EGBI - Economic Growth Business Incubator

Mobile Food

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:28:57 +0000

http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2010-08-20/1070852/

Mobile Food

Some tips on getting a foot in the door of the trailer business

BY MICK VANN, AUGUST 20, 2010, FOOD

The mobile food trailer, cart, or truck is the new wave of Austin eatery, and it’s taking off like gangbusters, attracting national TV, radio, and print media. Austin had 648 mobile food businesses in 2006, but we’re projected to have 1,620 by the end of 2011. Many see it as the inexpensive alternative to opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant: While a mobile operation can be opened on a shoestring for $20,000 to $30,000 (the cost of a new car), a full-fledged restaurant can start at 10 times that amount and quickly rocket way, way up. While a mobile vendor might have zero to very few additional employees, even a small cafe requires at least a dozen. With dependent staff and lots of money invested come responsibility, worries, and headache, while the mobile vendor can start up with his psyche relatively unscathed.

What’s happening here in Austin reflects a national trend. New York City has a permit waiting list 10,000 people long and a new Green Cart program that shortens the wait if a licensee agrees to sell only fresh fruits and veggies and target neighborhoods with a need. With mobile food vendor permits capped by the city’s health department at 4,000, there’s a huge and lucrative black market for selling or leasing existing permits, and relatively violent cart wars have broken out over competition for spots. New York has its wildly popular annual Vendy Awards, which give awards to the best food vendors in the city, determined by diners’ votes and a panel of expert chef judges. Los Angeles just held its first-ever L.A. Street Food Fest and had 15,000 people turn out. San Francisco, long the habitat of burrito and taco trucks, has entered the fray with more than 50 new mobile food trucks Twittering their nomadic locations to the faithful. Portland, Ore., now has 600-plus vendors, and the list goes on.

To jump in seamlessly, you need a creative and original idea, along with food as good as, or hopefully much better than, that already being prepared in the area. It helps if your product is unique, but at the very least, it had better be good and worth the price. It’s a plus if there are hordes of drunken, starving, cash-laden pedestrians staggering by your operation every night, but if what you produce is appetizing enough, the hordes will go to considerable trouble to seek you out, aided by bloggers and food sites like Chowhound.com and TacoJournalism.com.

To get your operation started, you need to start a long series of steps, the first of which is gathering the required money. Many of the next steps are outlined in the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department’s packet for a permit (see “Links for Hitching Up,” below). For this, you’ll need deep pockets (yours or an investor’s) or a pile of empty credit cards and, with either, a business plan to go along with that great idea and your talent. You need to know your start-up costs, and when you start ciphering those, they can add up quickly.

If you want to roam the streets and tweet changing locations, a used catering truck can go for as little as $10,000, while a new one can cost $75,000 or more. (Under a new proposal due to be enacted in October if it is approved, your itinerary must be on file with the health department; more on that toward the end of this story.) If it’s a trailer you’re after, a new 16-footer can be had for $16,000 or twice as much. You can always build one yourself on a trailer frame or retrofit an older trailer such as an Airstream, Shasta, Airfloat, or Spartan. A Web search will turn up dozens of used truck, trailer, and food-cart dealers. The requirements are simple: cleanable surfaces that can be sanitized, triple sink and hand sink, refrigeration that holds foods at temperatures below 41 degrees, equipment to hold hot foods at 135 degrees or higher, pressurized water system with a hot water heater, gray water capacity that exceeds freshwater by 15%, and thermometers to monitor temperatures of foods. Basically it must operate within the same guidelines as a restaurant kitchen, and once a year it must make a sacred pilgrimage to the headquarters of the health department to be inspected and permitted (so for a brief time annually it must possess the capacity to roll through traffic).

