Squirrely’s Liquor
Steve Ulrich

Steve Ulrich had been in business for almost 30 years when he decided to move in a new direction. He was the owner of the Wildlife Collection which was a specialty business mounting birds and animals in fine home furnishings. He was now ready to close the business and try something new. He came to the Small Business Development Center for assistance with opening a new liquor store in Kingsville, Texas.

Mr. Ulrich met with his business advisor, Larry Ellis, to work on a business plan and financing for the new store. This was a challenge because the same owner had controlled the liquor store business in Kingsville for 31 years. However, Steve had a plan to quickly capture market share in Kingsville. He started with the perfect location on South Brahma to lease for the business. This would put his store in the best possible position in Kingsville. In addition, Steve personally handcrafted a beautiful bar as the focal point of the store. He also built a special tobacco humidor for the store.
 
Larry Ellis helped the owner put together a SBA loan package to finance the project which was approved and funded. Steve said he was very impressed with the assistance provided by the SBDC. He appreciated the insights and templates provided to him for his store. Since opening, the competition has closed one store and Steve is continuing to increase his commercial accounts. The owner is well positioned to take his liquor store to the next level in coming years!