Petit Collage

Petit Collage’s eco-friendly, vintage-inspired room décor and accessories have captured the hearts of parents everywhere, as well as the attention of tastemakers such as Martha Stewart and the New York Times. Owner and designer Lorena Siminovich had been building Petit Collage steadily for five years when she realized the business was experiencing growing pains. The San Francisco-based company’s increasing popularity required a sustainable strategy and Lorena reached out to us for support.

Kicking off with a strategy roundtable, a crew of our volunteer advisors identified key issues for Petit Collage to address in managing its growth. Following that initial session, four volunteers devoted one-on-one time to the business. From developing a granular budget to analyzing operational structure, to setting up HR systems for proper compliance, our advisors spent 40 hours supporting Lorena and her team.

August 2016 Update

Lorena Siminovich and Ben Singer have been working together for a year now. Lorena initially started working with Ben when she became a borrower from PCV’s Small Business Loan Fund, which she used for working capital, a larger space, inventory, and to hire a new employee. Lorena’s business, Petit Collage based in San Francisco, has been gracing the toy shelves of children for almost a decade  and has grown to triple its revenue since joining our community.  In the time that Lorena has worked with PCV they’ve expanded from museum stores and local toy and children’s shops to selling their toys online and across the globe.  When Lorena realized she needed support and a thought partner to assist her with Petit Collage’s growth, she came to us and requested to be paired with an advisor who could guide her as she scaled her business, and Ben was the perfect fit for her.

Ben is the Managing Director of Global Business Initiatives at Hyland’s Homeopathic, a health company in Los Angeles with a focus on the well-being of babies and children. They immediately started on creating three- and five-year plans, and assessing their Amazon.com sales, and staffing strategies.  They’ve been on a roll ever since, working on a myriad of challenges from building a sales team to resolving HR issues to creating a sound financial foundation.

They both share that the match is a massive success. Ben perfectly summed it up with this quote:

“We have developed a very good on-going working relationship that goes beyond a ‘one’ story anecdote.”

Since their match launched, Lorena’s been featured in CNBC’s list of Latino small business owners who’ve reached their first million in revenue. Their pairing has since transformed in to a professional friendship, and when Ben’s in town, they make a point to see one another.  Lorena shared that “[her] business wouldn’t be the same without his advice.”  Ben’s support has given Lorena the confidence to grow Petit Collage even further.

Could your small business benefit from free advice or a fair and affordable loan? PCV can help. Learn more about our advising program or our loan program.