My business will provide a service that is tremendously useful to our community, and that makes me very proud.  There’s something particularly liberating about being your own boss, and it’s empowering to know that the success and failure of your business rests only on your shoulders.

What experience do you have in this type of business?

I have no prior business experience running a private medical clinic, but I have the technical expertise to treat patients.  This is a problem many doctors face, and remains a big hurdle for many doctors when contemplating starting their own private practice.

How did the Small Business Development Center and other resources help you?

The hardest part for me initially was understanding the steps in the process.  Not having any prior business experience, even simple terms were hard for me to grasp at first.  I was assigned an advisor, Denise Mendiola, and she worked closely with me through each step.  She provided me with the Word and Excel templates I needed, and when I would get stuck on a certain section she helped me complete these parts.  She made sure I was moving forward at a steady pace, periodically asking how things were going and offering further assistance.  She has been an invaluable asset for me and I’m very grateful for her help!

What was the start-up process like?

After establishing the LLC, I determined what equipment costs I would have, the staffing I would need, and located a place to start my business.  I drafted a business plan and financial projections to submit with my loan application. Once approved for the loan, I acquired the medical equipment and clinic management systems needed to run a clinic, negotiated contracts with the local insurance carriers, hired and trained staff, and started to see patients. It all seems simple written out like this but this took about 6 months and was very stressful at times.

 

How did you fund your business?

I applied for a business loan, but also used significant personal savings for the startup costs.  Approximately 70% of startup costs were financed with the business loan, 30% from personal savings.

What were some of the biggest challenges you experienced in the start-up process?

I struggled a bit with the financial projections.  For my particular business it is hard to estimate the sales of the services I provide, because it is very different for each patient.  I’m not selling items at a fixed cost from inventory. 

What is your most memorable triumph in your start-up process?

Putting the LLC certificate up on the wall is always a nice feeling.  But I’ll never forget the day the network was hooked up and all the computers and software was working the way they are supposed to!  You live and die by your IT support!

What are your short-term and long-term plans for your business?

Short term: establish consistent patient base, grow the practice over the first 2 years and establish my clinic as a center of excellence in Guam. Long term: build a new eye clinic with room for significant growth and expansion.

What advice would you give to others who want to start a business at this time?

Definitely avail yourself of the services offered by SBDC.  Set reasonable time goals, and understand it’s a long process.  Put in the time and hours when required to get things off the ground when it’s crunch time.  Dream big.  Always look for more opportunities, and don’t be afraid to talk to people about your plans – you never know how they might be able to help you or what insight they can give.

For more information on how Guam SBDC can assist you, contact their office 671-735-2590 or visit www.pacificsbdc.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dikiki Donuts Pack Big Flavor

An Interview with Owner Jim Dimag

 

 

Please tell us about yourself and your family.

We are a family of four that consists of my lovely wife Kaori, my beautiful daughter Crystal, my handsome son Chance. My name is Jim and I work in the Hotel Industry.

Why did you decide to start your own business?

The reason for starting my small business is to save money to take my family on a yearly vacation. I wanted to make memories so that when my family gets older and we are sitting on our front porch we can pull these memories from our back pockets and smile.

I remember when I was younger, I would frequent the Gibson’s comic shop (Guam Premier Outlets). There was a guy who used to sell doughnuts at the entrance. I remember the smell walking into Gibson’s and I can still remember the taste to this day. When I was searching for a great business idea, I thought I could do something like that.  My customers often share their stories of the Gibson’s doughnut stand as well and tell me that Dikiki Donuts remind them of the good old days at Gibson’s.

What experience do you have in this type of business?

Absolutely ZERO, business plan is basically ‘save more than you spend or spend less than you make.’

How did the Small Business Development Center and other resources help you?

Denise was very helpful, she pointed me in the right direction making sure I went step by step and in the correct order as it relates to permits and licenses. She reviewed my business plan and calculated the expense to ensure my business was profitable. On top of that Denise is a wonderful individual. The experience was a positive one.

What was the start-up process like?

It was overwhelming at first, going to different agencies filling out forms ensuring that you are compliant. I remember thinking ‘what have I gotten myself into.’ I persevered and the feeling you have when you receive your business license is one of relief and accomplishment.