Commissary Kitchen

Whether you’re restricted (selling prepackaged products) or unrestricted (producing food in the trailer or truck), you’re required to be aligned with a commissary kitchen. The commissary kitchen must be inspected on a regular basis, have a certified potable drinking water source for filling the trailer’s freshwater supply, and have a grease trap so that wastewater (aka gray water) from the trailer can be disposed of properly and not pollute the city’s water system. The commissary can be used for cleaning the vending unit, storing raw materials, food preparation, etc. The guidelines enforce this requirement by stipulating that the vendor have a notarized and signed affidavit from the commissary kitchen, and the new proposed regulations require the vendor to keep a monthly log of visits to the commissary. There are a very limited number of commissary kitchens available in town (see “Commissary Kitchens”, below); these can be expensive on an ongoing basis, and you may not have much of a choice on when you get to use the facilities (many are open 24 hours). What many vendors do to satisfy the requirement is to align themselves with an existing restaurant.

Location

The cost of your location is rapidly becoming a big concern; currently a spot can cost anywhere from nothing (for a sweetheart deal with friends or family) to $1,500 a month, the highest rate we have heard of so far. But don’t expect that rent ceiling to last, as space becomes restricted and more vendors hit the scene. Location cost is one of the main motivators in causing mobile vendors to band together to establish more and more “trailer park eateries,” where vendors of complementary food items group together to share a location and thus share their common overhead costs: trash removal, electric service, rent, set-up and cleaning of common eating areas, restroom facilities, etc. Generally the concept works much like a “restaurant row,” where a larger collection of dining options in one place lures more total diners to the area. These arrangements can be transitory, especially when one vendor gets more popular than the others and starts hogging vital resources, such as limited parking.

Obviously you want a location with good traffic flow, foot traffic if at all possible (since the need for parking is reduced if you can lure pedestrian diners right off the sidewalk). With city sidewalk or easement locations you usher in a whole new set of problematic restrictions, having to deal with the city’s Right of Way Management Approval Network ordinances (call 974-7180 for specifics). You want good visibility from the road for car-borne diners and a spot for them to park their cars, whether they’re stopping in to grab a to-go order or staying there to dine on-site. You desperately want some shade in the summertime, or you’re limited to serving only at night, serving to-go only, or spending the bucks to erect a sun cover or shade of some sort. Finally, there are some restrictions on location that must be addressed. Carts have to be in properly zoned areas: commercial or industrial, excluding neighborhood office, limited office, and general office. They can’t be located within 50 feet of a building that contains both commercial and residential uses and can’t be within 20 feet of a restaurant located in a building. There are also special neighborhoods with their own special vendor rules; for a map, see www.cityofaustin.org/planning/neighborhood/downloads/mobile_food_faq.pdf.

Power

If there isn’t already an existing power source on your site, you can opt for having a power drop and a fuse box installed, which, according to area electricians, will cost anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000, depending on the distance to the power pole. The alternative is a noisy and smelly power generator, which will run you $500 to $4,000; requires the cost, delivery, and safe storage of fuel (and the memory to keep the generator gas tank full); and necessitates the money or mechanical knowledge to keep the machine maintained.

Employee Costs

Minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but most vendors pay a higher wage than that, and the employees have the opportunity to get a few tips as well. Between Medicare, Social Security, and federal and state unemployment taxes, plan on adding another 16.5% or so to your labor costs. If you want to provide a hospitalization policy, start at $300 a month and go up; for workers’ compensation, figure about $200 a month per employee.

Restrooms

Most folks think the mobile vendor restroom requirement is aimed at the diner, but, according to Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services’ Sue Simons, it’s actually for the vendor and his workers, though many vendors will include their diners and provide facilities for the comfort of the customer. Some vendors provide on-site flushable toilets; others have portable toilets and portable hand-washing stations. Under the proposed new regulations, vendors must provide either written proof that a neighboring business within 50 feet allows vendor workers to use their flushable toilets or a signed contract from a portable toilet supplier. Every trailer must have a hand-wash sink inside for employees’ use. Put in a flushable restroom, and you’re looking at $20,000 to $30,000; a portable toilet will run you about $100 a month, and a portable hand-wash station about the same.

