Quiero empezar mi negocio, pero no lo sé todo.

Posted on by Intern in Business Tips, In Spanish, Uncategorized

Por Leonardo Pozzobon

Emprender un negocio puede ser una aventura, un reto o algo que da miedo. Pregúntele a cualquier emprendedor que por qué empezó su negocio, y responderán cosas personales como “quiero trabajar en lo que me apasiona, y convertir mi hobby en un negocio”, “no soy un empleado, no está en mí tener un jefe, yo necesito dirigir y ser mi propio jefe”, o inclusive “había una oportunidad”, “este mercado existía y estaba vacío” y “yo podía hacerlo mejor”. Sigue indagando y llegará el tema “Si hubiera sabido esto antes me habría ido mejor”, y el emprendedor va a hablar de cosas que le causaron dolor y que usted puede aprender. Todos los emprendedores tienen historias para compartir sobre pasar noches sin dormir tratando de resolver problemas operativos o haber perdido negocios por falta de experiencia o no saber la respuesta a un problema. Por esto y mucho más, es importante tener acceso a recursos de quien aprender y a donde pedir consejos cuando se está en problemas.

Lamentablemente, las mejores oportunidades para aprender y ser un mejor empresario muchas veces vienen después de fracasar con un negocio anterior. Cuando estás en las malas, pasas mucho tiempo ocupado “apagando fuegos”, y no es sino cuando cierras la empresa que tienes la oportunidad de hacer un “post mortem” y entender qué pasó. Por esta razón, es importante no perder la cordura, estar consciente de cambios dentro y fuera del negocio, y hacer cambios antes que sea muy tarde.

Con respecto a este tipo de aprendizajes, es fácil buscar en Google y conseguir cientos de resultados por estas líneas: “10 cosas que debí haber sabido antes de empezar mi empresa”, “7 cosas que debes saber antes de abrir tu negocio”, “ 5 cosas importantes que aprendí con mi empresa” etc. Por supuesto, dos personas con negocios y estilos de vida totalmente diferentes van a tener aprendizajes y experiencias muy distintas, pero no hace daño escucharlos a todos y tomar nota de lo que a uno lo va a beneficiar más. Aquí hay varios aprendizajes que aplican para la mayoría de los emprendedores:

  • Vas a tener que ocuparte del negocio las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana

La diferencia más grande entre un trabajo formal y un negocio es el horario, o mejor dicho la falta de horario. Siempre va a haber un riesgo de que un proveedor tenga un problema durante la noche o un cliente tenga un problema durante el fin de semana. Tomando en cuenta estas posibilidades, haz un plan de contingencia para atender a tu cliente, y organiza a tu equipo para poder recuperarte ante cualquier eventualidad.

  • Optimiza, Externaliza y Automatiza todo lo que puedas

En EGBI hablamos con frecuencia de “Los Cuatro Roles Que Toma El Emprendedor” (Gerente de Producto, Administrador y Organizador, Vendedor y Mercadeo, Gerente de Finanzas), y queremos que entiendas la importancia de dedicar la mayor parte del tiempo a aquel rol que eres bueno. Tu trabajo de emprendedor empieza ocupándote de varios roles, y cuando tu empresa tenga cierta tracción, será hora de comenzar a buscar especialistas y así te puedas dedicar a lo que más te gusta.

  • Un trabajo medio tiempo te dará Paz Mental

Al dejar tu trabajo de tiempo completo y dedicarte a tu negocio, estás también dejando de tener un ingreso fijo y constante, y pasando a depender de variaciones temporales en tus ingresos. Para minimizar el riesgo al que te expones, puedes ahorrar y crear un pulmón financiero que te apoyará, o también conseguir un trabajo de medio tiempo que te dé una pizca de estabilidad y paz mental.

  • Cuando empiezas, todos a tu alrededor se van a emocionar y querrán ayudarte. Cuando necesites esta ayuda, te va a costar encontrarla.

La gente a tu alrededor estará emocionada y ansiando tu éxito. Sin embargo, nada garantiza que el día que necesites ayuda estarán disponibles. Por esta razón, es importante tener acceso a recursos seguros (consultores, coaches, EGBI, etc.) que estarán disponibles para ayudarte en los malos momentos.

