Death, heights, public speaking — can you guess which is the most common fear in America?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it’s public speaking.
But while the anxiety of speaking in front of an audience can be huge, the benefits in mastering this communication skill can be even greater. With the right words and a confident delivery, imagine being easily able to:
Build public awareness of your brand
Attract and retain loyal customers
Articulate your vision and motivate your team
Grow a meaningful professional network
If you’re interested in conquering your own fear of public speaking, improving your communication skills, and growing your business and network, you are invited to join EGBI’s Toastmasters club. Click here to find out how.
Our club is one of over 14,000 global chapters of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building confidence and public speaking skills.
In each Toastmasters meeting, members deliver speeches they’ve prepared and receive feedback from other members. After the speeches, members often have the opportunity to participate in Table Topics, an activity where a host selects a random club member to speak for 1–2 minutes about a specific topic.
Within the supportive environment of a Toastmasters meeting, members improve their listening, presenting, feedback, and improvisation skills, while building the confidence and interpersonal skills that help them excel as leaders in their businesses and communities.
And whether you’ve never spoken to a group or feel completely at ease in front of a crowd, there’s always something to learn at Toastmasters. Click here to learn more about how to join EGBI’s Toastmasters club and take your communication skills to the next level.
Carlos Nazario, CPA, JD, is more than just a seasoned business and tax consultant – he’s a catalyst for entrepreneurial success. With over 20 years of experience, Carlos has dedicated his career to helping businesses thrive, from small mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, his dual expertise in finance and law equips him with a unique perspective, which allows him to offer comprehensive insights to his clients.
Now, beyond his professional endeavors, Carlos is deeply committed to giving back to the community. As a volunteer instructor at EGBI he leverages his expertise to empower aspiring entrepreneurs. “I feel a need to give back to our community,” Carlos explains, highlighting his dedication to making a difference in the lives of others.
At EGBI, Carlos integrates real-world accounting experiences into his instructional approach, enriching the learning experience for participants. Drawing from his extensive background, he shares common pitfalls and practical insights, equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed.
Moreover, working at EGBI has not only benefited Carlos professionally but also personally. “It helps keep me updated on current trends and needs of entrepreneurs, and I have added new friends,” he reflects. This dual impact underscores the symbiotic relationship between Carlos and EGBI, where both parties grow and thrive together.
Furthermore, Carlos’s journey with EGBI resonates deeply with the organization’s mission. “The barriers to growing a successful business are real, also the needed help to overcome them,” he acknowledges. Through his work, Carlos actively contributes to dismantling these barriers, paving the way for aspiring entrepreneurs to realize their dreams.
When asked to reflect on his most rewarding experiences as an instructor, Carlos shares “It has been great to see an idea become a profitable business which serves our community.”. These moments of success fuel Carlos’s passion for his role at EGBI, reinforcing his commitment to empowering entrepreneurs on their journey to success.
Lastly, to those considering volunteering or working with EGBI, Carlos offers a compelling testament to the organization’s transformative potential. “You will be amazed by how much you can positively impact the lives of the students,” he affirms. These words by him echo the sentiment shared by many who have been touched by EGBI’s mission and work.
Carlos Nazario is one of the many volunteers who embody the EGBI’s mission. Through his contributions, he exemplifies the profound impact that mentorship and support can have on aspiring business owners.
Andres is a Colombian immigrant, he spent the last 18 years in the U.S.. He’s had many jobs such as construction, cleaning, tutoring, etc. His website uses artificial intelligence to make the hiring process more easier and less of a struggle for small business owners, or even the employees/people looking for jobs. With artificial intelligence you don’t have to rely on word of mouth just because you are in need, but you can actually find the right person with the right qualities that you want in an employee. Moil means hard work, they chose the name to represent the hard work in Latinos. The Moil website is used to connect small and medium size businesses with people to hire in real time.
We share the conversation.
Larissa: Share with us a little bit about what we were talking. I can’t wait to share our conversations and what you are offering as a solution.
