Successes

George Guizar knows his way around a construction site. He started building houses when he was just nine-years-old. He is now the proud owner of Service King Electric. It wasn’t an easy road for George, and he had to put in a lot of time and effort along the way. With mentorship from his boss Martin, electrical instruction and certification from the Center for Employment Training (CET), and entrepreneurial courses from My Own Business Institute (MOBI), George is well on his way to achieving his business goals.

Business Description: Service King Electric provides electrical services to homes, businesses, new construction sites, large retail stores such as Petco and Walmart, and the service channel for shopping malls all over the Bay Area of northern California. Service King Electric does it all, and always puts people first. Whether projects involve upgrades, expansions, code compliance, remodels, problem solving, or energy efficiency, the focus of the job is safety. George says his main occupation is to make things work properly and keep people safe.

How it Got Started: George started framing houses at a young age and learned all the aspects of home construction. He took a job with power provider PG&E in 2000 and began to focus on electrical work. He worked for PG&E until the San Bruno pipeline explosion of 2010 forced the company to make substantial layoffs. George then got an electrical job with a small company where the owner Martin treated him like a son. Martin mentored George and encouraged him to pursue the proper certifications and licenses he needed to own his own business one day. When Martin’s health began to fail, they both knew George would be the right person to inherit Martin’s business. George was the son Martin had always dreamed of leading his business when he no longer could.

Through hard work and persistence George earned the certifications required to become an electrical business owner, approximately 20 are needed! CET provided the electrical training George needed to meet this goal. Electricians must also have ten years experience, five directly under an owner, in order to own a business. George was able to meet this requirement through his work with PG&E and under Martin. He also pursued a contractor’s licence, which took about a year and a half. With a contractor’s license George is able to work on new construction projects as well as existing sites.

George now teaches in the electrical program at CET to help others earn their certifications. While there, he learned about the partnership with My Own Business Institute and the entrepreneurial courses offered by MOBI onsite at CET.

How the My Own Business Institute Course helped: MOBI’s Starting a Business course shed a lot of light on the business and organizational aspects of owning a business. George learned about business insurance, licensing and permits, legal issues, accounting and bookkeeping, and marketing. “Before MOBI, I was learning it all the hard way,” says George. “By taking the MOBI course I got a lot of information about what I need to do outside of electrical work to build the business. Anybody who takes the classes is blessed to get the information.”

George has recently been working on obtaining the proper insurance for himself, his company, and possible future employees. He is also developing a logo and website. He has been running his business for the past two years, but the MOBI course gave him the knowledge and tools to bring it to the next level and make it more efficient at the same time. For example, George recently bought organizational supplies to help him track his expenses so he can do his own bookkeeping.

What’s next for George? George is excited about the next phase of Service King Electric. With a great logo, website, an employee or two, and continued focus on people and safety, he is ready for growth. He hopes to expand his business and increase his revenue and profit substantially over the next few years.