Dining

If you want a ground cover to prevent mud, think pea gravel or decomposed granite as the cheapest choices. One cubic yard will cover 324 square feet at a depth of 1 inch, so do the math. Granite, pea gravel, or shredded hardwood mulch are roughly $32 a yard, while cedar mulch is around $20, plus delivery at about $75 a load and labor to spread it. Picnic table kits are roughly $100 each, plus you’ll need long chains and locks to secure them overnight; for commercial quality picnic tables that can be permanently anchored to the ground, start at $400 to $500 each and go up. Two-tier, wind-resistant 10-foot umbrellas start at about $125 each, and you’d need some place to securely store them overnight. A permanent metal shed roof on posts would be the ideal coverage option; it would protect diners during rain and could be inexpensively enclosed in the winter. Fans in the summer and rental or purchase of propane space heaters in the winter (plus the cost of the propane, which isn’t cheap) are necessities. Diners will suffer for great food, but they won’t suffer that much.

You’re going to need money for smallwares and tools and money to buy supplies to get started. By all rights, you should have enough operating capital in reserve to squeak by financially for six months or so with lousy business (consultants suggest a one-year reserve). Advertising is usually done guerrilla-style, using fliers, food blogs, and the king of Austin mobile food vending sites:AustinFoodCarts.com.

Permissions Granted?

Finally, you need permits – an ever-growing pile of permits. A Travis County DBA (Doing Business As) will run you at least $13, a state sales and use tax permit is free, the newly proposed mobile vendor application fee will be $125 (a fee “to process the application,” but it’s actually to fund three new inspectors, according to Simons), a food manager’s certification permit is $110 (plus you must take and pass the test), the Austin health department fee is $210 ($90 for a restricted permit, or $60 in unincorporated Travis County), and the new proposed Fire Department inspection fee is $125. All together, that’s $585 that has to be paid up front to make you legit.

All of these rules are supposed to be based on maintaining public safety, but health department statistics that were presented at City Council Public Health and Human Services Committee meetings revealed that since 2006, only five of 699 public complaints regarding suspected food-borne illness implicated mobile food vendors. That flies in the face of the complaints by Tom Ramsey, owner of Snappy Snacks, a large Pflugerville-based mobile food vending company that leases out 70 food trucks to independent operators who cruise construction sites, office buildings, and the like. He developed a list of 42 health, safety, and environmental concerns he wanted the council to address to crack down on what he views as his new competition – this growing class of creative mobile food vendors. Of those, the Public Health and Human Services Committee considered 10, whittled those down to seven, and has finally recommended six new requirements for final vote by the council: a monthly log of commissary use, notarized certification of commissary kitchen, proof of Texas sales and use tax permit, a posted itinerary for food trucks, written permission to use restrooms at work site, and a Fire Department inspection report. According to Simons, proof of product liability insurance (the seventh recommendation) was supported by the task force but ultimately rejected. Marti Bier, Council Member Randi Shade’s policy aide, says: “The proposals will be on the council docket in late September and can take effect 10 days after they pass. … They are pretty much a done deal.” Robert Garza, chief of staff for Council Member Mike Martinez – who’s been intimately involved with the mobile vendor issue – said, “Ultimately, this is not a comprehensive solution, and we’ll be addressing the issue again in the future.”

What started as a vendetta against fly-by-night illegal vendors cutting into Ramsey’s sales at construction sites has grown into a fairly big deal that has encompassed the entire galaxy of food vendors, including those selling food products at area farmers’ markets, and made Ramsey a whole new set of enemies. It’s shaken some current vendors but doesn’t seem to have scared off many newbies; new vendor chatter around town is hot and heavy, and my guess is that the projected mobile vendor numbers for 2011 will be soundly smashed. The health department will go from one inspector to three, and the Fire Department will add one inspector for vendors if the measures pass as expected. The big winners: the casual diners of Austin, who are offered an inexpensive and expanding cornucopia of creative eats, and the vendors, who are allowed to start small and dream big.