Andres: Absolutely, look I mean over the last 18 years like you mentioned right, I’ve had the opportunity not only to be an employee on construction, cleaning, tutoring, corporate sales, you know but I’ve also had the opportunity to be a business owner so I’ve had the opportunity to experience the pain points on both ends and then with the boom of artificial intelligence, you know we thought, hey what can we do to not only streamline the process for both ends, but what can we do to actually improve the process so that businesses can hire quicker so that businesses can actually find talent in real time and then candidates can actually highlight and showcase those skills.
Larissa: What is Moil and what does it offer?
Andres: The word Moil means hard work, we chose this name to represent our hard working latinos. I’m a Latino immigrant, and we chose the name because it became a mission for Latinos to learn many skills so that they could actually find a job here, a job there but, never actually having a place where they can actually utilize all of the skills in one single place. We’re a platform where we use artificial intelligence to connect small and medium businesses with people seeking employment, and we do this in real time so we allow businesses to actually match and connect with candidates and even hire them on the spot.
Larissa: Why did you decide to launch this app?
Andres: It comes from two things, it comes from not being able to showcase and highlight their skills for skilled labor and not being able to actually monetize all of their skills and number two it comes from my personal experience. On both ends, I’ve seen it, I’ve seen the issues that we look to fix both from an employee side and an employer side then with the boom of artificial intelligence it allowed us to actually simplify and streamline these processes and it was the perfect time historically. Technology was meant to actually reach everyone and anyone.
Larissa: Who can benefit from it?
Andres: Any small medium business or even a large business that is looking to hire will benefit from our solution because we’ve simplified the process. I encourage small medium businesses who don’t use technology today to give our application an opportunity because they will see that not only is it going to save them time it’s going to save them time it’s going to save them money in the short and long term because it will allow them to find the right people at the right time which is very important for all small and medium businesses who struggle many times to hire the right candidate or who struggle to actually say, hey I can’t hire someone full-time, well through our platform you can hire full-time, part-time, contract.
Larissa: How can a small business owner start using it?
Andres: I’m glad you asked because you know we actually created this with you in mind, we created this company so that we could use that artificial intelligence to get rid of many obstacles, time, educational levels and language barriers, you don’t need to be very good with computers you don’t need to be very good with technology. You can do this from your phone or your computer and it will take just two minutes to post that job. I will show you exactly how to post that job, once you create your Moil account. You go to our website Moilapp you just need to know the basics of your business in order to create your business account. From your dashboard you have the option to post a job, you are going to click on “post a job”, you get to choose between English and Spanish, we are in the process of making the languages broader, then you just fill in the questions with what you’re looking for. By just putting your business name and the job title we’re going to click on “Generate for me”, and our artificial intelligence is gonna do the rest of it for you, the process takes just a few seconds while it loads, and this will actually create the job description for you and it also fills up the rest of the information about the position. You can edit the response, and once you are done you can E-verify or not-verify and then you click “save and continue”.”
Larissa: What would you like people to take away from this conversation?
Andres: A few things, for business don’t be scared of technology, technology has proven to actually help you grow, make more money and become a more efficient business. Today we need to use technology to continue to grow, don’t be afraid because it will actually simplify many many processes for you, now for people looking for employment remember that coming to the US or starting a new job does not mean you have to start from scratch no one can take away your experience and abilities no one can take away your skills so please make sure to highlight them while looking for a new job.”
Megan Doherty has a passion for sustainability and working on the environment and helping the environment. She always tries her best to make sure she pours into our environment and community. Megan works at Driving Sustainability Austin Circular Economy Program.
Here aresome interesting facts about Megan
Megan Doherty: I was born and raised in austenite, passionate about preserving and amplifying the environment and culture. The charm of this blooming beautiful city that we call home. She had a degree from UT Austin in geography and environment. And spent over a decade outside of Texas launching several entrepreneurial ventures from catering vegan food at big picture movie sets in Hollywood. To vending superfood shakes at large festivals. ultimately opening a cafe and bottle drink line in central Mexico.
Alexander Williams: This company is all about promoting sustainability by transforming.
Megan Doherty: Our traditional linear economy which takes the make and dispose economic model into something more thoughtful and createful and more regenerative.
What do you guys contribute to Austin TX?
Megan Doherty: Support these circular businesses, traditional, waste, rental businesses and to help businesses repair and refurbish to bring back up to market and sharing platforms.
