Alacran Landscaping
“There is a language to business and having someone from the SBDC to talk to about your plans and ideas, and where you want to be in the next five years means that now we have a direction, a path to stick to and get there.”
“Everyone has a dream of having their own business, but to commit to it and determine why you’re opening a business, it helps you to see it becoming real.”
Gustavo Martinez laughs as he describes the first years of owning his Napa landscaping business as ‘building a plane while flying it.’
Martinez, owner of Alacran Landscaping, said it all started in 2020 when his wife, who runs a Montessori preschool from their home, wanted to remodel their backyard for her students. The initial quote was high, and Martinez decided to do it himself – ‘DIY style’.
He never expected that project to become a passion. It was a lot of work and he was often at the hardware store multiple times a day. But once the project was complete, he realized he wanted to do more. By the end of 2020, he had his City of Napa business license.
He operates his business part-time and has dreams of being able to expand one day. Working with the Solano-Napa SBDC the last two years has helped him to elevate his business and be more prepared to take that professional leap when the time is right.
“There is a language to business and having someone from the SBDC to talk to about your plans and ideas, and where you want to be in the next five years means that now we have a direction, a path to stick to and get there,” he said.
Martinez first connected with the Solano-Napa SBDC in 2023 for the City of Napa’s Leaf Blower Rebate program. He was approved to receive the rebate on his newly purchased battery-operated blower, the first in his line of equipment to become battery powered.
A few months later, he learned about the SBDC’s Napa Success Accelerator program. The seven-week program, funded by Napa County, consisted of 40 Napa businesses creating pitch presentations. The business owners that completed all components of the program were awarded grants of $2,500.
Martinez was selected for a cohort through a lottery in January of 2024.
“Prior to the program, I had ideas for the framework of my business plan, like the mission and vision, but to sit down and get it on paper and have someone walk you through the process, it was very helpful,” he said. “Everyone has a dream of having their own business, but to commit to it and determine why you’re opening a business, it helps you to see it becoming real.”
His hope is to one day be able to work full-time with Alacran Landscaping. When that time comes, he will have an impressive collection of battery-powered equipment ready to go. He used his grant money from Napa Success to purchase additional batteries to help him power his leaf blower, trimmer, and chainsaw.
“As soon as I decided I wanted to make this a business, I decided my niche would be that I would be all electric,” Martinez said. “The only thing that’s not electric yet is my truck – but I’m saving up! My business is all about beautifying outdoor spaces and doing it as organically as possible.”