How did you fund your business?

I received a loan from the Bank of Guam, a gentleman by the name of Dave Arriola assisted me with the process. Dave was the reason I went with Bank of Guam, he is professional individual with a great personality. The experience was a positive one.

What were some of the biggest challenges you experienced in the start-up process?

One of the biggest challenges was running out of funds, the process to receive my business license took longer than I planned plus I wanted to upgrade my business.

What is your most memorable triumph in your start-up process?

The first day I opened my business at the Dededo flea market. I remember stepping back and thinking to myself ‘better late than never'

What are your short-term and long-term plans for your business?

Short       - selling at Dededo flea market and Chamorro village.

term

Long term       - opening up in a major location, and managing my staff.

What advice would you give to others who want to start a business at this time?

‘Go for it!’ but do yourself a favor and make an appointment to see Denise Hertslet at Guam Small Business Center at UOG.

For more information about the Guam Small Business Development Center contact Denise-Mendiola Hertslet at denise@pacificsbdc.com or 671-735-2590 or visit our website at www.pacificsbdc.com.

UOG President Visits RMI SBDC

By: Anel Philimon

SBDC Director/Business Advisor
RMI SBDC

 

UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood (left) is photographed
with RMI SBDC Director Anel Philimon.

University of Guam President Dr. Robert A. Underwood recently visited the Majuro, the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, from January 16^th to 20^th, 2015. In addition to his visits to other government ministries and agencies which included the College of the Marshall Islands, Dr. Underwood also visited the RMI SBDC center on January 19, 2015. The center is hosted by the Ministry of Resources and Development in partnership with the University of Guam (UOG) Pacific Islands SBDC Network. He learned more about the RMI SBDC and that there are only two staff operating the center, with one being the office manager and the other being the center director.

 

UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood is photographed with
RMI SBDC Office Manager Leeno Aikuij.

Dr. Underwood was interested in learning how the RMI SBDC is doing in terms of meeting and complying with its objectives and goals as stated in the signed MOU between the University of Guam Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network (PISBDCN) in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Ministry of Resources and Development on behalf of the government of the Marshall Islands.  He was happy to learn that like the other six SBDC centers throughout the region that are part of UOG PISBDCN, our goals and objectives were successfully and satisfactorily being met.

Lastly, Dr. Underwood mentioned that he will ask representatives of the Bank of Guam about their Marshall Islands activities and encourage more interest.  One last laugh that we shared with each other before he departed arose from the last lesson he learned in regard to how many coconuts it takes to make 100 pound bag of copra.  He was surprised to learn that it takes 300 coconuts to make 100 pounds of copra!

Kosrae SBDC Assists Land Grant Youth Program

By: Skiller Jackson

Service Center Director/Business Advisor
Kosrae SBDC

 

The Kosrae SBDC and the College of Micronesia (COM) Land Grant Program renewed their long-time collaboration ties again this year. The COM Land Grant Youth Entrepreneurship Start-up (YES) program and the Kosrae SBDC had agreed to provide business skills training to out-of-school youths, students from the local college, students from the Kosrae High School, and other interested youth groups.

 

This collaborative effort started again last year around November 2014 where the COM Land Grant program recruited students from the Kosrae High School to pilot this YES program. This program runs every Wednesday around 9:00am to 10:00am. The Land Grant program will provide skills training in carving, sewing, and cooking while the Kosrae SBDC will provide business skills training in business plan development, pricing, small business management, and other basic business skills training.

This YES program started on November 2014 and will continue until May 2015. Hopefully, the program will start again when the new school year begins. The COM Land Grant program and the Kosrae SBDC is also planning on continuing this program to out-of-school youths and community youth groups during the summer.

Guam Muay Thai: Growing Strong

By: Denise Mendiola-Hertslet

Senior Business Advisor/WIB Program Coordinator

(Guam SBDC)

Honor, Respect, and Loyalty are words to live by for a man with humble beginnings. Santa Rita native, Kevin Jalique, also known as “Kru” to his students, has a passion for the art of Muay Thai. His unceasing determination and unbreakable self-discipline eventually fueled his desire to take the entrepreneurial path and open Guam Muay Thai in Mangilao. Since its inception in 2012, the business has quickly grown in students and now includes classes for women and children. We recently had an opportunity to share the story of Guam Muay Thai.