What’s the key services provided by circular economy program businesses innovation and how they contribute to city?
Megan Doherty: Sustainability and economic goals. They have an event called circular showcase that is designed to establish circular businesses which is a threshold on any business that has a circular concept that currently makes more than 10,000 a yr and less than 250,000 a yr and whoever wins gets a 12,000 prize.
In the realm of small business management, one critical yet often overlooked aspect is succession planning. This process ensures the smooth transition of business ownership, safeguarding the enterprise’s future and legacy. In an episode of EGBI’s Podcast, hosted by David Fuentes of the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), Miranda Barcena, a financial advisor from Barcena Financial Group, delved into the intricacies of succession planning. This article synthesizes key points from the podcast, providing a comprehensive understanding of succession planning and its importance for small business owners.
Introduction to Succession Planning
Succession planning is the strategic process of preparing to transition business ownership from one party to another. This can involve passing the business to a family member, selling it to a third party, or even merging with another company. As Miranda Barcena explains, the goal is to transfer the business to the right person at the right time for the right amount of money. This ensures the continuity of the business and secures the financial future of the outgoing owner.
Importance of Succession Planning for Small Businesses
Small businesses form the backbone of the U.S. economy, with over 90% of all businesses falling into this category. However, less than a third of these businesses survive beyond ten years. One of the primary reasons for this high failure rate is the lack of proper succession planning. Small business owners are often caught up in daily operations, leaving little time to consider long-term strategies. Miranda points out that succession planning is essential not only for the business’s longevity but also for the owner’s retirement and overall financial health.
Common Challenges in Succession Planning
Starting Too Late
One of the most significant challenges small business owners face is starting the succession planning process too late. Many owners dream of selling their business for a substantial amount and retiring comfortably but underestimate the time and effort required to achieve this. Proper succession planning can take years, and starting early is crucial to effectively navigating unforeseen challenges.
Lack of Knowledge
Another common hurdle is the lack of knowledge about where to begin with succession planning. As Miranda mentions, many business owners are experts in their fields but not in financial planning or business valuations. This lack of knowledge often leads to procrastination, further complicating the planning process.
Understanding Business Value
A critical aspect of succession planning is accurately valuing the business. Many owners are unaware of the true value of their business, especially how it might change when they are no longer involved. Miranda provides an example of a surgeon whose business was valued at $3.2 million with him actively working but dropped to $800,000 without him. This stark difference underscores the importance of understanding and planning for business value changes over time. By starting early and working with advisors, the surgeon could have developed strategies to increase the business’s value independent of his presence, ensuring a better outcome for his retirement.
Steps in Succession Planning
Assessing the Business
The first step in succession planning is a thorough assessment of the business’s current state and future potential. This involves evaluating financial health, market position, and internal processes. Understanding these factors helps in making informed decisions about the future.
Identifying Successors
Identifying potential successors is a crucial part of the process. This could be a family member, an employee, or an external buyer. Each option has its own set of considerations, and the choice depends on the business’s specific circumstances and the owner’s preferences.
Developing a Transition Plan
A detailed transition plan outlines the steps needed to transfer ownership smoothly. This includes setting a timeline, defining roles and responsibilities, and ensuring that the successor is adequately prepared to take over. This plan should be flexible to accommodate unexpected changes.
Financial Planning
Financial planning is integral to succession planning. This includes valuing the business accurately, planning for taxes, and ensuring that the owner’s retirement needs are met.
Legal Considerations
Legal aspects of succession planning, such as contracts, estate planning, and regulatory compliance, must be addressed to avoid future disputes and ensure a smooth transition. To do this, engaging with legal professionals is advisable.
The Role of External Advisors
Small business owners often wear many hats and may not have the expertise to handle all aspects of succession planning. Engaging external advisors, such as financial planners, attorneys, and accountants, can provide the necessary support and expertise. In the podcast, Miranda emphasizes the importance of having a team of experts to guide business owners through the process, ensuring that all legal, financial, and strategic aspects are covered.
Conclusion
Succession planning is a critical component of small business management, often overlooked due to the daily pressures of running a business. However, as Miranda Barcena articulates, early and strategic planning can significantly impact the business’s future and the owner’s financial security. By understanding the process, recognizing common challenges, and engaging with external advisors, small business owners can ensure a smooth and successful transition, securing their business legacy for the future.
