Reimagining Main Street

Hoven Riley, the owner of Big Bend Yucca Company, reached out to the Sul Ross State University SBDC for help with social media during the pandemic. "I am now shipping yuccas to New York City, Portland, and all places in between," said Hoven. His advice for other business owners includes, "Don't delay. Jump on it. There's there to help you. They WILL help you." View his impressive operation and hear more of the story by clicking on the video link.

Owner and President Southside Paint and Body - Corpus Christi, Texas

The mission of The Gold Beacon, PLLC, is to exponentially drive social change by developing the capacity and solving challenges of agencies nationwide. "GOLD" stands for Grant Management, Organization, Learning, and Development. After serving ten years in the Navy and two years in federal employment, the ASU SBDC assisted Kimberly Henry, founder, and CEO, in launching her consulting business, including a referral to The Business Factory incubator. The growing business benefits from professional SBDC business advising and training, along with a supportive environment of incubator resources, including a dynamic advisory board. "The SBDC and the Incubator have been the most grounded and focused support that helped fast-track my business goals to succeed!"

Looking for advanced market research, one-on-one advising, cutting-edge training, global connections, and other powerful tools to grow your international market?  By clicking the video link, learn more about a specialty resource of the Texas South-West SBDC Network, the UTSA SBDC International Trade Center.

Salsas' exponential growth of Tio Pelon's Salsita, Inc. (English translation "Uncle Baldie") started with Grandmother Emma's secret recipe.  "All of the stuff I learned in architecture school I am using today. It's about creating, and it's about creating a brand", says owner Oscar Perez.  He has worked with the UTSA and International Trade Center SBDCs to create a strong foundation. "We're already going to be in 18 states.  I want to create jobs for our San Antonio people," he says.

Interested in accessing resources for your advanced science and technology innovations in Texas?  We can help propel your innovations by exploring SBIR/America's Seed Fund as a tool to do just that! By clicking the video link, learn more about a specialty resource of the Texas South-West SBDC Network, the UTSA SBDC Technology Commercialization Center.

Kombucha is a lightly effervescent tea drink fermented by a friendly colony of bacteria and yeast or "powered by herbs." Working closely with the SBDC and poised for growth, they expanded into new markets. Then along came COVID-19. Already an SBDC client and SBA borrower, the entrepreneurs were able to obtain PPP and EIDL funding to help weather the storm. "SBDC is the only resource I've come back to again and again." See their facility and learn more about their journey at the video link.

An SBDC client since before they started in 2017, this growing business offers custom plaques, original framings, executive crystals, custom medals, and a wide variety of trophies and unique awards. "We constantly are in contact with the SBDC," says Andrew Riojas, the owner of Milestones. You can learn more about Andrew and the support provided by the Del Mar College SBDC by clicking the video link.

Growing up in Mexico, expectations were for Patricia to start a family or find a job "para mujeres" (suitable for women). Her father reluctantly let her work at his iron welding shop, which sparked a desire to be her own boss eventually. She worked with the El Paso Community College SBDC to learn licensing/regulatory requirements, research industry data, pursue minority certification, and effectively market. After its first year, Flowar Construction has projected annual sales of over $4m. And yes, she has a husband, and five children and is co-owner of two fast-food franchises. This "mujer" has done it all. "Working with the SBDC has been amazing.  They answer every question I have and provide me with the necessary information I need to grow."

Empathy can be defined as our ability to understand how someone feels. Julie Rondan combined empathy with an entrepreneurial spark to launch “Open Eyes Life Coaching and Consulting,” which provides life and career coaching for those with disabilities. Julie's visual impairment drove her to provide the professional guidance she wishes she had been offered when she was younger. Her UTSA SBDC Business Advisor assisted Julie with strategic planning, marketing, pricing, referrals to industry groups, and government contracting. Said Julie, "My SBDC Advisor cares about people, especially business owners who are disabled." Julie now hosts a Texas Diabetes Institute support group and was appointed to the Ride Connected Texas Board.