Con esto en mente, espero ya sepas que el camino del emprendedor trae consigo dificultades y retos que hoy no hay forma de predecir, y tienes que tomar todas las oportunidades que aparezcan para aprender. Estas dificultades que mencioné arriba no son el fin del mundo, y manejar un negocio no es imposible. Los retos existen para que tú te mejores a ti mismo y a tu negocio, y el día que sientas que te enfrentes con dificultades que no sepas atacar, eres bienvenido en EGBI para entrenamiento, coaching y apoyo.

Shirts Write Men Business Help Discussion Two

I want to start my own business, but I don’t know everything.

Posted on by Intern in Business Tips, Uncategorized

By Leonardo Pozzobon

f you ask entrepreneurs why they started their businesses, motives spread all over the place, from following passion and wanting to turn a hobby into a business; being personally unable to hold an office job and needing to be its own boss; all the way to just “I saw an opportunity”, “I saw a market”, “I saw room for improvement”. After this, conversations often go into the “I wish I knew” topic, and that’s where pain starts talking by itself. You will hear stories about sleepless nights trying to solve operational problems and lost business opportunities due to lack of experience or not knowing where to find an answer. Thus, it always helps to have resources to learn from and reach out to in times of trouble.

The learning chance that helps one become a better business owner often comes as a result of a previously failed business. When the business owner is busy putting out fires day and night, it is only after failure that one will take the time to do a postmortem and understand what went wrong. Thus, it is important to stay on your feet, listen to your business, and make timely changes if/when needed.

A quick google search will get you to hundreds of “10 things I wish I knew before starting a business”, “7 things to know before opening your business”, “5 things I learned from running a business” and similar results. Of course this experience will be very different for people running different businesses and with different lifestyles, but here is a list of selected quotes I found quite relevant for most entrepreneurs:

  • Running the business takes 24/7

The biggest difference between a 9-to-5 job and being a business owner is the total lack of a fixed schedule. There is always the possibility for your client to have an issue with your product at an inconvenient time, or a supplier to have trouble in the middle of the night. Consider these possibilities, have contingency plans to address your customer’s needs, and organize responsibilities among your employees to ensure resiliency.

  • Optimize, outsource and automate everything you can

We at EGBI take our time to explain “The Four Roles An Entrepreneur Must Take” (Product Manager, Organizer and Manager, Marketer and Salesperson, Financier), and we emphasize that the entrepreneur must focus on the roles he is best at. Start by wearing many hats, but as soon as you have some traction, consider the best use of your scarce time will rely on dedicating your full attention to what you’re best at and outsourcing or hiring for other activities.

  • A part-time gig gives peace of mind

Once you give up a regular full time job in place of a business, you will be subject to the whims of seasonality and economic ups and downs. You can plan for these risks either by building a strong savings lung, or having a part-time gig to supplement the varying income from the business. This resiliency will give you peace of mind.

  • At the beginning everyone is excited and ready to help. When help is needed, it’s hard to come by.

People want you to succeed, and as soon as you start will get excited for your success. However, not everyone is willing or available to help you when you’re in such need for help. What should you do? Find access to reliable resources to help you through the hard times, find mentors, find a business coach.

With all this in mind, you should now know that you will face unexpected challenges, and learn from every opportunity you have. These common challenges I mentioned are not the end of the world, and do not mean that running a business is impossible. Challenges and obstacles are there for you to improve yourself and your business, and once you get to such a point in your entrepreneurial adventure, you will be more than welcome at EGBI for training, coaching and support.

Shirts Write Men Business Help Discussion Two


Celebrating 15 years of success: napegados

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Learn how to promote your business to Spanish speaking consumers.

Celebrating success is our annual event, and we celebrate the achievements of our clients and their impact on the local economy. This year will be a special year for us as we celebrate our 15th anniversary with our vision that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable and assets to the community. We have been interviewing a client each week to share their success stories, with a total of 15 businesses. Veronica Trevisan is our last story as our event is this Friday!

