Working as a wildland firefighter, SBDC client Leo Ochoa learned firsthand about back pain and how it hampered the work he did. That experience led him to design and manufacture spine-centric personal body support. In 2019 DorsumTech launched a Kickstarter campaign and receive its first orders. Manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge, but now all the parts are coming together and DosrumTech is finally able to ship off their first round of products. This is Leo's story.
Leo, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. We would like to know about you and DorsumTech. What inspired you to start this business? I worked summers as a wildland firefighter in the Columbia River Gorge and carrying 45lbs of unsupported weight on my back all day long. That was my first experience with back pain. Since then I’ve questioned why there aren’t better products to support the lower back when doing repetitive bending and lifting. That experience inspired me to become an industrial designer and develop the Exospine flexible back support. The requests I received from first responders looking to purchase my back support propelled me into entrepreneurship and starting my own business.
Before coming to the SBDC what challenges were you facing in your business? The biggest challenge has been raising capital and acquiring funds to cover operation costs while paying off research & development expenses. Another challenge was to create standards and operational structures in my business to be efficient and function as a small business.
What types of services did you receive and/or in which programs did you participate? In the middle of the 2020 pandemic, I was struggling to find the financial resources to best position my business through the manufacturing phase. The effects of the pandemic on manufacturing had caused me to change manufacturers which added more cost to the production of my inventory. Oscar Novelo from the SBDC Capital Access Team helped me look at non-traditional funding methods and SBA resources I could apply to. Oscar also helped me prepare my financial package to apply for a small business loan. Just having someone from the SBDC to talk with during this difficult time gave me clarity and encouragement.
What have you done differently in your business since working with the SBDC? The biggest growth I’ve experienced during the Advanced SBM Program has been on changing my mindset from a startup founder to a small business owner. Learning to shift my mindset from operating like a technician to a manager to an entrepreneur has tremendous value in how I operate my business now.
The Advanced SBM program has also given me the tools to create standardization processes so I can manage my business more effectively. So what I’ve picked up the most is the shift in mindset, and tools to standardize parts of my business to become a better manager. I have implemented the learning and am currently creating my processes for managing inventory, quality assurance, and establishing a shipping method. I’m focused now on looking at my business and seeing what can be standardized to allow more time for sales and building customer relationships.
What would you say to other small business owners thinking of working with the SBDC? Go for it! Working with SBDC will give you the tools and guidance to know more about your business and set the right goals and plan to help you get to your next step. You will have a better understanding of what it takes to function effectively as a small business. You will have someone to turn to when you get stuck in your business or encounter a new challenge.
How is your business doing now? I just received all my inventory and am getting ready to ship out the pre-orders. Getting to this point is the most exciting thing happening right now! What I love about my business is hearing from customers when they find my product, because I get to learn from them how my back support helps them manage their back pain. It’s always difficult to know how the business is doing overall, but the fact that our inventory has arrived and we are assembling product and shipping orders is a much better position than where we were a year ago. We can now focus on sales and growth.
What would you say to other small business owners thinking of working with the SBDC? Go for it! Working with SBDC will give you the tools and guidance to know more about your business and set the right goals and plan to help you get to your next step. You will have a better understanding of what it takes to function effectively as a small business. You will have someone to turn to when you get stuck in your business or encounter a new challenge.
Programs and services are provided to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance service are available for limited English proficient individuals. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please contact us at 971-722-5080 or sbdc@pcc.edu, to request accommodations. Oregon Small Business Development Centers are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Oregon Business Development Department.
