Sunbelt Business Brokers of Coachella Valley
Palm Desert, California

Richard Smetana, CBI - 760-333-1118 (mobile)
Broker, President, DRE #1441594 Richard earned his CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) designation from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). He has been assisting buyers and sellers in small businesses since he purchased the Sunbelt office in July, 2004. Sunbelt has over 300 offices throughout the U. S. and 25 offices within California. He represents business owners and buyers in East Riverside County, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. The territory includes all cities in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio), from Idyllwild, Banning and Beaumont to Blythe and the Colorado River.
Prior to becoming a business broker, Richard had a successful career in management of privately held corporations in the restaurant and resort industry. He was the Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of a corporation developed and operated by Desert Development, Inc., a subsidiary of Lowe Enterprises. Richard had the responsibilities of overseeing the operations of this six million dollar gross revenue business, including establishing budgets, financial controls, hiring and organizing multiple departments. After this corporation was successfully sold, Richard purchased Sunbelt Business Brokers of Coachella Valley.

Richard has management, financial, organizational and marketing skills. He has a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) from Eastern Michigan University Business School. He has a post graduate degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Northern Virginia College and did post graduate studies in accounting at UCLA. In addition to being a member of IBBA, he is also a member of California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, Rotary Club, the National and California Restaurant Associations, and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA).

Richard has been living in the Coachella Valley for over eighteen years and is active in the community. He is very proud to be a founding member of the Board of Directors and past President of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Desert.


R. Darlene Marcus 970-560-5601 (mobile) DRE #01845783 Darlenes extensive management and entrepreneurial career has provided her with a strong foundation in strategic planning; operations management; sales and marketing; client relationship management; business analysis, evaluation and consulting. During her career she has worked for Fortune 500 companies where in executive management positions she excelled at starting new revenue channels, and turning lackluster divisions around. As an entrepreneur she has started several successful companies, purchased others and been involved with various levels of financing scenarios from start-up to mezzanine, to long term capital arrangements both for asset and stock purchases. She has also assisted buyers in finding franchise opportunities throughout the United States.

Having worked with both entrepreneurial and rapidly growing businesses, Darlene has gained invaluable first hand insight into the nuances and intricacies of business acquisitions and sales, in integration of those assets, and in achieving desired results. As a business owner herself, she understands the myriad of issues facing business owners and what it takes to position an owner for a successful exit strategy. It is her experience as a business owner that has uniquely positioned her to provide critical guidance in assisting business owners develop a well thought out exit plan that enhances business value, personal satisfaction, and a smooth transition from the business to other pursuits.

Darlene has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Pasadena College and did post graduate studies at Iona College. She has also completed numerous business related courses offered by the University of Michigan, Harvard School of Business and Wharton. Darlene is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB).


Dana Drake - 760-574-0092 (mobile)
Dana Drake's past experience has been primarily as a sales and marketing executive, both in a corporate environment and as an entrepreneur. During the first 15 years of his corporate career, Dana developed many professional business skills such as meeting and speaking with the senior principals of a business; negotiating with executive level management; creating sales, marketing and business plans; and, managing sales and marketing organizations. During the past 12 years, Dana found working for himself to be far more rewarding than working in a corporate environment. He is an entrepreneur at heart and now through Sunbelt would like to help others realize their dreams of independence by assisting them in buying or selling a business. Dana possesses many of the qualities required to be successful in business brokerage including persistence, organization, good communication, problem solving, honesty and trustworthiness, and motivation to face the challenges required to complete a business sale transaction. As business clients get to know Dana better, they will gain confidence in his talents to best represent and protect both buyers and sellers, and to help negotiate the best possible deal for their respective business goals. This certainly is a win-win for all parties involved with Dana.


We are pleased to announce that Jay Castro has joined Sunbelt Business Brokers Coachella Valley. He will be responsible for franchise sales and development. He comes to us with an impressive resume: CEO, COO, VP marketing & sales, business owner and consultant. After a very busy career, Jay retired in 2002. One can only play so much golf, so in 2004 he re-entered the business world as a franchise specialist. He understands the consultation process and is very sensitive to what an applicant goes through in making this life changing decision. "Ideally, the chosen franchise should support a client's personal and financial goals while at the same time, fueling their passion for life." We all look forward to this adventure in discovery. Welcome aboard Jay.


Ed Hinckley - 510-847-7508 (mobile)
Eds successful Controller/Chief Financial Officer career took him from Fortune 500 Companies to small/mid size family owned businesses, developing Profit Plans, cash budgets, growth strategies, analyzing financial statements to obtain clear, concise, decision-relevant information. As a certified One Page Business Plan consultant, Ed helps entrepreneurs clarify their companys Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies and Action Plans. Ed believes, simple is better!

Eds analytical skills and financial background positions him well to assist both Sellers and Buyers in achieving their respective goals. A skilled presenter, Ed has taught business at the college level for many years and has become a patient listener. His wife even agrees. Not satisfied with only one or perhaps two careers, Ed retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve after 28 years of service, achieving the rank of Commander.

Ed has a Masters Degree from Central Michigan University (areas of emphasis: mgmt and accounting), and has completed graduate level studies at Ohio State University. Ed is a member of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB).


Wes Monty
Wes has more than thirty years of business leadership experience including turnaround, acquisition and divestiture, startup and CFO experience. Wes began his business career in finance for a major retailer, moved into CFO duties in the food service and the media industries, and spent 13 years in CEO roles prior to his current career in Mergers and Acquisitions. Wes has led turnarounds in the media and distribution industries and has also taught others how to lead business transitions. His areas of focus include financial leadership and restructuring, strategic planning and implementation, new business development, sales management, market building, customer-focused data collection, and process management. His real-world experience includes:
Developed and led the strategy for a media company that built revenue from $16 million to over $40 million in five years through the acquisition of businesses and new product lines.
Instrumental in acquiring businesses and negotiating multi-million dollar licensing agreements with major corporations. Also experienced in negotiating international contracts for the acquisition of various types of businesses and intellectual properties.
Successfully led the integration of several acquisitions into the culture of the acquiring corporation while maintaining employee morale and revenue growth.

Mr. Monty fully understands that successful mergers and acquisitions must have a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Wes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance - Lawrence University, MI. Wes has been on the Board of Directors for: Sea Movies, Inc. Los Angeles, CA 1993 to 1996, KKFI Films Tokyo, Japan 1989 to 1996, Visual Education Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1991 to1994, and SportatHome.com Inc.