Valley Sierra SBDCServing Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties
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"Valley Sierra SBDC will meet you where you are at. The SBDC has tremendous value for small business owners in HR, Marketing, Quickbooks, and COVID related resources"
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Oak Barrel Ice & Creamery

Greg Raynes, owner of Oak Barrel Ice Creamery located in Turlock California, came to Valley Sierra SBDC on August 15, 2014 looking for guidance on how to start an ice cream business. Greg had recently retired as a teacher and had a dream of making gourmet ice cream. This dream started as a young boy helping his family hand crank ice cream in Carmel Valley. Greg was connected with an SBDC consultant to assist him with a business plan, build line of credit, open a bank account, and officially launch the business.

Greg was determined to learn everything he could about being a business owner and attended multiple SBDC workshops that would allow him to obtain the necessary information. Alan and Greg worked together creating a business plan and obtaining funds to invest in the business. 

With the assistance of Valley Sierra SBDC Consultant, Alan, Greg officially launched his Gourmet Ice Cream business! From 2015 to 2022, Greg has received funding, made a large increase in yearly sales, and retained 7 employees. He has since invested in a new icecream machine that makes larger batches of flavored icecream in a shorter period of time.

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Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and a Grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the California SBDC closest to you.