Upcoming Events

 April 5th, 2018 from 11:30 AM- 1:00 PM –  Women’s Club Creative Ways to Delight Customers
Guest speaker Crystal Matterson, President and Founder of CrystalRaven Consulting LLC will share creative ways to set your business apart by delighting your customers and turning them into Raving Fans for your business.

Crystal is an international business consultant with an MBA from the University of Dallas. She lived in Asia for ten years and consults in management, business structures, project management, operations, trade import/export, Asia sourcing and manufacturing, and digital marketing.
Registration fee is $15 and includes lunch.

This club is for our women entrepreneurs to learn from, network with and support each other. If you’d like to attend and are not a member, you will need to sign up for membership first.   Find out more HERE.
April 6th, 2018 from 8:00 AM- 11:00 AM
WtB Last Chance
April 11th, 2018 from 8:00 AM- 4:15 PM – Local U sponsored by Google

Attend Local University–a full-day workshop about Internet marketing for Austin area businesses.

Featuring a presentation by Google: Learn how to use Google’s local products to acquire new customers, while also engaging and retaining existing ones. We’ll start by walking through claiming your Local Plus page, and then explore other local products.
We’re bringing in some of the leading online marketing experts for an intensive eight-hour crash course in Internet marketing that will help you navigate the possibilities for marketing your business on the web. You’ll learn Search & Social Marketing tips and techniques that will lead to sustained, long-term search engine rankings (and new customers) in your local markets and world wide. Receive a FREE review of your website.

For more details, click HERE. 

 April 21st, Saturday 10 AM to 1 PM
Join PeopleFund for a free credit review.  Confidential and personal credit checks are available through the experts at BB&T! On Thursday, April 20th, experts from BB&T will be on site to review your personal credit and evaluate credit reports for FREEAvailable in English or Spanish.
Here’s your chance to access your free credit report, notice any errors or discrepancies, and learn what you can work on to improve your credit!
Contact dbranch@peoplefund.org to reserve your spot.
 April 30th, Monday 8 AM to 10 AM State of Small Business in Austin Breakfast

The City of Austin Economic Development Department will host the 5th Annual State of Small Business in Austin breakfast at the Norris Conference Center on Monday, April 30, 2018 from 8:30 to 10:00am.

As the kickoff to National Small Business Week, the program will focus on small businesses issues in Austin. Keynote speaker Rosa Rios Valdez, President and CEO of Business and Community Lenders (BCL). Ms. Valdez will discuss the role of economic development organizations to ensure equitable economic development for all small businesses (including creatives). Ms. Valdez will discuss how small businesses are dealing with affordability challenges, funding/ finance issues and trends toward social entrepreneurship. Our intention is that Austin’s civic leaders and small business partners will be able to translate this message into actionable items to prepare our entrepreneurs for upcoming opportunities.

Following the discussion, City of Austin Small Business Awards will be presented to recognize entrepreneurial excellence in our community.

RSVP HERE .
May 9th, Wednesday 9th at 9 AM to 12 PM  8 AM to 10 AM Vietnam and Southeast Asia Briefing
Join us for a briefing on Vietnam and Southeast Asia by US-ASEAN Business Council and Becamex IDC. They will present on business opportunities and resources for entrepreneurs looking to expand to Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Who should attend?
• Manufacturers
• Supply Chains Enterprises (packaging, components, parts)
• Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare
Related Industries
• High-Tech, Electrical & Home Appliances
• Electronic & Telecommunication Equipment, IT, Gaming, Software
• Food & Agri-Business (machinery, processing technology, animal feed)
• Property Developers (retail, condo, hospitality, entertainment & sports)
• Investment & Banking

Agenda
9:00 AM Registration & Networking
9:30 AM Welcome & Program
11:00 AM Q&A
11:30 AM One-on-One meetings
This event is presented by in partnership with the Global Business Expansion City of Austin Economic Development, World Affairs Council of Austin, Becamex, and US ASEAN Business Council.
RSVP HERE. 

