Category: Business Owner Stories

Fans of the television show “Shark Tank” will recognize Kelly Costello and her company, Puppy Cake. She appeared on the show looking for investors to help her grow her business, which manufactures specialty dog treats, most famously a cake mix for dogs. Though she didn’t land a deal on the show, her business continues to blossom, and she now offers an array of “people food for dogs” on her website and in many independent retailers, including Puppy Scoops Ice Cream… Read More

The Taiwanese corporation Ten Ren reigns over the global tea industry. Henry Lii owns two Ten Ren franchises in Northern California, one in Cupertino, one in Richmond. Ten Ren tea runs in Henry’s blood - his uncle founded the company and his parents owned the two stores before him. With Ten Ren’s reputation for quality tea and the growing popularity of the sweet tea-based refreshment called pearl milk tea (also known as bubble or boba tea), Henry’s stores have prospered.… Read More

Jeanette Price is an artisan perfumer and the creator of Peachy Keen Perfume, a line of handcrafted fragrances inspired by the San Diego area, which Price currently calls home. Her perfumes are available in retail locations across San Diego and Orange County as well as on her website and Gifts.com. According to Price, the demand for artisanal fragrances by independent perfumers is growing in Southern California and will soon spread nationwide. Price aims to take advantage of that market by… Read More

While the Great Recession HAS been challenging for many small businesses, it has also proven to be a boon for the thrift store industry. In fact, according to the National Association of Resale Professionals, the number of thrift stores and consignment shops grew 7% in the past two years, and now boasts revenues of nearly $13 billion per year. However, well before the deep recession of 2008, Mary Ann Califano was addicted to buying and reselling everything from used cashmere… Read More

Americans spend more than $58 billion on their pets, making the pet industry one of the United States’ fastest growing economic sectors. One of the fastest growing subsectors of this industry includes canine daycare and boarding. More than 15 years ago, Charlotte Bell left her well-paying job at a Beverly Hills bank and opened Yellow Brick Road, one of Southern California’s first cage free doggy daycare centers and overnight boarding houses. By following her passion for dogs and taking the… Read More

When Chano Zavala asked his former boss for a raise and was denied, he decided to look for other options. He had a small family to take care of, and wanted to control his own destiny. He decided to save up his money and open his own business, Peninsula Party. They do balloon décor and have a full line of concession rentals and staging rentals. This is their story. How we got started I worked as product manager at SF… Read More