Commissary Kitchens

With more than 1,200 vendors in town and 1,650 estimated for this time next year, these few commissary kitchens are hardly enough to service that number. Even with most mobile vendors aligning with existing restaurants, the number of commissary-capable kitchens in town seems woefully inadequate to fulfill the new proposal.

The Kitchen Space: 692-9896, Adrienne, www.thekitchenspace.com

Just Add Chef: 431-1157, Herb Levy, www.justaddchef.com

2 Dine 4 Fine Catering (rents out some space): 467-6600, Stephen Shallcross, www.2dine4.com/index2.php

McGovern’s Organics GF/CF Delights (gluten-free): 983-3197

Manor Downs Kitchen: 632-3323, Miles Compton

There is an ongoing discussion/contact group on local commissary kitchens at Better Bites of Austin (aka Small Bites of Austin), where vendors and kitchens can make contact:www.smallbitesaustin.wordpress.com/007/05/02/commercial-kitchen-space.

Links for Hitching Up

Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services regulations page:

www.cityofaustin.org/health/eh_regulations.htm

Application for mobile food vendor permit: www.austintexas.gov/health/downloads/CH-TC_304_MFVPacket_10-07-08.pdf

“Starting a Food Business” – Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department: www.cityofaustin.org/sbdp/downloads/startfoodbus.pdf

“Tasty Tips” – Austin Small Business Development Program: www.cityofaustin.org/sbdp/downloads/2009_tastytips2.pdf

“Ice Cream, Hot Dogs, or Vegetables: Starting a Mobile Food Vendor Business” – Callaway Aimone’s primer for Texas C-BAR:www.texascbar.org/content/legal_library/economic/downloads/mobil_food_vendor.pdf

2013 eRaiser

admin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:54:04 +0000

Support Our First e-Raiser!

EGBI’s first online and social media fundraiser, April 16-May 16, 2013

By Al Lopez, April 17, 2013

Last October, I wrote about why I support EGBI, hoping to stimulate some additional support for our organization. Well, needless to say, I was pretty gratified by the results we experienced last fall.

Many of you who have come to know EGBI the last couple of years know that we re-launched the organization in 2011. After a few years of a great partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and outstanding collaboration with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we embarked on a strategy that would increase awareness of our efforts in order to expand our pool of clients, volunteers, and supporters.

In these two years, we have earnestly driven to expand awareness of our mission and increase the investment in our efforts. We are thrilled to have attracted new investors who are supporting our work. We are most satisfied with the fact that the largest percentage of our clients comes from referrals from previous clients, and we have many clients who have become investors in EGBI. Those of you who know our work also know that one of our objectives is to keep the price of our services as low as possible, while we continue to improve the quality and variety of services we provide (some of which are unique, like our ground-breaking Curso Empresarial bilingual training program).

In an effort to continue to broaden our outreach and diversify our supporters—folks who know about and are willing to invest in EGBI—we’re holding our first ever online and social media fundraiser over the next four weeks. What we would like to do is have as many of our connections (and their connections) commit to a $25 donation to EGBI. We, of course, have our annual year-end fundraiser – Celebrating Success. Adding an annual eRaiser every spring will allow us to target small donations from our connections, like you, with an appeal to share the opportunity with your respective associates.

So, vote for EGBI with a little bit of your wallet, then share the opportunity with your friends. We’re hoping the increased awareness will expand our client and investor pool. A $25 donation may seem small, but when you recognize that $25 covers 50% of the cost of up to 12-weeks of training for a client, you see how even that small amount can make a big difference in an entrepreneur’s life.

So, please join in and help spread the word – we’ll announce the results of this effort at our EGBI Reunion on May 16th.

Sincerely,

Al Lopez

EGBI Executive Director

Click here to make a donation and please help us spread the word through your social media outlets!

