Small Business Owner's Survival Story

LAS VEGAS -- The recession is creating a new reality for small business owners.?Some of them?are staying afloat by the skin of their teeth.?One local pizzeria owner says sacrifice and a commitment to people has kept him?profitable.

At Biaggio's Pizzeria, the ingredients of success are simple. A handful of flexibility, a double order of drive and a commitment to customers peppered with a lot of persistence.

The poor economy?left?a bad taste in Biaggio Zaby's mouth and he started noticing a drop in customers at his pizzeria now located Flamingo and Ft. Apache Roads.

"Everybody has taken a big hit just like we have," owner Biaggio Zaby said.

"Everybody's just tightening up, tightening up," customer Carol Ann Dechan said.

"The recession changed the way everybody buys things," Zaby added.

His solution was sacrifice. He took expensive items off his menu and switched locations for cheaper rent. That savings allowed him to slash his prices and keep his customer base.

"They're doing what they have to do,"?Mike Bindrup said. He is with the Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV. Bindrup says 90 percent of small businesses fail within the first five years.

"A lot of times a small business owner is very ill-equipped for what they're going to face in the actual market in the market conditions," he said.

The center is like a big brother for small businesses. It performs financial analysis to help increase productivity and cut costs.

Zaby?says he relies on his?ability to understand customers like?Dechan.

"People are holding onto their money because the way the economy is," Dechan said.

She?is also?a small business owner and says supporting places like Zaby's?creates a snowball effect in southern Nevada.

"It helps everybody, it helps you not get laid off, it helps him have a job," Dechan said.

Sales are steady for Zaby. He says no matter the struggle, success starts with the purest of ingredients.?

"My heart and my love for people and for great food," he said.

Zaby says social media has also been a huge asset in getting the word out about his restaurant. Biaggio's Pizzeria celebrates its first anniversary next week.

If you're a small business owner and need advice, you can visit?Nevada Small Business Development Center.

Source: http://www.8newsnow.com/story/15519131/small-business-owner

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