Success Stories
Natalie Bissoon
Complete Optometry Care
Queens- NYSBDC at York College
After graduation from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2007 Natalie Bissoon practiced in corporate, private, and educational settings to gain experience. Each environment taught her different aspects of running an optometrist’s office. She was an Adjunct Professor at New York City College of Technology for 9 years where she lectured in the Vision Care Department. Her Complete Optometry Care office at Richmond Hill provides comprehensive eye exams and offers a sophisticated selection of eyewear. Dr. Bissoon is examining the eyes of grandchildren that were patients of the office’s founding eye doctor in 1923. She fits all types of contact lenses including toric for astigmatism, rigid gas permeable contacts for disorders such as kerataconus, bifocal contact lenses, as well as spherical and colored contact lenses. She manages ocular manifestations of systemic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and HIV to name a few. Dr. Bissoon was referred to the SBDC by a mortgage lender she contacted when she was ready to expand the clinic in which she had been working. With assistance from Adviser Brian Yeung at the NYSBDC at York College, Dr. Bissoon was able to get a SBA 504 loan from Flushing Savings Bank to buy a commercial property for her business. As a result of the expansion, one job was created and two jobs saved. Dr. Natalie Bissoon told her SBDC adviser, “I have wanted to be an eye doctor since I was 12 years old. I also knew that I wanted to be in private practice. It takes dedication to your patients and perseverance to overcome obstacles.”
Doctor Yelena Ladyzhenskaya
Practicing Dentist in Brooklyn
Queens- NYSBDC at York College
Doctor Yelena Ladyzhenskaya, DDS is a practicing Dentist in Brooklyn with more than 17 years of experience. Her business had grown and she was in need to expand into another location. She decided to purchase an office condo nearby that would more than double her current space, she came to the center looking for assistance. The NYSBDC at York College and the NYBDC worked with the client to understand the 504 process, get estimates, develop projections, and obtain a construction loan and then a 504 loan.
Yageshwar Ramdial
Financial controller/Business Owner
Queens- NYSBDC at York College
Yageshwar Ramdial, is a financial controller by profession and with retail business experience also runs a successful home based accounting/taxation consultation business on the side. Mr. Ramdial is currently the financial controller for a $100M direct marketing firm on the East side of Manhattan, New York. He previously had an overseas retail business that he sold a few years ago. As retail experienced business owner he decided to look for an opportunity to invest in a semi-absentee type of business. He saw a great opportunity in Richmond Hill, Queens a location in a busy street with high foot traffic. This is a mix middle class neighborhood with high population density of 40,000 per square mile and with over 50% in renter population. Just across the road is a large 24-hour Rite Aid pharmacy, restaurant and many other retails stores on the same block. In addition, there are many multifamily and apartment buildings located nearby. Mr. Ramdial decided to open a brand new “AR Laundromat” because according to his initial researches, he found out that historically the laundry business has stood the test of time. It’s a recession proof business that provides strong cash flow regardless of the state of economy. Not to mention it is easy to manage with little or no overhead costs. This laundromat will be the only 24-hour laundromat in this neighborhood (within 10 blocks in either direction) and surrounded by residences with no potential competitor. His business will be offering a wide range of services ranging from self-service to full-service washing, drying and dry cleaning services in a comfortable air condition location with flat screen TVs, vending machines and gaming for the kids while doing laundry. The location is an ideal walking distance for many residences and offers easy parking for those customers living a bit further away. Even though, Mr. Ramdial had some significant savings and was able to get the laundromat equipment financed by Dexter his equipment vendor and also his experience and professional background he was having some difficulty to get additional fund to fully fund his startup business. He decided to get help from SCORE so he contacted Mr. Edward Cowen to get a start-up loan. Mr. Cowen not having success referred the client to us. After making some adjustments to his financial projections, I did help the client to polish up his loan proposal and referred the client to my contact a M&T bank Mr. Cappuccio a branch manager who was very diligent with the client business loan request.
Nancy Martinez
Entrepreneur, Business owner and Philanthropist
Queens- NYSBDC at York College
Nancy Martinez is a longtime resident of the Rockaways in Queens who has also lived abroad and traveled the world, but her heart has always led her back to the Rockaways. She is a dynamic entrepreneur, business owner, and philanthropist who possess the tenacity to launch a successful business and the compassion to help those in need. She experienced a traumatic change in her life due to an accident which resulted in her brother becoming a paraplegic. This trauma instilled a deep sense of helping others in need by “sharing what we had rather than worrying about what we didn’t have” stated Ms. Martinez. Her experiences both at home in the Rockaways and in other countries have cultivated her desire to assist children, especially the poor, orphaned and ill by establishing charitable campaigns and causes that provide more than medical supplies, food, and clothing. Nancy spent over a decade in the healthcare industry learning about health care regulations, designing patient care standards and learning how to run a successful business. Her goal was to establish a business that could assist people with starting a career path in the healthcare industry. In 2010, she opened the New York Career Training School, LLC in Far Rockaway. Today, the New York Career Training School offers courses in three different languages- English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese because of the diversity of students representing over 25 countries and nationalities. To date, the Training School has graduated over 12,000 students and with an estimated rate of over 98%, employing close to 11,760 of her graduates. In March of 2017, Ms. Martinez was elected to the Board of Directors of the Joseph P. Addabbo Health Clinics. Nancy’s compassion and commitment to her community include the founding and development of Rockaway Adult Social Center in Far Rockaway as a tribute to many of the seniors who supported and stood by her when she launched her business. In September of 2016, Nancy established an international foundation “Tocando Corazones” (Touching Hearts) that provides educational and health care needs worldwide. In the past years, Nancy has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the community and has been a recipient of several awards and honors.