In the bustling world of business, the quest for more clients often consumes our attention because of the widespread myth that an increase in the number of clients is directly correlated to an increase in sales. However, oftentimes this myth remains exactly that: a myth. Business.com emphasizes this by explaining that it is often more expensive to acquire new customers (five to ten times the cost) than retaining old ones who are likely to spend 67% more on average.
Additionally, focusing solely on acquiring new clients serves a much bigger risk that most businesses realize. Studies have shown that the success rate of selling to new customers is 5-20% in comparison to a staggering 60-70% chance of selling to existing customers. These statistics highlight the growing need in the business community to focus more on current customers and increasing existing customer loyalty than acquiring new clients.
Cultivating Customer Happiness…
The key to retaining existing clients lies in keeping them happy and engaged. In an extremely competitive business world, businesses are required to go the extra mile to make their current clients feel valued and appreciated.
Below are listed some strategies businesses can harness to go this extra mile:
Personalized Attention:
Embrace direct marketing tactics such as handwritten notes accompanying your products. This helps showcase a personal touch that resonates with clients.
Highlight long-term clients on social media: make them feel special!
Utilize Upselling Opportunities:
Upselling opportunities are opportunities a business might have to sell more expensive items or add-ons to generate increased revenue. A business can utilize upselling as a sales technique by selling such items among loyal customers (who you have already established a positive relationship with).
Identify complementary offerings or upgraded versions that align with the needs and preferences of your existing clients.
Remember: Effective upselling not only boosts revenue but also adds value to the client relationship.
Exclusive Treatment for VIP clients:
Extend exclusive privileges to VIP clients, such as sneak peeks at upcoming product lines, priority access to products or services, and unexpected gifts delivered straight to their doorsteps.
By making VIP clients feel appreciated and valued, you reinforce their loyalty to your brand and foster long-term relationships.
Leveraging Seasonal Trends:
Capitalize on seasonal trends to introduce special discounts or promotions tailored specifically for existing clients. This can help make them feel special and thus enhance the loyalty they have with your business!
By aligning your offerings with seasonal demands, you not only enhance customer satisfaction but also demonstrate your attentiveness to their evolving needs.
Extra Incentives:
Utilize grassroot marketing by establishing referral programs.
Reach out to repeat customers directly and give them a discount or reward for every successful referral.
Actively seek feedback from repeat customers! This helps demonstrate your commitment to continuously improving their experience with your products or services— thus enhancing customer satisfaction.
Implementation strategies…
Below are some common steps you can use to integrate client satisfaction as a standard practice within your business:
Assess Your Current Practices: Evaluate your existing customer engagement strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Conduct Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Gather feedback from your clients to gain insights into their needs, preferences, and pain points.
Establish Performance Standards: Set clear benchmarks for customer satisfaction and monitor your progress towards achieving them.
Create Exclusive Offerings: Develop special incentives or rewards exclusive to existing clients, incentivizing their continued loyalty.
Know Your Customers: Invest time and resources into understanding your existing clientele on a deeper level, allowing you to tailor your offerings to their specific needs and preferences.
In Conclusion…
It is imperative that businesses realize that oftentimes the true gold mine for sustainable business growth and increased sales lies within our existing client base. By prioritizing client satisfaction, leveraging upselling opportunities, and fostering meaningful relationships, businesses can unlock the full potential of their current clientele.
Remember, in the pursuit of long-term success, nurturing existing relationships is just as crucial as acquiring new ones.
An important decision for any business owner is how to legally classify their company. Whether they opt for a corporation or an LLC, a partnership or a nonprofit, this choice impacts the ownership, liability, and taxation of their business.
While there are many structures available to business owners, at EGBI we commonly work with clients who are deciding between a C Corporation and a Limited Liability Company.
C Corporation
A C Corporation, or C Corp, is one of the most common types of corporations. Companies that are incorporated (commonly shortened to “inc.”) are typically more complicated and expensive to set up and maintain, but offer benefits for businesses that need to raise money or plan to be sold.