I support EGBI

admin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:17:53 +0000

Why I support EGBI

By Al Lopez, October 2012

We have been asking our stakeholders to support the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), and we have seen an unprecedented increase of individuals willing to support us – including our clients! It is very gratifying to get such strong endorsements from people who know us the best.

Personally, I support EGBI. Of course I do, I’m the Executive Director for Pete’s sake. But, if you were to question why have I invested my work, and sure perhaps some of my own personal resources in this organization, I would say that over the years, I have become pretty passionate about community and economic development. I decided a couple of years ago that I was going to take my extensive business experience and find a mission that would complement my passions. EGBI has turned out to be that, especially given the importance of small businesses to our economy.

I’ve witnessed the development of our clients as they progress through our program and receive one-on-one consultations. They express their gratitude for a program that opened their eyes to the opportunities and also the challenges of being a business owner. I’ve seen them come with a dream and leave with a foundation for their business plan. I’ve enjoyed seeing them developing their marketing and networking skills by actively taking advantage of their free chamber membership. I am proud of our clients, and we feel their struggles and celebrate their successes. Starting a small business can be a fragile situation, that’s why EGBI staff, along with our volunteers, strive to be a resource that will help them succeed.

In the current economic environment, getting new investors (I much prefer investors to donors) for a non-profit is difficult, but we have seen that organizations and individuals who share the same passion for economic development are willing to support us. We are hoping to continue to increase the number of folks who know about our work and are willing to invest with me in helping EGBI prosper.

Our Second Annual Celebrating Success event on December 6th is the perfect opportunity to get to know more about what we do and if you like, financially support our organization to allow us to continue to expand our capacity, reach and impact on the community we serve.

Is Collaborating Really Beneficial?

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:47:02 +0000

Is Collaborating Really Beneficial?

By Al Lopez, March 28, 2013

In the last couple of years, as I have navigated around the nonprofit/public sector, I’ve observed very different levels of organizations that are willing to work together when it may be in the very best interest of the clients they serve and the mission they purport to have.

Having been a long time financial executive, I find that management of an organization is all about making the best use of your resources, seeking out and implementing best practices, and continuing to drive for improvement and efficiency – along with executing your mission.

For the most part, there seems to be acceptance of the fact that collaborating around some issues can have an impact on the clients and communities being served; in addition to the improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of each individual organization.

However, there seems to be reluctance on how to best work some of these relationships. There definitely seems to be a trust factor that plays into conversations, if it’s felt that both organizations are “competing” for the same resources or clients.

Much like we tell our small business entrepreneur clients when considering a “partnership”, which does have a legal organizational implication, make sure everything is understood up front… how is the initiative mutually beneficial, what roles will each organization fulfill, and even under what circumstances will the working together cease.

Jane Wei-Skillern & Sonia Marciano wrote in the Stanford Social Innovation Review article The Networked Nonprofit, “networked nonprofits achieve their missions far more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably than they could have by working alone.”

We’ve been extremely fortunate with the partnerships we have developed here at EGBI. Besides the great relationships we have with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce among others, we’ve also established some key ones where we deliver our training services.

Our bilingual Curso Empresarial is a product of a couple of pilots we ran in 2012 with Las Comadres Para Las Americas. Those successful pilots led to expanded plans for 2013 and even some terrific recognition from Austin’s FuturoFund as their 2013 grantee. Our next class with Las Comadres is scheduled to begin on April 9^th.

In addition, we are working with El Buen Samaritano to run a Curso Empresarial at their facility in south Austin for their clients. The cohort at El Buen will begin on May 14^th.

Finally, our latest partnership involves entrepreneurial outreach to veterans as we work with The University of Texas-Pan Am Veteran’s Business Outreach Center. The Entrepreneur Training Project for Veterans is scheduled to begin at EGBI’s Emerging Enterprises Business Development Center on April 4^th.

Encourage start-up entrepreneurs you know to sign up… the next wave of classes will start in a couple to a few weeks! Go to the bottom of our home page and register.

