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Success Story: Perpuly Party Rentals

Lucy Perpuly started her events and catering business in 2015, since she had an arm injury and was no longer able to work at the hotel where she was employed in sales. Her enthusiasm and energy motivated her to look for alternatives to occupy her time. In 2018 she began to learn and network through the La Maestra business and women’s community, where she was referred to our International Rescue Committee SBDC.

Lucy says thanks to encouragement from her SBDC advisor, she took SBDC courses to start a catering business. In addition to the classes, she worked on getting uniforms, followed the guide to apply for her license, and was soon expanding the business. Her sales increased from $50,000 a year to $96,000 in 2019. But due to the pandemic all her events were cancelled. In 2021 her sales were only $10,000. Yet thanks to $5,000 she received from the California Relief Grant and $90,000 from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, she has been able to survive and buy a truck that will allow her to serve in different locations. On Feb. 19, 2022 Lucy is also hosting an open house to relaunch her business.

The entrepreneur strongly believes thanks to the information and motivation she has received from the SBDC and her fantastic advisor she is where she is now. She remembers when everything was falling apart due to COVID, her advisor Gokcen Topbas told her, “Don’t worry, you will be OK” – and that gave her a lot of faith, she shares. Lucy then turned to her family and told them, “everything will be OK.”

Learn more about Lucy’s resilient business at facebook.com/perpulyevents! And hear some of her story directly from her in the video below!