Ownership: One or more people
Liability: Owners are not personally liable for business debts
Taxation: The C Corp pays taxes on its profits according to national and federal corporate tax rates
Limited Liability Company
A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a legal entity that protects owners from personal liability for business debts. While LLCs don’t offer the same benefits for raising funds as a corporation, theytypically require less recordkeeping and paperwork.
Ownership: One or more people
Liability: Owners are not personally liable for business debts
Taxation: Owners have flexibility in choosing between paying self-employment tax or corporate tax
Each structure offers its own advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately the “right” choice depends on each individual business, and is best decided with the help of a legal professional.
If you’d like to consult with an attorney and learn which business structure is best for your company, please join us for one of our upcoming Legal Clinics where you will have the opportunity to speak with an attorney privately for 30 minutes at no charge. Click here to learn more and sign up for your free session.
Understanding the ideal client is essential for any company to establish a successful business strategy. Determining who fits into this category involves combining market research, analysis, and understanding of the company’s products or services. Here’s a closer look at how companies decide their ideal client.
Understand Business Goals:
Companies must align their ideal client profile with their overarching business goals and objectives.
Consider revenue targets, market expansion plans, and long-term growth strategies.
Market Research:
Conduct comprehensive market research to identify potential customer segments.
Analyze demographics, psychographics, and behavioral patterns of existing and potential customers.
Define Ideal Client Characteristics:
Characteristics may include demographics (age, gender, income), psychographics (lifestyle, values, interests), and pain points (challenges, needs, desires).
Map the Client Journey:
Understand the client journey from initial awareness to conversion and retention.
Identify opportunities to engage and add value to ideal clients throughout their journey.
Refine Through Feedback:
Have continuous feedback loops, surveys, and data analysis.
Stay attuned to evolving market trends and customer preferences to ensure the ideal client profile remains relevant.
Determining the ideal client involves a strategic process that aligns with your company’s goals and market insights and focuses on creating value for the target audience. By understanding your ideal clients’ characteristics, behaviors, and needs, you can tailor your products, services, and messaging to make meaningful connections and drive growth.
If you are in need of assistance identifying your ideal client, reach out to EGBI staff for a business coaching session by filling out the form at this link https://egbi.org/coach/ or calling EGBI at (512) 928-2594 .
Once you have been in business for a while, and your transaction level has increased from 2 per month to over 100 monthly transactions. Business has become more complicated, and it’s become harder to continue using free/low-cost tools to track your finances. You have a better idea of what metrics you want to track, so what tools will take you to that next level without breaking the bank?
QuickBooks Online
Ramp
Jirav
QuickBooks Online
Once you need to track transactions by locations, departments, and different fields, QuickBooks Online (QBO) is the natural next step. As long as everything is set up correctly at the beginning, you won’t need to ever move on from QBO unless you need something industry-specific, such as school finance, or you’re planning to have multiple subsidiaries and international locations, or you need to track inventory. It can spit out the basic financial reports you need — income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
Along with the basic reports, you can see those reports split out by the fields you’ve set, allowing you to see your financials deeper. If you want to connect your Google AdSense data to QBO, you can’t. You’ll still need a spreadsheet to triage all the data to get an overall view of your business related to your financials. Your financials will show you the total cost of online Ads for that month, but it won’t show you whether paid ads or referrals were your biggest factor for revenue growth that month. You can also get a discount via TechSoup if you’re a non-profit.
Ramp
You have contractors and vendors you have to pay. So far, you’ve been paying them as they land in your inbox. Ramp allows you to keep track of all vendor bills and schedule any payment via ACH or check. It will also help you collect all the vendor data you need to send out the 1099 forms the next year. Along with bill pay, you can also create virtual and physical cards for your employees or contractors with limits. It forces the assigned owner of the card to forward or text the receipt for the transaction. You can even create software-specific virtual cards to help you manage your subscriptions. It’s a great system that gives you control over your expenses with audit trails.