From left to right: Christina Kidd, Alvina Gumataotao, Adelle Dimalanta, Michelle Catahay, Jalanda Megofna, Januarie Strong, Kat Aquino, Mariana Kidd, Meagan Kidd, Geralyn Mendiola.

Bottom: Kru Melchor Antolin, Kru Kevin Jalique

Los Angeles, California was where Kevin Jalique’s passion in Muay Thai came about in 2000. He first started training under Instructor Kru Pongsan Ek-Yotin of the World Muay Thai Gym. It was through Kru Pongsan that Jalique honed his skills at being a teacher and a trainer and picked up some of the business aspects and operations of running a fight gym.  Jalique returned to Guam and after teaching at the Talent Box Studio and Underworld Xtreme gym, he had the vision of owning his own gym. The enrollment at the classes he taught were growing and he saw that there was a demand for it. However, to accommodate his students, he needed a larger facility and more equipment.

Jalique visited the Guam Small Business Development Center where Denise Mendiola-Hertslet assisted him and his wife, Piyamas Sablan-Jalique. He states that, “Denise provided them with a business plan template, great advice, and a lot of resources for loans if needed.” Jalique still consults with Denise when he has questions and finds her very helpful. Jalique recalls that the start-up process was easy and exciting, because his passion was there and with that he had the motivation to realize his end goal.

After completing the business plan, Jalique’s next goal was to find a good location. He took into consideration that he was still teaching classes at Talent Box Studio and Underworld Xtreme gym and to ensure that his students were able to easily transition to the new location. In 2012, Guam Muay Thai opened in Mangilao. Jalique strategically positioned the gym where a large part of his main market in the age group of 17 – 35 years old frequent and because of its proximity to the college and university. Passersby would see the gym from the road on their way to class and there were no other Muay Thai gyms in the area.

Jalique faced many challenges, but the biggest obstacle was the organization and time management to plan the set-up of the location for opening, working full time, and continuing to teach two classes. All the work was done themselves with the assistance of friends and students. Jalique said, “It was well worth all the hard work and sweat!” Jalique discussed what was in store for Guam Muay Thai. For its short terms goals, he wants to keep their current students and increase enrollment. In the long term, Jalique plans on getting a bigger facility, provide more classes, increase retail sales, and start hosting amateur Muay Thai fights for kids and adults.

Lastly, Jalique reached out to the aspiring entrepreneurs with some advice. He stated, “Do something that you have a passion for because you may not see the profits come in right away, be prepared to a low, and make an appointment with the Guam SBDC before doing anything.” To learn more about Guam Muay Thai, check out their Facebook page at facebook.com/guammuaythai.ekyotin or give them a call at 671-487-7718.

For more information about the Guam Small Business Development Center contact Denise Mendiola Hertslet, Senior Business Advisor and Bank of Guam Women in Business Program Coordinator at denise@pacificsbdc.com or 735-2590 or visit our website at www.pacificsbdc.com.

USDA, Farm Service Agency – Microloan Program Now Available in Marshall Islands

In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA) microloan program is now available to agricultural producers of all types in Majuro, RMI.     

The microloan program was established to serve small-scale operations with access to up to $50,000 with a simpler application process, a low, fixed interest rate, and a maximum of seven years to repay.  Microloans can be used for initial start-up expenses; annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities and land rents; value-added processing, marketing and distribution expenses; and the purchase of livestock and equipment.

“SBDC business training and education, in combination with access to low-interest microloans, can provide producers with opportunities to increase their family income, promote local food self-sufficiency and help stimulate the local economy,” said FSA, State Executive Director, Diane Ley.

The Majuro SBDC will provide a direct link for producers to FSA programs and guide them in the loan application process.  The College of the Marshall Islands will provide training and educational workshops while the RMI Ministry of Resources and Development will provide technical assistance and help coordinate all government and non-government partners.

From (L) to (R):  Hiroshi V. Yamamura, Minister of Public Works and Acting Minister for Resources and Development; Anel N. Philimon, Director, RMI SBDC; Carl Hacker, President,  College of the Marshall Islands; Diane L. Ley, State Executive Director, USDA, Farm Service Agency.