Small businesses spur new economy

Claudia Viek thinks Servio Gomez is at the heart of the new economy. A native of El Salvador who once sold oranges at the end of a Los Angeles freeway offramp, Gomez worked in a San Francisco frame shop and then, with dreams of being his own boss, opened a store of his own. It flopped, but that was just the start of his story. Gomez didn't quit. He enrolled in a business-planning course given by a local nonprofit, pulled together a few bucks and started over on Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District. This time his store survived and grew. Gomez has opened a second frame shop that his brother runs and two coffeehouses, one in the Mission and another in Bayview. The story is important for at least two reasons. First, it illustrates the value that a little professional help can bring to a struggling entrepreneur.... [read full story]