Couple Sells Business to Employee of 20 years

 

Gabriel Orozco Goes from Technician to

Proud Owner of S.T.A.R. Windshield Repair


 
Austin, TX:  After working at S.T.A.R. Windshield Repair for more than 20 years, on January 2, 2018, Gabriel Orozco bought the business from the retiring owners, Eileen and Larry Smith.
Larry and Eileen are happy to see Gabriel take over the business that has been serving the Austin area since 1986. “We wish nothing but the best for Gabe,” said former owner, Larry Smith. The Smiths will be helping Orozco through a three-month transition period, to prevent any disruption in service as Orozco makes the transition from technician to owner.
For the last 6 months, Gabriel Orozco has consulted with Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), an organization that provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners. He completed EGBI’s business workshop series and will continue to be coached by EGBI staff to sharpen his business skills through the changeover.  EGBI helped Orozco qualify for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan from PeopleFund for the purchase, and connected Orozco to the University of Texas School of Law Entrepreneurship & Community Development Clinic for legal support.
Orozco looks forward to providing the same excellent service S.T.A.R. Windshield Repair clients are accustomed to.  “As a longtime customer, we are excited to hear Gabriel will be taking over the business and preserving the excellent customer service he has always provided us,” said Roy Reyes at Double R Sport Imports.
About S.T.A.R. Windshield Repair: S.T.A.R. Windshield Repair has served the Austin area as the rock damage repair specialist since 1986. Their mobile service has a lifetime money-back guarantee and provides insurance deductible waivers. For more information, contact the new owner, Gabe Orozco, at 512-576-5154.
 

8th Annual Small Business Saturday® and Shop Small®

Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) lends its support to the 8th Annual Small Business Saturday® and Shop Small® Movement to drive commerce to small businesses.  EGBI participates in this years Small Business Saturday, taking place on November 25th. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting local small businesses and strengthening and celebrating communities across the country.

 
Austin’s a great city for small business. At EGBI, we embrace that spirit by bringing individuals, who historically have had less access to great resources, the support they need to help them become more successful business owners. That includes training, coaching and more, delivered in a comfortable environment in either English or Spanish. We meet our clients at their level as they start, grow and sustain grassroots businesses, contributing to Austin’s economy and the prosperity of their families.  Help us extend Austin’s entrepreneurial opportunity throughout our community. For  the 8th Annual Small Business Saturday® and Shop Small® Movement, EGBI is encouraging their alumni from Emerging Enterprises Training program and other local small business to get ready for the day with promotional banners and signage for their business provided at ShopSmall.com/YourDay .  Be sure to use hashtags #SmallBizSat #ShopSmall when posting about Small Business Saturday® and Shop Small® Movement.
Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2016, an estimated 112 million consumers reported shopping at small businesses on Small Business Saturday, according to the 2016 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.

The day was also championed by elected officials in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Small Business Saturday celebrates the diversity of small businesses across the U.S. and EGBI recognizes the importance of supporting small businesses, the jobs they help create, and the culture they instill in local communities.  According to the U.S. Small Businesses Administration, as of 2014, small businesses nationwide accounted for 63% of net new private-sector jobs created and represented 99.7% of firms with paid employees.

Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com.

ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

November 25th marks the eighth annual Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that can help create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small business owners most pressing need: more customers. Learn more on ShopSmall.com, instagram.com/shopsmall, facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday, twitter.com/shopsmall.  Visit the Shop Small Studio. Download customizable materials and proudly display Small Business Saturday marketing materials to help remind customers that it’s great to Shop Small year-round.

Estimates are based on consumer self-reported data from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey by National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express (November 27, 2016) and do not reflect actual receipts or sales.

EGBI Client Answers, “Where’s the beef?”

