Angela Preschool & Kindergarten 100 E. Live Oak Ave. Arcadia, CA 91006 www.angelapreschool.com
Belinda Xu emigrated to the United States with a Bachelor Degree in Child Development. She started the successful Xu Family Childcare Center in Alhambra and subsequently expanded to Temple City.
Belinda contacted API SBP’s partner, Chinatown Service Center Small Business Program in April 2004. She initially requested assistance in obtaining a conditional use permit for her first facility in the City of Arcadia. Soon thereafter, she also enrolled in the Entrepreneur Training Program (ETP) series. Thanks to Business Counselor coaching she prevailed at public hearings and obtained the conditional use permit. Subsequently, with coaching she solved signage issues, resolved parking issues, initiated a marketing campaign and appeared on Chinese cable TV, etc. As a result of the ETP, Belinda realized that she would be in desperate need of working capital. Since she was inexperienced in commercial borrowing, our Business Counselor helped her package an SBA Express Loan of $40,000. She then obtained a $25,000 grant from First 5 LA for her project. Angela Preschool and Kindergarten, named after the owner’s daughter, opened in September 2004.
As business stabilized Belinda started looking for a second location. In Winter 2006, Belinda successfully leased a facility in Temple City. Since it is within the redevelopment project of the City, Belinda was awarded a $25,000 tenant improvement grant and was approved for a second SBA loan in the amount of $100,000.
The second location of Angela Preschool and Kindergarten with 99 childcare slots was opened in June 2007. The new center has reached 2/3 of its capacity already and the second loan is nearly paid off.
Belinda is surely on her way to success. Belinda is indeed a model entrepreneur; she is flexible, determined, intelligent, well-rounded, decidedly calculating. She has the added virtue of an open willingness to share her experiences with fellow ETP students.
