by EGBI Tech Team | May 5, 2017 | News & Events
Joni Foster is Economic Growth Business Incubator’s (EGBI) new program director. She has worked in the community economic development industry for over 25 years. She is an experienced consultant, a skilled trainer, a former manager of a local loan fund for revitalization of inner city communities, and a serial entrepreneur, having launched her own businesses and numerous nonprofit organizations. For the past 5 years, Foster has worked as staff and consultant to the west coast-based Rural Community Assistance Corporation, developing new opportunities for rural economic development and entrepreneurship. In addition, Foster has worked with the national financial intermediary, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, in various positions for over 17 years including the founder and executive director of the Jacksonville, FL LISC office for 11 years. Foster has worked in urban and rural areas of the US, Nicaragua and Sierra Leone, and West Africa. Se habla espanol.
by EGBI Tech Team | May 5, 2017 | News & Events
With over 13 years experience working to grow small businesses within the Central Texas area, Barbra Boeta will transition from Program Director to Executive Director at the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI). For the past 6 years,she has spear-headed the organizations training programs and volunteer recruitment, she is looking forward to building and securing relationships in order to grow EGBI and local small businesses within the Austin area.
by EGBI Tech Team | May 2, 2017 | Success Stories
¿Abrumado por el trabajo administratico de su pequeño negocio?, ¿Necesita ingresar y organizar la información de los clientes, archivar gastos/recibos y subirlos a la nube y que no se pierdan?, ¿Requiere ayuda para enviar facturas a tiempo? ¿Ha decidido que es tiempo de diseñar una página web que se destaque más allá de la competencia? ¿Le gustaría que lo acompañaran en una presentación o reunión de negocios en inglés? Wester proporciona apoyo administrativo a las empresas que necesitan estos servicios. La conveniencia de tener este tipo de colaboración con paquetes asequibles para elegir, es una valiosa fuente que permite a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas la posibilidad de concentrarse en el crecimiento de su negocio.
Verónica Trevisan, dueña de Wester cree que ser empresario es tener la visión de ver una oportunidad de negocio detrás de una buena idea. Ejercitando su perspicacia empresarial, fundó Wester para dar apoyo administrativo a otras pequeñas empresas.
Como cliente graduado de EGBI, Verónica ayuda a la organización cuando se necesita personal adicional en eventos y exposiciones y ha trabajado en proyectos para traducir la currícula y comunicaciones en español. También ha trabajado en otras tareas administrativas de la organización. Verónica ha sido reconocida por esta incubadora de negocios como voluntaria del año en el 2015. Ella también fue una de las 3 finalistas del Premio Capital de Texas bajo la categoría Rising Star de Facebook en 2016; entregado por la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Austin.
Para mas información, contacta a Veronica en info@westerbiz.com o llámala al 512.576.6637
by EGBI Tech Team | May 2, 2017 | Success Stories
Overwhelmed managing your home office like data entries, organizing information or receipts on cloud data sources, or filing paper work? Can’t seem to get your invoices out on time? Are you needing a web site that will stand out beyond the competition? On a deadline and need to create a PowerPoint in a hurry? Wester provides administrative support to businesses needing these services. The convenience of having extra assistance with affordable service packages to choose from is a valuable to source that enables small business owners the ability to focus on the growth of their business.
Verónica Trevisan believes that being an entrepreneur is to have the vision to see a business opportunity behind a good idea. Exercising her business acumen she founded Wester to give administrative support to other small businesses.
As an Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) graduate client, Verónica assists the organization when additional staffing is needed at events and expos and has worked on projects to translate curriculum and communications into Spanish. She has also worked on other administrative duties for the organization. Verónica has been recognized by the EGBI as 2015 Volunteer of the Year. She was one of the finalists of 2016 Capital of Texas Award under the Facebook Rising Star category; recognition granted by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
by EGBI Tech Team | May 1, 2017 | Business Tips
By Al Lopez, EGBI Executive Director
It’s a common problem faced by many first-time entrepreneurs in Austin. They have a great vision for their company, a great product and perhaps even a great marketing strategy, but they just can’t seem to grow their sales as quickly as they would like. The solution is simple: more effective customer engagement.
The problem is that many first-time entrepreneurs are still not comfortable with the sales process. Either they believe that the product is so good that it will literally sell itself, or they are concerned about pushing too hard and too fast so they never really engage with the customer.