Sitotaw Degefaw, EGBI’s recent graduate of the Emerging Enterprises Training Progam, wanted to open a butcher shop similar to his family’s shop in Gonder, Ethiopia.  His desire was for a place where his customers could get fresh, high quality beef and also a place of community for people from East Africa that now live in the Austin area.  In October, Sitotaw made his dreams come true with the opening of Salam’s International Mart & Café at 10009 North Lamar Blvd, Austin Texas 78753 (less than a mile north of Rundberg Ln).
Salam’s offers grass fed beef perfect for people who are looking for a healthier option or who delight in a raw meat cuisine. According to the American Grass Fed Beef Organization, this meat is lower in total fat than grainfed animals, lower in calories and contains extra Omega-3s, which may reduce cancer risks.
Along with his butcher shop, Salam’s has a dine-in area where visitors can enjoy traditional Ethiopian food such as Injera, Kurt, Tibs, Kitfo and Ethiopian coffee. Visitors who can’t stay to eat can pick up their favorite Ethiopian spices to prepare their own meals at home.
Sitotaw graduated from EGBI’s program in June, which propelled him forward to meet his business goals. “Taking the classes helped open my mind. I knew having enough money wasn’t enough to open a business. Studying at EGBI gave me the info to move in the right direction.”  Sitotaw described how Joni Foster, EGBI’s Program Director, helped him face his many hurdles in their one-on-one coaching sessions. “She connected me to the supplier that slaughters the specialty meat according to my countries custom.”  The advice Sitotaw shares with other entrepreneurs is to save money, as financing a business can be a big challenge when starting a business.

2017 Celebrating Success

We want to thank everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and sponsored our 7th Annual Celebrating Success fundraiser. Each year this event honors the achievements of our clients and their contributions to the local economy.
We were joined by our amazing mistress of ceremonies, comedian, and former rocket scientist, Shayla Rivera,  Austin Community College Board of Trustees & Celebrating Success Committee Chair, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D., and Consul for Political and Economic Affairs, Jorge Salcido Zugast.  We heard inspirational video testimonials from our clients with ATX Co-op Taxi and Barbon’s Barbershop.  Christina Paz, owner of Siller Preferred Services, led the audience through her entrepreneurial journey and relationships created along the way through EGBI’s support.

Celebrating Success luncheon also included a business expo, where EGBI clients had an opportunity to showcase and sell their products and services. We were so excited to bring this opportunity to our clients. We have been nurturing our family-owned businesses through education and resources. This was a great way to continue our support by connecting them with a number of community leaders, business consultants, professionals and other entrepreneurs.

We also had the opportunity to honor our volunteer of the year, Fernando Labastida.  As a staff of three, EGBI relies on volunteers as expert instructors, support, and more.  We wanted to acknowledge all of our volunteers’ efforts and assistance throughout the year.

We want to once again thank our sponsors for all your support in helping us connect individuals to the resources and education they need to make them successful business owners. We are proud to announce that more than half of our sponsors were EGBI alumni.
We appreciate the continued support of sponsors, donors, community partners, and volunteers in our efforts to create, grow and sustain successful grassroots businesses, contributing to Austin’s economy and the prosperity of their families.
 

Thank you to our Title sponsor:

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor:

Thank you to our Gold Sponsors:

Barbra Boeta, Judy & Al Lopez, Statefarm – Agent Alejandra De la Torre
           

Thank you to our Silver Sponsors:

Austin Community College, BB&T Bank, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Digi.City, El Paso Oncology and Internal Medicine*, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D.,  PeopleFund, The Critical Update*

Thank you to our Bronze Sponsors:

Austin STEM Academy*, Balam Construction*, BCO Consulting Group*, Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine*, First Citizens Bank, Law Office of Mario Flores, Method Hair Salon*, Peacock Salon*, Ranger Dash Productions*, Red Carpet Productions*, Round Top Bank, Siller Preferred Services*, SouthStar Bank, Tamale Addiction*, The Law Office of Ana Estrada*, Victory Framing*
*EGBI Clients

Ice Cream Cone or Fruit Cup?

Las Mangonadas opened it’s doors in December of 2016 to serve customers a variety of their forty homemade flavors of ice cream,  cakes and pastries made daily, fruit cups, and other tasty snacks.  Claudia Sanchez, the co-owner of Las Mangonadas, learned about the business from her uncle, Alfredo Sanchez,  who was already an entrepreneur. Claudia gained experience through a similar business she helped her uncle with in Illinois until she decided to move back to Austin.  Both created the Austin business to provide the assortment of sweet to salty munchies that also include corn cups, smoothies, Doritos locos, and so much more.  In business for less than a year, they have already started to see growth in sales.
Claudia first became connected with Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) when she attended Curso Empresarial, EGBI’s series of workshops taught in Spanish by local subject matter experts who have years of experience dealing with start-up businesses.  “The workshops helped with the general vision of business and learning from the experience of other attendees and instructors.  I was motivated that running a business was not going to be easy, but with tenacity it was going to be possible.” Claudia continues, ” I continue to receive assistance from EGBI anytime I contact them. They are always ready to help with resources, their knowledge, and encouragement. ”

 

 

Do you have a Tamale Addiction?

