Beverly Hills Mint

Beverly Hills Mint

What it does: Commercial and residential real estate financing
Founder: Daniel Negari, 23
Web site: www.beverlyhillsmint.com
Based: Beverly Hills, Calif.

Then: Daniel Negari, who invested in an Arizona property at the height of the real estate bubble, opened Beverly Hills Mint, a real estate and finance business, in 2006. The company, with 14 commission-only brokers and two full-time employees, brokered $5 million worth of commercial and residential loans in 2008. Despite the credit crunch, Negari remained optimistic.

Now: Negari slashed his workforce to three full-time employees and restructured his operations to cope with the recession but continues to say he's optimistic. He focuses on his high-worth accounts: the six clients who provide 70% of his revenue. He expects more than $1 million in revenue in 2009.