Through our partnerships, we have been able to expand our footprint and service offering. In a city with thousands of nonprofits, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Nonprofit collaborations can be very powerful if they are managed correctly. If you are a nonprofit thinking about collaborating with other organizations, check out Greenlights for Nonprofit Success’s Town Hall event on May 7^th and explore national trends and local experiences with nonprofit collaborations and mergers.

Are you Financially Fit?

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:09:23 +0000

I know we’ve talked about this, but ARE YOU FINANCIALLY FIT?

By Al Lopez, March 19, 2013

Our initial session for EGBI’s small business startup training is Boot Camp. Many of you have taken it, and I know that many wonder why we are starting our “how to start a business” program with a class on personal finances and credit. However, it is surprising to me how many of the clients who begin our program have very little idea when it comes to their financial obligations, book-keeping and overall financial fitness. So we start with the basics and build on that. In fact, as we have refined our curriculum over the last two years, most of what we have embellished has been financial in nature – more detail on income statements, break-even, cash flow, pricing, and taxes.

Cash flow is critical – a business can be “profitable” and still go bankrupt. So, don’t get caught up looking at your income statement over a year and assume the cash will flow. It is critical to look at it monthly and sometimes, depending on payment cycles, even inside the month. Be prepared to navigate through those dips in available cash with savings, lines of credit, etc.

As a finance executive for most of my career, spending the last 11 years of it at Dell, Inc, where metrics and data were the only “truth,” I am pretty obsessed with looking at key measures. As a small business owner, you should measure everything: profitability, balance sheet, and cash-flow statements. In addition, there may be some measures that are unique to your business – identify them and track/measure those that are specific to your customers and product/service. As your business grows, make sure you evolve and expand your metrics so that you are able to understand the state of your business at all times. Those measures may be more operational in nature, but they will affect your financials. It is also important to review your performance and understand the indicators of the future of your business. Ask questions, be wary, and know what you are getting into. If there are areas that you are still uncomfortable with, get help. Don’t be too proud or take too long to “figure it out”.

Make sure you are financially fit at the personal and business level, and remember that EGBI is here to assist you. In fact, we are proud to be part of the Financial Fitness Greater Austin Week, which is coming up April 22-28, 2013.

Financial Fitness Greater Austin (FFGA) is an education and awareness initiative in partnership with the Alliance for Economic Inclusion, Senator Kirk Watson and more than 60 entities in the Greater Austin area. The goal of FFGA is to provide financial awareness and information to the Greater Austin community and emphasize the importance of financial literacy and the need for consumers to be proactive about managing their finances.

EGBI is a partner in the Adult Financial Fitness (FF) Contest, as part of the FFGA. This contest engages participants in actively managing their finances. Participants get to choose between a “CREDIT” or “BUDGET” packet that walks them thru four financial activities. After completing the activities, participants write an essay on how their “new financial knowledge” has made a difference in their lives. Packets are available at EGBI for pickup now thru April 12th (or downlaod them from the FFGA website). Check it out: 1st prize gets $500, 2nd prize gets $300, and 3rd prize gets $200. Join in and demonstrate your fitness! Please email nayeli.gallegos@egbi.org for information and to request a package to participate.

Robo de Identidad

admin — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:48:29 +0000

Protégete contra el robo de identidad

Por Nayeli Gallegos, 26 de febrero del 2013

Todos hemos escuchado alguna vez de casos de robo de identidad. Entendiendo como robo de identidad cuando alguien se apodera de tu información personal y la usa sin tu permiso. Provocando con esto problemas en tus finanzas, en tu historial crediticio e incluso daños a tu reputación, sin olvidar la pérdida de tiempo y dinero que puede implicar.
Si alguien se apodera de tu información personal, pueden vaciarte tu cuenta bancaria, hacer compras con tus tarjetas de crédito, abrir cuentas de servicios públicos e incluso recibir tratamiento médico usando tu seguro.