Tamale Addiction is famous for being fresh, organic, local, and delicious! Since it first set up at a farmer’s market in 2010, these tamales have managed to collect a following of Tamale Addicts and in the process increasing their production from 80 tamales their first week to now 9000 tamales on a Monday through Friday work week. Their flavors have spread fast through markets and coffee shops around Austin, San Marcos, San Antonio, and major events as ACL Music Festival, Old Settlers Music Festival, Food and Wine Festival, Formula 1 at COTA, etc. Recently these savory meals have made it into local retail stores.  Now their product can be found in Wheatsville Co-op, Royal Blue Grocery, People’s Pharmacy, Fresh Plus, and Thom’s Market. You may even be lucky enough to spot a Tamale Addiction food truck in an office campus near you!
Owner Adrian Paredes and his wife Mariana’s experience in the food industry started in 2009. After a failed venture with Mexican desserts, a new opportunity randomly aroused when a farmer’s market director asked them if they could make and sell tamales (they didn’t know how, but they said “yes”). Over the next days, Adrian and Mariana called every family member they knew to collect recipes, tips, and tricks about making tamales. They worked all week to prepare 80 tamales for their first market. Those tamales were sold out within an hour. The couple rose to the task before them: going organic and local and create vegan and vegetarian options for their customers. They had found the magic!  This is when Tamale Addiction was born.
Due to rapid growth,  Adrian Peredes sought out training and consulting services from the Economic Growth Business Incubator to develop a business plan and financial projections.  “I  am so grateful for the training, support and networking EGBI has given my business.  The business has been such a great adventure for my wife and I.”  – Adrian Paredes.


Launch of the Consular Assistance Special Campaign for Mexican Nationals in Central Texas

The Consulate General of Mexico in Austin announced the launch of the Consular Assistance Special Campaign for Mexican Nationals in Central Texas, a new effort sponsored by the Mexican Government to promote “know your rights” seminars, US citizenship workshops, financial education clinics, and individual consultations with immigration attorneys, among other services.
This initiative is the result of extraordinary resources allocated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico to its consular network in the United States. In Austin, funds will be used in a capacity building effort to better protect the rights and interests of Mexican nationals within the Consulate’s jurisdiction.
The main activities and programs that are part of the campaign are:

  • Know Your Rights Information sessions. Attendees of these sessions will receive information about their rights, what to do in case of detention by an authority, and information about SB4.
  • Immigration screening consultations with immigration attorneys. Through an individualized screening consultation, a person will be able to talk to an immigration attorney to find out if he/she qualifies for any type of immigration relief. The person will receive legal counsel as to his or her potential options, and what next steps to follow.
  • Naturalization clinics. At these clinics, Legal Permanent Residents who qualify will receive legal assistance to apply for U.S. citizenship.
  • Emergency preparedness clinics. Attendees to these clinics will receive information on how to protect their children and properties in case of deportation proceedings. They will receive assistance executing powers of attorney forms, and other legal instruments, as needed. They will also receive useful information in case they decide to return to Mexico.
  • The Financial Assistance Window.This service, located within the Consulate, will provide training and guidance on how to protect patrimony, as well as cultural and linguistically appropriate financial and educational advice with the purpose of increasing financial literacy among the immigrant community.

