Silvia Cano gets Quarterly Staff Excellence Award At our quarterly UTSA departmental meeting up at the Main Campus, one of our very own (and very best) was honored with an Excellence Award (and the other great part is that the announcement of the award was a total surprise to her)! Silvia Cano is pictured below with (right) Rod McSherry/AVP of our Institute for Economic Development, and (left) Dr. Bernard Arulanandam/VP of Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise at UTSA. We are so pleased that Silvia was recognized for her talent and dedication! – Mary Peters
LEARN MORE Join Us: Key Texas Leaders Economic Discussion Free and open to the public, there will be a virtual legislative briefing on the current economic climate. Discussion will include perspectives on trends and lessons learned, focusing on labor market and workforce development, employers and business operations, and policy considerations will be shared. An interactive session prior to the conclusion of the event will offer the opportunity for participant’s input and questions. The event will be held March 16, 2022 from 10 a.m to 11:30 a.m Central Time. Registration is free and open to the public at sbdctexas.org. The Texas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Texas will host this event in support of Texas small business owners. The event will feature elected
Feb 14 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | CST | In person UTSA SBDC in coordination with UTSA’s Westside Community Center, the SBA, Prosper West San Antonio and PeopleFund, are holding an event for small businesses, even if they haven’t started, at the UTSA Westside Community Center on February 14th. Attendees can receive assistance with SBA lending, startup assistance, federal contracting, small business counseling, all other SBA Programs. No appointment is necessary to attend. The US Small Business Administration will take their mobile office to our UTSA Westside Community Center. This event is being set up by our UTSA SBDC. And we are inviting to participate with us Prosper West San Antonio and PeopleFund. So, representatives from all groups will be there to offer assistance. The purpose is to
Financial analysis program enables UTSA students to support local businesses The University of Texas at San Antonio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Carlos Alvarez College of Business (C0B) are collaborating on a program to benefit firms and UTSA’s business school students. Known as Financial Analysis by Student Teams (FAST), this project allows area small business owners and students taking Financial Modeling to work together to analyze real-world business challenges. Now in its third iteration, the collaboration is led by SBDC Assistant Director Ruben S. Lopez and Brian Wolfe, assistant professor in the COB’s Department of Finance. Their program offers small business owners financial analysis to help them make decisions. At the same time, it offers UTSA students the opportunity to get hands-on learning by applying classroom knowledge to
Mary Garcia didn’t begin her career as a business owner, but she’s certainly had the flooring industry covered for years to help her get there. She’s worked for Carpet Masters-Carpet One in Victoria, Texas since 1998. She started as a salesperson specializing in flooring concepts, then became business partner in 2009. By January 2020, she was the sole owner—the company’s third since the business opened in 1954. When COVID-19 shut down most businesses, Carpet Masters- Carpet One stayed open. To remain operational, Mary included safety measures to protect her employees and customers. She credits her previous work and training with the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in preparing her for the pandemic. She continues to see increases in revenue and clientele. Mary applied for and received
Since 1986, Chef Julie Albertson has been serving tasty pies in Central Texas. Her sweet success has played a role in recognizing the company’s home location, the City of Kyle, as the Pie Capital of Texas. What first started as a business operating out of her home, the Texas Pie Company is now a full-service restaurant and a retail and wholesale pie bakery. In 2016, H-E-B recognized Julie’s pies as the year’s Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best Grand Prize Winner. In early 2020, the Texas Pie Company received the SBA San Antonio District Office Women Owned Small Business of the Year award. In 2017, Julie Albertson contacted the Texas State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance to increase sales and find capital. When COVID-19 dealt an unhealthy
When Alma Leticia Santos worked in the retail and service industry as a telecommunications provider, she met many individuals and business owners who had little knowledge of credit reports and the information they provided. She helped her own family members and friends increase their credit scores and taught them how to manage their personal finances. Recognizing the need, Alma was motivated to start her own credit repair services business. In 2007, she launched South Texas Credit Advisors (also known as STXCA, LLC), a Laredo-based business specializing in credit analysis, repair, education and restoration. Alma started STXCA at home. She worked with local business leaders from the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, Neighborhood Works, BBVA Compass and many mortgage companies to offer presentations and seminars. This allowed her to share her credit
Belinda and Raul Cantu have more than 10 years of experience in early childhood education, gaining much of it through their work as educators at La Joya Independent School District in Hidalgo County, Texas. They founded Kaleidoscope Early Childhood Learning Knowledge, LLC, a learning center offering day care services and superb, quality education for young children in Pharr, Texas. Established in 2016, Kaleidoscope rapidly gained popularity in the Rio Grande Valley. Soon, the Cantus had a waiting list of interested parents who wanted their children to have this unique educational experience. But, just as with many school environments, COVID-19 forced Kaleidoscope to close. The center lost most of its employees because of shelter-in-place orders set in late March. With little staff to operate, the business shut its doors. By early
Hosting family and friends and serving up home-style food, Huddle House, a restaurant in Eagle Pass, Texas, dishes out every plate from the heart. Claudia Oyervides is the owner of Huddle House and Microtel Hotel. The restaurant serves a wide range of menu items from hearty breakfast meals to delicious dinner deals. Huddle House has carried this tradition nationwide for more than 50 years. In March 2020, Claudia needed guidance on how to stay open during stay-at-home orders. She reached out to the Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The small business owner closed the restaurant’s dine-in section and implemented new ways to stay open, such as offering curbside and to-go services. In 2018, Claudia Oyervides contacted SRSU Rio Grande SBDC for assistance in
Established in 1988, Fort Davis Family Practice provides important medical care for an underserved population of West Texas. Miles away from big city medical centers, the clinic is located in Alpine, Texas. Owned by physician Dr. James D. Luecke, the clinic’s dedicated staff is committed to the health and wellbeing of its community. Before COVID-19, Fort Davis Family Practice was a thriving medical clinic, but it was hit hard at the start of the pandemic. The county’s shelter-in-place orders meant the staff had to do business and see patients differently. As a result, the clinic faced financial troubles. New to the SBDC network, the medical provider received much-needed assistance from their business advisor, Virginia Arredondo. Since then, the clinic has been able to retain jobs and remain open. On March