Muchas veces ni siquiera nos damos cuenta de que alguien más está usando nuestra identidad. Por eso es recomendable revisar nuestros reportes de crédito al menos una vez al año. En Annualcreditreport.com puedes checar tu reporte de crédito de manera gratuita una vez al año por medio de cada uno de las agencias de reportes de crédito: TransUnion, Experian y Equifax

Protege tu información. Ten mucho cuidado al exponer tu información personal a negocios o por medio del internet. Mantén tu información personal guardada en un lugar seguro. No divulgues tus datos personales en las redes sociales y ten cuidado con páginas de internet dudosas. Protege la información que tengas guardada en la computadora y teléfono, y asegúrate de eliminarla en caso de que vendas el aparato.

Además de los daños que le puede ocasionar a un individuo, el robo de identidad puede dañar profundamente a un negocio. Imagina que tú tienes un negocio donde recibes información personal como tarjetas de crédito o números de seguro social. ¿Qué pasaría si alguien llega a tu empresa y roba documentos con esa información personal de tus clientes? ¿Sabías que como dueño del negocio, puedes meterte en problemas legales si no estás bien protegido? Además, un caso de robo de identidad puede afectar la reputación de tu negocio.

Si tienes un negocio, entrena bien a tus empleados para que sepan manejar la información personal de tus clientes con prudencia y mucho cuidado.

Los casos de robo de identidad siguen en aumento, te recomiendo que te informes y te protejas de manera personal y a tu negocio. Visita la página de internet de la Comisión de Comercio (FTC por sus siglas en ingles). Esta es una agencia nacional de protección del consumidor que trabaja para prevenir las prácticas comerciales fraudulentas, engañosas y desleales en el mercado. Aquí puedes encontrar información acerca de que hacer en caso de robo de identidad y como protegerte contra ello.

También puedes asistir a un seminario gratuito que se va a ofrecer el 13 de Marzo de 9 a 10 am en la Incubadora de Negocios EGBI, donde se va a tratar este tema. Para más información y registro, llama al 512-928-2594 o visita nuestra pagina. Infórmate y protégete antes de que sea demasiado tarde.

What kind of clients come to EGBI? Client feature: Teresa Valenzuela-Basa

admin — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:20:29 +0000

What kind of clients come to EGBI? Client feature: Teresa Valenzuela-Basa

By Al Lopez, February 26, 2013

The diversity of our clients is an element that makes our experience here at EGBI especially interesting and rewarding. At one end of the spectrum, we have folks who don’t yet have a specific business but feel that sometime in the future they will start a business. At the other end, we have clients who already have a business developing, but have reached a point where they realize they really need and want to have a more formal business plan, such was the case of Teresa Valenzuela-Basa.

Teresa arrived in the United States in 1991 as a refugee from Chile. Her passion for art, color, and fashion led to an initial career in jewelry design, which has evolved into a creation of a full line of fashion. Teresa’s strong commitment to her community and heritage inspired her to work with a Chilean Foundation which aims to preserve the colorful art form of horse hair weaving while helping women to become financially independent. Her community involvement includes volunteering at Safeplace, an Austin based nonprofit that empowers women living under family violence.

Teresa is currently in our noon cohort of Building Success Program (BSP). We have covered business topics such as business plan, personal finances/credit, budgeting, pricing, legal structures, taxes and insurance among other. Coming up are sessions on marketing, branding, and using social media for your business. The BSP culminates with each client, including Teresa, presenting a brief summary of their business plan to the class members and the EGBI staff.

Teresa’s designs have been featured at the Texas Campaign for the Environment, Austin Fashion Week, and the 2012 Texas Emmy Awards. She is periodically featured in Univision’s Despierta Austin providing fashion tips. Her first fashion debut, Vento e Sole, takes place on Sunday, March 17th at Ballet Austin. The event benefits Safeplace and Ballet Austin. Tickets can be purchased here.

It is particularly exciting when we see collaboration among our clients. In this case, our client Sugar Fashionista is participating in Teresa’s Vento e Sole event providing their fabulous desserts. We are proud of them, Teresa and other small business owners who call EGBI their “base of support” and look forward to continuing to help them sustain and grow their businesses.