If that sounds like your entrepreneurial experience, then here are some tips for turning your startup into a sales machine.
Tip #1: Focus on the long-term relationship
It’s easy to focus on the short-term sale. After all, it’s those short-term sales that are going to put money in the bank and help your business grow. However, you also have to take a long-term view of customer relationships. And that’s especially true if you are selling relatively expensive or high-end products. You need to develop the relationship first, steadily building credibility with the client over time.
For example, say that you have just launched a small jewelry business. The first time a customer comes into the store, you may not make a big sale. But if you can educate the customer about the types of materials you use in your jewelry, or the types of artisans who are working on these pieces of jewelry, you will be preparing the customer for a much larger purchase later.
Tip #2: Listen to the customer
Most people, when they think about sales, think in terms of a rehearsesd “script” or “messages.” They think that there is some perfect sales script that will convert every time. That’s just not the case. You also need to listen to the customer. What problem are they trying to solve? What are they really looking for?
And this listening process includes more than just the words that customers use. Pay attention to their body language and all the things they are saying with their posture. And if you’re not sure what they really want, ask questions to get clarification. Often, people may tell you they want one thing, but really have something entirely different in mind.
Tip #3: Remember that price is just one factor in the sales decision
by EGBI Tech Team | Apr 29, 2017 | Success Stories
ATX Co-op Taxi splits the difference between traditional taxis and ridesharing. ATX Co-op Taxi ride-hail app is up on the iTunes store: “ATX Taxi”. The app is modeled much like your standard TNC template. Should it ever fail, as happened with Fasten and RideAustin during SXSW, the co-op can fall back on its full-time dispatch system – staffed with call-takers at an office just like any taxi franchise.
We are proud of our clients, ATX Co-op Taxi. Read more in the Austin Chronicle here.
by EGBI Tech Team | Mar 23, 2017 | Business Tips
By Al Lopez, EGBI Executive Director
Start-ups and small growing businesses face a common problem: how to manage cash flow so that all the expenses get paid on time. By managing your expenses carefully, you can improve your opportunity to grow slowly and surely. Here are a few tips on how to do that:
Tip #1: Create a realistic budget
It’s not just enough to come up with a budget – you also have to come up with a realistic budget. And in order to do that, you need to have a good understanding of all aspects of your business. Take sales, for example. If you know when you are booking key sales, and when these customers are going to pay, you are going to have much more visibility into the overall profitability and the when that profitability will come. If you know that you can expect an amount in revenue a month, then you can start thinking in terms of affordable dollars in expenses.
At a minimum, you should have visibility into the sales for your upcoming three months. Preferably, you should be able to project out 12 months in advance. This is particularly important because every business naturally has ups and downs in sales over the year – such as during the holiday selling season – and those ups and downs need to be planned for.
Tip #2: Develop a solid business plan
Once you have a budget in place, you need to make sure you have a business that supports it or change the one you have to match your new budget expectations. Start to think about what percentage of your profits you will need to invest back into the business. Maybe you have to buy new inventory or maybe you need a new piece of equipment. Or maybe you are planning a new marketing approach to promote your product or service.
A business plan helps you to understand how these costs fit into the bigger picture and keep you from spending on things that aren’t part of your plan. Too many businesses live week to week, month-to-month, or quarter-to-quarter, and are never able to put together a solid business plan for moving forward. Expenses tend to grow with nothing to show for it. A business plan helps to keep you focused, and helps you manage your expenses more wisely.
Tip #3: Plan for unexpected expenses
The business world is full of uncertainty, and that’s why most small business consultants advise companies to have enough cash on hand to handle any unexpected emergencies. In the same way as you might create a “rainy day fund” for your family budget, you’d also want to make sure that you have enough cash to cover adverse market changes or unexpected events for your business.
There are various ways to protect against risk, of course, without simply having to save a bunch of cash. You don’t want to tie up too much cash, because you’ll need that for working capital. But you should have business insurance to protect your inventory. Or, if you operate a food truck business, you might think about ways to limit your downside if anything happens to these valuable assets.
**
At some point, all of the cost savings, bootstrapping and careful financial management will really pay off. You’ll have extra funds to handle unexpected emergencies, and you’ll also have plenty of funds to re-invest in the success of your growing small business.
by EGBI Tech Team | Feb 7, 2017 | Success Stories
For the month of February, we are highlighting two of our clients APSCO (Alva Property Services Companies) and It’s Cleaning Time!