Veronica Trevisan is owner of Napegados, a strategist with a proven special method to help Spanish speaking small business owners use social media and online tools. Her company also assist company’s wanting to reach Spanish speaking consumers, communicate with culturally relevant campaigns.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Veronica Trevisan.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: I am independent of my own schedule. I can negotiate a contract and make my own decision. I teach my clients step by step through online videos that are practical.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I have been working with EGBI since 2011. I graduated from the EGBI business workshop series. I learned from Barbra and other experts. Also, I was encouraged to network with other great resources like the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by Monica. I could get 1-year free membership from one of the chamber that support EGBI in their efforts. EGBI is always open to set up the appointments and help plan each business idea together.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

A: I like to commute around the city with my green electric bike in my free time. I enjoy the weather in Austin. On my bike I am able to find beautiful places close to my home where I may never have realized was there in my car.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

A: My clients have a huge barrier to learn things in English. I train and teach clients in Spanish to remove language barriers for them. I solve the problem of their marketing problems and use technology to manage their business. Many of my clients have become my friends.

Veronica Trevisan is the last of the 15 clients we have shared stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. If you would like to further encourage these businesses, think about using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

Celebrating Success Luncheon is this Friday, September 6th, 2019. We are happy to announce it is SOLD OUT! If you have already reserved your seat and need more information about the event, please visit HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: mtz brothers

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Providing a professional painting and full remodeling experience.

Celebrating Success is our annual event, we applaud our clients’ achievements and their impact on the local economy. This year will be extra special as we celebrate our 15 year anniversary of our clients fulfilling our vision that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community. Leading to our big commemoration we have been interviewing a client each week to share their success story, with a total of 15 clients. Previously we featured Miranda Melendez.

Ramiro Martinez is co owner of MTZ Brothers Painting. His company provides high level of expertise, service, and professionalism that differentiate them from every other painting, drywall and remodeling company in the area.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Ramiro Martinez.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: The main value my career added to my business is that as a business owner I need to wear different hats at the same time. It also allows me the freedom to spend valuable time with my family. I also have been able to help other members of my family; like my niece to whom I gave a laptop as a present. With that tool, she could improve her grades at school.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I have worked with EGBI since 2015. EGBI helped me to find alternatives and options on how to run a small family business company.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

A: The fact that I started my company in the last economic recession and since then we never stopped working has been one of my biggest accomplishments.  We are A+ with the Better Business Bureau. Thanks to our customers, most of them repetitive, we could evolve. Nowadays we not only provide painting and drywall, but full bathroom and kitchen remodeling plus decks, as well.

Q: What is your greatest wish?

A: Providing our services nationwide is my greatest wish.

Ramiro Martinez is the 14th of the 15 clients we have shared stories about leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further help these businesses and others we serve, consider using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.  

Celebrating Success Luncheon is two weeks away, on September 6th, 2019. You will not want to miss! If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: i am ready swim, LLC

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

No matter what are the obstacles, never give up on your dream!

Every year, we honor the achievements of our clients and their contributions to the local economy at our annual Celebrating Success event. This year we will be celebrating our 15 year anniversary from when we were initially created to improve the technology digital divide in our community to now evolved to help business owners better understand how to run a successful business.  Leading to our big commemoration we have been interviewing a client to highlight their success story each week, 15 in total.

Miranda Melendez is owner of I AM READY SWIM, LLC . Her company offers safe aquatic fun in Austin. She teaches swim lessons for all ages, and provides lifeguards and gate guards for events and neighborhood pools. I Am Ready Swim, LLC plays a huge part in making sure the pools stay nice and enjoyable for all residents.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Miranda Melendez.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: My career has added value to my life by giving me time and freedom to do what I want. The best part is I am busting my butt day and night with the rewarding feeling its for my OWN business. I love that we have impacted so many lives with safe swimming and have prevented so many drowning incidents. We sponsor most of our HOA pools. We give back by throwing Splash bashes for the residents at our pools to give the neighborhood something free and fun to do at the pools with the kids. I also go to local elementary schools and teach about water safety to the kids for their gym classes.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I have been working with EGBI for about 2 years now. EGBI has helped me in so many ways. They have taught me how to manage my books and actually understand what I am doing. They have believed in me and helped me when not too many people would due to my age. They have also helped me understand how to negotiate contracts with my business partners and expand my business.

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: I would like everyone to know that I am a strong believer in prayer and vision boards. I have watched my business grow from just me to 45 employees in 2 years. It has been so humbling to see my hard work finally start to show and I am grateful for every client and staff member I have come across.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

A: The accomplishment I am most proud of is making the newspaper for my senior project. I had recently lost my mom my senior of high school and decided to honor her by hosting a 5k walk for American Diabetes Association as my senior project for graduation. I ended being the first one to raise the most money for the foundation being a high school student in Texas.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself

A: I am also a hairdresser and I love doing hair and making people feel good about themselves. I grew up in a salon so its kind of ingrained in me. I run the swim business in the summer and do hair in the off season. I love to hustle and stay busy.

