The greek yogurt craze that has hit grocery store shelves across the nation perhaps can be credited to the brand name, Chobani. Created in the rolling hills of Central New York, this probiotic treat has climbed the ranks of competition to become the #1 selling yogurt in the U.S. shipping 1.7 million cases weekly to grocery stores and food clubs nationwide.

Chobani was founded in 2005 by Hamdi Ulukaya of Turkey. He is the third generation creator of all foods Mediterranean and had a vision to bring his great tasting, natural ingredient foods to the United States. With the help of an SBA-504 loan, Chobani was able to purchase an old Kraft warehouse and start creating the tasty treat that is sweeping across America. The company now employs more than 1,200 and plans to hire an additional 400 when its Idaho plant opens later this year. The 900,000-square-foot high-efficiency facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, will be the largest yogurt plant in the country.[source]

With growth and popularity like that it was probably an easy decision to name Chobani U.S. Small Business Adminitration’s National Entrepreneurial Success of the Year for 2012. Mr. Ulukaya will be accepting the award on behalf of his company on May 22nd in Washington D.C.

For more on this story click here or go to Chobani’s website (here) for full info on their products and even a printable coupon

Small business owners are known for their tenacity and not taking “no” for a final answer. But what options are available for entrepreneurs when they’re unable to find financing for their business through traditional banks?

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has several loan programs available to small businesses for working capital, business acquisitions, real estate purchases and more.   The SBA-504 loan is one of the SBA’s premier loan products, used to purchase or construct a commercial building, make interior improvements to commercial properties or purchase large machinery and equipment.  This loan has a 20-year term, low fixed interest rate and only requires a 10% down payment from most small businesses. Small businesses facing rate increases on existing commercial real estate can also use this loan to refinance their mortgage and take advantage of low SBA rates.  This program is only available until September.

Another alternative financing source is the Community Advantage loan program which provides SBA-guaranteed loans up to $250,000, which can be used for business expansion, working capital, equipment purchases, start-up capital or purchasing an existing business.  It’s a great fit for businesses that have some financial strengths, but don’t fit the credit criteria required by some banks.  Loan terms are 7-10 years with competitive interest rates.

Taking advantage of her resources helped Jocelyn Lee Shoopman land the capital she needed to start her business. This can be difficult for some entrepeneurs when they look to traditional financing for help with their start up.

“I wish I’d called (SCORE) years ago,” Shoopman said.

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. With 364 chapters that hold events and workshops locally across the U.S. and its territories, and match up entrepreneurs with local, volunteer mentors. The SCORE association was founded in 1964 and to date has served more than 8.5 million clients.

Jocelyn Lee Shoopman has her sights on providing fresh-to-order cakes, pies, cookies and a long list of other specialty bakery items from her soon-to-open shop in Rancho Mirage to hotels, restaurants, country clubs and the public. The name of her sweet factory is iPastries. She came up with the idea after numerous restaurants, hotels and other valley establishments laid off pastry chefs and began buying wholesale frozen pastries from Orange County and Los Angeles.

Read Jocelyn’s story from an article in The Desert Sun here and find out more information about SCORE or  one of their offices near you right here.