Jirav
You have QBO, and you’re using Ramp, which syncs with Quickbooks Online. What do you need Jirav for? Jirav is for the planning, budgeting, and forecasting side of your finance operations. Jirav brings all data from Quickbooks, the payroll system, and other data, such as Google AdSense, together for you to create dashboards and forecasts for the next month or year. Yes, you can continue to use spreadsheets for this, but if you’re spending too much time wrangling data together to create your management reports, this might be the solution you’re looking for. Spreadsheets are great for building your first budgets and forecasts, but over the years, you can automate some processes using software like Jirav.
Quickbooks Online becomes your base accounting software system, and other tools are synced. Ramp and Jirav can sync to or grab data from Quickbooks Online. The goal is not to have disparate systems that don’t talk to each other. Spreadsheets will never go away. There will be some times when you want to do a quick calculation or export the data into Excel to play with. That’s okay as long as you make sure you go back to your base systems. The software you implement should be nimble and advanced enough to give you the data you need without any stress. But not so advanced that you’re spending months on implementation training at this stage of the business.
About the author:
Anwuli Chukwurah is a versatile finance professional with a track record of starting new finance organizations and scaling them for growth in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments. She has over 6+ years of experience working with small business owners, startups, and nonprofit organizations to help connect finance with their business goals. She aims to ensure her clients become comfortable and adept at navigating their numbers. She works with clients at Woolichooks and writes a newsletter for non-finance folks.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SMBR Announces Partnership with EBGI to Empower Small, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
Austin, TX – The City of Austin’s Small and Minority Business Resources Department (SMBR) is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI). The collaboration is set to significantly enhance the support services available for the City’s small, minority and women- owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE) by focusing on crucial aspects of business growth and city procurement processes.
A New Era of Business Support and Growth
“Through this partnership, we are reinforcing our commitment to the growth and success of small, minority and women-owned businesses in Austin,” said Director of SMBR Edward Campos.
“Collaborating with EGBI allows us to offer a more comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique challenges our small, minority-and -women-owned businesses face.”
For more than 20 years, EGBI has provided training, coaching and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
“EGBI has always been where the community needs it, and we’re excited to partner with SMBR in this endeavor. We provide three times the average coaching hours than most business incubators – and SMBR comes with their impact. Our goal is to provide sustainable growth and success for the businesses that provide traction to our economy,” said Executive Director of EGBI Larissa Davila. “We believe that through this collaboration, we can make a significant difference in the Austin business community.”
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
The partnership will encompass a variety of services aimed at strengthening the business capabilities of firms: Orientation and Training: Firms will receive comprehensive guidance on navigating the City of Austin Finance Online website, enhancing their ability to submit bids and secure city contracts. Business Coaching: Expert coaching will cover an array of topics including business strategy, financial management, preparation for financing applications, and navigating city payment processes. Financial Operations Support: Assistance in adopting more reliable systems for tracking financial operations, including setting up and training on QuickBooks Online. Hands-On Assistance: Firms will learn how to effectively utilize financial reports for business management and gain insight into finding and responding to contracting opportunities.
A Step Forward in Economic Development and Social Mobility
The partnership represents a significant step in fostering business development and economic mobility in Austin. By empowering small, minority and women-owned businesses, the City of Austin reaffirms its commitment to creating an inclusive and thriving business environment.
How to Get Involved To receive training, coaching, and/or support from EGBI, small and minority-owned businesses will need to complete a short intake form that is available on the City’s website. Firms will then need to submit the form to SMBR’S Program Manager I Catherine Sak at Catherine.Sak@austintexas.gov or smbr@austintexas.gov.
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About SMBR The Small and Minority Business Resources Department (SMBR) administers Minority-Owned, Women- Owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Procurement Programs for the City of Austin. Our mission is to promote access and equity on City of Austin contracts, providing economic opportunity to small, minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses. About EBGI Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) is a small business incubator or business accelerator established in 2003 in collaboration with several community entities including the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin. In 2023, EGBI was recognized as the No. 1 incubator in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal and in 2024 the incubator received the CAN Butler Award for Spirit of Collaboration and the Candid Platinum Seal for Transparency, and Best Places to Work for Working Parents. EGBI provides business coaching to entrepreneurs in Central Texas wanting to start and/or grow a business. Up until 2024, our organization has provided over 4,200 hours of business coaching in bookkeeping, sales, marketing, business planning, online presence, government contracts and similar topics to provide traction to small business owners.