Miranda Melendez is the 13th of the 15 clients we have shared stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further support these businesses, consider using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

Celebrating Success Luncheon is a few weeks away on September 6th, 2019. Be sure to reserve your spot as you will not want to miss! If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: Tamale Addiction

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

A pleasure to provide fresh, organic, local tamales!

Every year, we celebrate the achievements of our clients and their contribution to the local economy at our annual success celebration. This year, we will celebrate EGBI’s 15th anniversary of providing training, coahing, and support services to area businesses with the vision that all businesses be profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community. Leading up to our big anniversary celebration, we have been interviewing clients every week to feature a total of 15 success stories.

Adrian Paredes and Mariana Paredes are the owners of TAMALE ADDICTION, making each tamale by hand using the highest-quality ingredients. They use 100% organic masa and 0% gluten, lard, trans-fat oils, food additives, or preservatives.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Adrian.

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: Tamale Addiction is a manufacturer of hand-made, artisanal, gourmet, organic-masa tamales. We sell our products in various distribution channels, Famer’s Markets around Austin, small retailers, and food trucks. We also sell in big events such as ACL Music Festival, SXSW, and Trail of Lights.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: This career has totally transformed us. We are totally committed to the business. Our customers have become our friends and the same happens with our suppliers and vendors. Our employees are more like a big family and we celebrate with them their big moments in life. We participate actively with our fundraiser program with schools and organizations sponsoring or sharing with them with a percentage of our sales. This has been of enormous impact for the organizations at the same time that we brand our company to make it more and more recognizable.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: We have been working with EGBI since 2011. EGBI helped us map a more understandable route to navigate all the different areas of entrepreneurship by connecting us with mentors and experts. Finally, we got a better picture of where we were standing when creating a business plan and acting accordingly, taking off hesitation when deciding and making business operations more easy to manage.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

A: Our best accomplishment is to keep our business thriving, our challenges have never been how are we going to survive but how are we going to grow and that is such a difference.

Adrian Paredes and Mariana Paredes are the 12th of the 15 clients we will share stories about each week leading up to our 15 years celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve.  If you would like to further encourage these businesses, contemplate using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

Celebrating Success Luncheon is less than a month away, on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: dig one services

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Specializing in roadway directional boring and trenching.

Every year, we celebrate the achievements of our clients and their contribution to the local economy at our annual Celebrating Success event. This year, we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of EGBI supporting area businesses to become profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community through our training, coaching, and support services. Leading up to our big anniversary celebration, we have been interviewing clients every week to feature a total of 15 success stories.

Debra Chaparro is the owner of DIG ONE SERVICES, a minority woman-owned business located in Austin, Texas. the company specializes in roadway directional drilling for traffic control systems, traffic light, street lighting, cameras, and power systems. Dig One Services also handles utility trenching and boring for water, gas, sewer, and cable.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Debra.

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: Our construction business drills underground. We pay attention to completing customer’s work on time and on budget while always promoting safety.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: I have invested money on my business and work really hard with my husband. Also, the business we have been able to employ more people from the community.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I took business workshop series at EGBI. I met Barbra to get a certification of Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program. EGBI helped me to fill out all the applications.

Q: What is your greatest wish?

A: I want to be recognized for what I do in the Austin area as a woman owned business. Also, my goal is to stand out and be different among the other companies doing similar service through my skills and quality.

Debra Chaparro is the 11th of the 15 clients we will share stories about each week leading up to our 15 years celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we assist.  If you would like to further encourage these businesses, contemplate using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

JOIN US! Celebrating Success Luncheon will be on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: 512 eye glasses

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Serving you for all of your eye care needs.

Every year, we honor the achievements of our clients and their contributions to the local economy at our annual Celebrating Success event. This year we will be celebrating our 15 year anniversary from when we were initially created to improve the technology digital divide in our community to now evolved to help business owners better understand how to run a successful business. Leading to our big commemoration we will be interviewing a client each week, 15 in total . Last week we featured Julieta Hernandez and Jose Hernandez, owners of Brillante Services.  Read their story HERE.