All services offered will be free of charge to participants. This program was made possible in the collaboration of several organizations and attorneys throughout Central Texas.   Economic Growth Business Incubator was proud to be one of the organizations along with American Gateways,  Asociación de Restauranteros Mexicanos de Texas, Casa Marianella, Catholic Charities of Central Texas, De Mott, McChesney, Curtright and Armendáriz, LLP (DMCA), Education Austin, Equal Justice Center, Foundation Communities, Hispanic Alliance, Lincoln – Goldfinch Law, Migrant Clinician Network, Mis Cuentas, RAICES Texas, The Law Office of Yohana Saucedo, P.C., The Lyttle Law Firm, and Volunteer Legal Services.

  • Mexican and other Latino immigrants interested in knowing more about the campaign or how to take advantage of this opportunity for free services can register at the Consulate’s website https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/austin/, under the Protección tab (Centro de Defensoría).

Why There’s Only One Ideal Type of Salesperson

By Ronell Smith

Last year Rand Fishkin, a Seattle software executive, started an exciting Twitter thread when he let loose a provocative comment regarding sales tactics:

“Best way to sell something—don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect, & trust of those who might buy.”

As you’d expect, the comments that flowed in ranged from total agreement to disagreement bordering on denouncement.

In many ways, everyone is right and wrong: Sales and salespeople get a bad rap, some of it deserved, in large part because the worst examples (i.e., pushy, sometimes sleazy tactics) stick out in our minds and override those occasions when salespeople were actually quite helpful.

We have our brains to blame for the contempt, says Clifford Nass, a Stanford communications professor and co-author of The Man Who Lied to His Laptop: What Machines Teach Us About Human Relationships, said in a New York Timespiece on the topic.

Click To Enlarge
Why There’s Only One Ideal Type of Salesperson Infographic

Don’t Forget About Good Customer Service When Growing Your Business

By Al Lopez, EGBI Executive Director
Too often, small business owners and startups are so focused on becoming known and marketing themselves to the wider public that they forget about the importance of good customer service. Either they fail to take into account customer satisfaction or they begin to take their earliest customers for granted. However, don’t let the pursuit of fast growth blind you to the need for good customer service.
First and most importantly, good customer service is the foundation of building a trusted brand with an engaged and loyal customer base. Especially in the digital era, the power of word-of-mouth marketing cannot be underestimated. If customers aren’t happy with the service they have received, they won’t just tell their friends – they will also let everyone on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram know about it as well.
But look what happens when you keep a close focus on customer service: you can convert regular customers into super-customers of your business. Marketers often refer to these super-customers as “brand ambassadors” or “evangelists.” And it’s exactly these ambassadors and evangelists who can really help your startup grow and take it to the next level. After all, it is much cheaper to retain a customer or gain a referral than it is to find a new customer.
The most obvious way existing customers can help to jump-start your growth is by bringing repeat business. You no longer have to worry about churning through customers and finding new ones. And, it is often the case that customers will trust you to take on bigger and bigger projects as they gain confidence with you. For example, a loyal customer who comes into your restaurant on a regular basis might decide to hire you for a big catering project that can help take your new restaurant in a new growth direction.
You also won’t have to worry about spending a bigger and bigger piece of your overall budget on marketing. Your customers will do your marketing for you. They will make word-of-mouth referrals for you and let everyone know what a quality product or service you deliver each time. Best of all, these are authentic reviews. Nobody is paying them to say something nice about you, and that’s something that readers or viewers will immediately recognize. Authentic customer testimonials can be very powerful indeed.
That’s why a satisfied customer is good, but a delighted customer is best. There are many ways to “surprise and delight” your customers with good customer service. If you’re paying attention on social media, for example, you can sometimes pre-empt any problems a customer might be having. It’s best to get ahead of a concern on Twitter than to let a few bad tweets get out there!
And, you can choose to surprise and delight customers around special times of the year – such as with a special year-end holiday gift. Even a small gesture – like giving away a complimentary dessert “on the house” to help celebrate a special anniversary – can create a very loyal customer.
So you can see why quality customer service is really the key to sustaining and growing your business. Every interaction with a customer can become an opportunity to deepen the relationship and ensure that your customers are as happy with you now as when they first started using your product or service.
In short, quick and rapid growth is not just about piling up new customers as fast as you can – it’s also about making sure that your existing customers are still enthusiastic about what you offer. Great customer service is the key to growing your business.

Customer service