Deepak participated in the PCC Small Business Development Center Restaurant Business Builders program. This is his story...
What inspired you to start your business? I’ve had a passion for cooking for about 20 years and was interested in turning that into a business when I started getting bored [with] my previous career in the tech industry.
Before coming to the SBDC what challenges were you facing in your business? I was unsure of what direction to go in (stay focused on food cart, expand into a brick and mortar, etc) and was feeling a little overwhelmed by work life imbalance.
In which programs did you participate? I attended the Restaurant Business Builders program. I’ve also met with my advisor a few times over the last year to continue to get advice on different areas of the business.
How did the Restaurant program help you overcome your challenges? One thing I realized from taking the class is to not worry about all of the different possibilities. I just dropped the idea of opening a brick and mortar as the expense of doing so was gigantic. I’ve become more focused on the current incarnation of my business – a food cart – and making it as successful as I can.
How is your business doing now? It’s doing really well. I’m not quite at the numbers I would like to be but I see that happening by the end of the year.
What would you say to other small business owners thinking of working with the SBDC? I highly recommend working with the SBDC if you are a small business owner looking for some support to get their business working a little more smoothly, whether that be finances, marketing, or hiring employees.
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The next Restaurant Business Builders program starts April 3, 2019. GET INFORMATION HERE.