Sara Langer is owner of 512 EYE, specializing in a wide variety of services to meet your eye health needs; including comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings and evaluations, and medical management for eye injuries and infections.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Sara Langer.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: Optometry is a great career as I spend my days helping people see better. I enjoy helping people, so this is very satisfying.  I have created new jobs in the community and also give back to local schools through sponsorships of athletic teams and other donations. I also enjoy attending local community events at nearby schools to get to know our neighbors.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I have been working with EGBI since 2015. Opening a business can be overwhelming. EGBI helped me with accounting. Barbra Boeta was kind enough to meet with me one on one to teach me how to use Quickbooks accounting software. Everyone who works at EGBI is so helpful. It is a great support system.

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: We try really hard to make sure every patient has a good experience when they come in for an eye exam. We strive to provide exceptional customer service and treat each patient as if they were family. Appointments can be made by calling us at 512-596-5544. We are located on 11200 Manchaca Rd. Bldg 4, Ste 2 Austin, TX 78748 and are ready to assist in your eye care needs.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself/ secret talents.

A: I was a DJ at a local radio station in college. I also really like cats.

Sara Langer is the tenth of the 15 clients we will share stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further encourage these businesses, consider using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS! Celebrating Success Luncheon will be on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: BRILLANTE SERVICES

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Always improving to provide the best quality!

Celebrating success is our annual event where we celebrate the achievements of our clients and their impact on the local economy. This year will be a special year for us as we celebrate our 15th anniversary with our vision that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable and assets to the community. We have been interviewing a client each week to share their success stories, with a total of 15 businesses. Previously we featured Donie Torrance. To read her story click HERE.

Julieta Hernandez and Jose Hernandez are owners of Brillante Services. Their company handles post construction cleaning services, mowing maintenance, and empty lot mowing in preparation for future construction.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Julieta Hernandez and Jose Hernandez.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: We like to be a good influence on our Hispanic people. Love to spend as much time with family as possible and we like to share the importance of been present. We aim to be good role models for our kids.  We are also active members of our church. We take much pride that our kids have the freedom and finances to volunteer in community activities. We are able to provide for international ministries such as Xai Xai Mozambique and Italy as well as local schools by providing backpacks with school supplies and Thanksgiving meals.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: We have been working with EGBI for over a year. EGBI has been so helpful in many ways. They have helped us with accounting, finances, setting goals, upgrading, and using the latest technology for our accounting system. They have been so good at answering questions and even motivating us to keep growing!

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: We are committed to providing quality services for our clients as well as a healthy environment for our partners and contractors!

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

A: Starting and growing this company together, of course, is a great accomplishment. I know many people have done it and they are very successful, but we had many fears at the beginning. Overcoming those fears is, in fact, the great accomplishment.

Julieta Hernandez and Jose Hernandez are the ninth of the 15 clients we have shared stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further support these businesses, consider using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Celebrating Success Luncheon will be on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.

Celebrating 15 years of success: Nails Naturally

Posted on by Intern in Success Stories

Natural hand made products for healthier nails.

Celebrating Success is our annual event, we applaud our clients’ achievements and their impact on the local economy. This year will be incredibly special as we celebrate our 15 year anniversary as we continue in our vision that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community. Leading to our big commemoration we will be interviewing a client each week to share their success story, with a total of 15 clients. Previously we featured Nayeli Gallegos.

Donie Torrance is owner of Nails Naturally, a fume free salon that offers hand made products with wholesome, natural, and organic non-GMO ingredients.

Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Donie Torrance.

Q: How has your career added value to your life? To the community around you?

A: I have an autoimmune disorder, and my products help people with similar pain have a healthier option for nail products. My business has also helped me gain income from the business and allowed me the opportunity to support family members with school fees and more.

Q: How long have you been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?

A: I have been working with EGBI since 2011. I graduated from the EGBI business class series. EGBI staff helped me create a business plan and seek out funding. They also assisted me with business skills such as bookkeeping.

Q: What would you like everyone to know about you or your business?

A: I only use a natural preservative in my products that do not contain chemicals such as formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP. My product is less toxic and more environmentally friendly.

Q: What is your goal for 2019?

A: I have run my business for more than 20 years. I want to grow my business and improve my web site.

Donie Torrance is the eighth of the 15 clients we have shared stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further encourage these businesses, think about using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Celebrating Success Luncheon will be on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.