FREE COURSE! SBDC Starting Your Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

STARTING YOUR BUSINESS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

COURSE DESCRIPTION

• Legal entities and how to create your legal entity
• Obtaining an EIN
• Licenses
• Business Banking
• Taxes

INSTRUCTOR

Jeff Bernstein

In 1973, Jeff opened a retail floor covering store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin while completing his B.S.B.A. in Accounting. When he graduated he decided to forego a career in accounting and continue to devote his full time to his business. “I grew that business for the next 23 years into the largest single-store flooring retailer in Milwaukee,” he shares. He also served as vice chairman of the Wisconsin Floor Covering Association. In 2000, he decided to close his business and accept a role as vice president of sales and operations for his biggest competitor, a five showroom retailer/wholesaler. “I was able to double the revenues of this 50-year-old company during the next 12 years. I also earned a Flooring Executive Certification from the World Floor Covering Association.” Jeff left Milwaukee for a short time in 2012 to become VP for a similar business in Chicago. His children had moved to San Diego years earlier, and he decided he wanted to be closer to them and their families. He accepted a VP position with the largest retailer in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area). During brief periods of retirement he volunteered to provide advising services to the Coachella Valley SCORE (another partner of the SBA) chapter, eventually becoming vice-chair of the chapter. He also volunteered for the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center as a workshop presenter and periodic business advisor. In 2019, he and wife decided to move to San Diego. Coincidentally, the East County Business Development Council had decided to host a new SBDC office just around this time. “They needed a workshop presenter, and I received strong referrals from both the CV SCORE chapter and the CVWBC. I was hired to present workshops but over time, many of my workshop clients asked me to advise them. Today, I have assisted over 80 clients, many of them on an on-going basis.” Jeff continues that the work has been extremely gratifying, even more so during the pandemic. “When I can help struggling businesses survive these challenges, there is no better feeling.”