Westturf Landscaping
When Sergio Graham started in the landscape business right after high school, little did he know that the spark of entrepreneurship had been ignited. As a dedicated employee he quickly learned all aspects of the business and a vision began to form; Sergio saw the potential to become his own boss. In 1989, Sergio took his experience, and all of his personal savings and opened Westturf Landscaping; a full service company offering customized landscaping and irrigation services. By the year 2000 he had reached annual revenues of $275,000 and employed 2 people. Today, Westturf has annual sales of $1.8 million, employs 42 people.
The journey to success was filled with both excitement and challenge. In the early years of the business, Sergio found the SBDC of North San Diego County. The SBDC helped him learn how to do business with local, state and federal government agencies. As a result, Sergio obtained a California contractor’s license and 8(a) certification. The business began to grow and several expansion opportunities developed.
By late 2003 the business began to struggle; cash flow was tight. Sergio again sought the assistance of the SBDC. After conducting a business analysis, the SBDC developed a strategic plan with Sergio and through counseling & training helped him improve cost estimating, financial data recording and working capital management. Soon after Sergio implemented the advice & skills he learned, he noticed a significant recovery in business revenue. The SBDC continues to mentor Sergio as he navigates through a growth phase.
Over the last several years, Sergio has learned to value the SBDC as a valuable resource and since 2000 has received over 100 hours of consulting.
Milestones reached through SBDC counseling:
- Helped Sergio Graham with advice that enabled him to increase Westturf sales from $275,000 in 2000 to $1.8 million in 2006.
- Shared business practices with client to help him sustain a positive cash position.
- Through application of skills and information learned at the SBDC, Westturf profits went from a $29,000 loss at one point to profits of $137,000 in 2006.
- As a result of the application of good fiscal practices and effective management, Westturf has gone from 2 employees in 2000 to 42 employees today!
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