Last year, both of them were selected for the FastForward Progam, a small business growth initiative powered by the City of Austin and the University of Texas at Austin’s IC2 Institute. We are proud to share that out of the 13 businesses that were accepted and completed the program, two of them were EGBI clients.
APSCO provides property maintenance and general contracting services to individuals and companies in the Greater Austin Area needing services fitting any of their business units:
*Pro Lawn Cut – Landscape maintenance and installation services
*Pro Maid Clean – Cleaning and janitorial services
*Pro Handy Home – Remodeling and general contracting services
It’s Cleaning Time! LLC is a residential cleaning service company serving the Austin and surrounding areas since 2003. They also offer some commercial cleaning services: janitorial cleaning for small offices and after construction cleaning.
We look forward to continue encouraging our clients to apply for future FastFoward Program opportunities, as we believe this program provides great exposure and valuable training for our small business community.
You can find APSCO and It’s Cleaning Time! contact information along with all of our graduates who are in business by visiting our web directory.
by EGBI Tech Team | Feb 7, 2017 | Success Stories
With the beginning of the New Year, you might be thinking about getting more organized and decluttering your home or your office. If that is the case, we have the perfect ally for you: Smiley’s Junk Removal & Recycling.
Spencer Costley is the Owner of Smiley’s Junk Removal and Recycling, who has been serving the community for over five years. They were ranked one of the Top Junk Removal Companies in Austin in 2016 by Expertise.com.
If you have any junk laying around, a garage full of stuff filling up the space, any trash or unwanted items that need to be removed, Smiley’s Junk Removal and Recycling can assist you. They serve both residential and business locations… always with a smile!
Not only that, but Spencer will try to save and recycle your items in various creative ways.
Spencer graduated from the EGBI entrepreneurial program in 2011, he continues to attend workshops, participates in our BizCoaching groups, is actively involved with EGBI and is one of our most loyal clients when we need volunteers.
“The EGBI classes give me an outlet to bounce my ideas off of and experts that will answer any questions that I have about my business, and to me that is priceless… I’ve grown quite a bit since taking the class; I have more clients that I serve now on a regular basis. I’m their go-to person when they need junk that needs to be removed, and that’s a great feeling.”
Smiley’s Junk Removal and Recycling is insured under the State of Texas. Please consider using Smiley’s if you are in the process of decluttering your home or office. Click here to visit their website and support them by following them on social media!
You can find Smiley’s contact information along with all of our graduates who are in business by visiting our web directory.
by EGBI Tech Team | Feb 7, 2017 | Success Stories
As we approach the holiday season, please consider Selina’s Manq’a for your catering needs. Selina’s Manq’a creates an exquisite and elegant experience, taking into consideration even the smallest detail, and always adjusting to your budget.
Selina’s Manq’a shares the Peruvian heritage of sisters Selina and Patricia Ortiz, who with dedication, devotion and professionalism introduce the best of Peruvian and international cuisine.
With an interest in starting a business, Selina enrolled in EGBI’s Curso Empresarial in 2012. She realized that in order to be successful, she needed to take the challenge very seriously. She learned the requirements to starting her own business and went on to work on herself.
Following her dreams, she enrolled in the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu of Culinary Arts in Austin, where she graduated with honors. She began her career with Mi Peru Catering in 2012, preparing her favorite Peruvian foods.
She came back to EGBI to take some of the entrepreneurial classes again. With broader culinary experience, she decided to include international cuisine into her menu, which led to the relaunch of her business, naming it Selina’s Manq’a (meaning Selina’s Food in the the Quechua language). With a new name and logo, she recently launched her website and is working on growing her blog and social media presence.
EGBI has provided Selina with education, motivation, resources, exposure and constant support. Selina and her sister regularly attend EGBI workshops, and Selina is currently participating in EGBI’s BizCoaching program. Selina is also very involved in the community and participates in other organizations’ programs for small businesses.
EGBI is proud to say that Selina has provided her catering services for many EGBI events, and her food is always fantastic.
Please visit her site www.selinasmanqa.com and keep her in mind next time you need catering services.
You can find Selina’s contact information along with all of our graduates who are in business by visiting our web directory.