If your current situation is similar to Teresa’s, and you are ready to take your small business to the next level, come to EGBI. Check out our website, sign up for our entrepreneurial training sessions beginning in April and attend our great workshop series in March.

Latina Fashion Designer, Teresa Valenzuela-Basa currently enrolled in EGBI’s Building Success Program

“EGBI is providing guidance and training to enable my business to grow steadily and with solid roots. Their professional team is full of resources and they are dedicated to ensuring small businesses succeed. The support of EGBI is reassuring to business owners. As a fashion designer, I can count on their guidance to surround my company with professionals who are instrumental for running a business in an ethical, productive, effective and efficient manner.” Teresa Valenzuela-Basa

EGBI Client Highlight Home Help Services by Verobran

admin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:26:22 +0000

EGBI Client Highlight Home Help Services by Verobran

By Nayeli Gallegos, January 22, 2013

Veronica Trevisan is the Co-Owner of Home Help Services by Verobran along with Branbilia Mendoza. They offer home support services, a combination of residential cleaning and home health care.

Veronica, a native from Argentina and Branbilia (Bran), a native from Mexico, met each other in 2006 while working for a Mexican Taqueria. In 2008, Veronica went to work for a home attendant care agency and recruited Branbilia to the team. They found out that working together was very natural for them. They began planning for their business at the end of 2011. In March 2012, Veronica enrolled in EGBI’s Building Success Program, where she was able to begin writing her business plan and learned the foundations for business management. She graduated in May and they started operations on July 7, 2012.

Veronica Trevisan & Branbilia Mendoza

Right after graduation, she took advantage of the FREE membersthip that the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) offers to EGBI Graduates, and she has actively used it to expand her circle of influence. Veronica quickly learned the advantages of networking and the continuing education opportunities offered by the GAHCC and EGBI. “I am the one who does the contacts, socialize and receive referrals. Bran is the one who gives us credibility by performing an excellent job” said Veronica.

“I always tell everybody, that even though we have different points of view sometimes, we know who is the best in each area, so, she is the boss when it is time to perform our tasks inside the houses, and she respects my way of managing the company.”

Veronica and Bran were able to start the business with their personal savings, and now are able to operate with the income generated from their sales. They pride themselves in the fact that they manage their personal finances in a very responsible way.

“It is impossible to say how much help we received from EGBI. Being an immigrant entrepreneur requires a lot of courage, starting from the fact that the laws could be totally different from the country you are coming from. EGBI helped us to understand all these special things we need to know and how to operate correctly in the United States,” said Veronica.

“EGBI taught me that it is ok to start small and that everyone makes mistakes in the journey, but that there are people who are willing to help…all I need to do is ask.”

Peggy Montgomery, Chair of Texas CBar; Veronica Trevisan and Lois Mermelstein, Volunteer Attorney at EGBI’s Legal Clinic

Veronica and Bran continue to attend EGBI workshops and special classes. As an example, they attended the Legal Clinic in December 2012, where they got an opportunity to talk privately with an attorney and get FREE legal advice. They both continue to come back to EGBI anytime they need business advice or a referral, and we enjoy seeing them grow and develop their entrepreneurial skills.

¿Cómo Comenzar Mi Negocio en el 2013?

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:55:55 +0000

Por Nayeli Gallegos, 2 de Enero del 2013

Cada año, el común de la gente hace una lista de propósitos para el año nuevo. Una lista de planes que sirven de guía (al menos en los primeros meses del año) en nuestro actuar. Entre los propósitos más comunes se encuentran ahorrar dinero, bajar de peso, hacer ejercicio, viajar, dejar de fumar o disminuir el consumo de alcohol, mejorar en el trabajo y pasar más tiempo con la familia. Si realizas una búsqueda en el Internet, encontrarás miles de consejos acerca de cómo cumplir esos propósitos. ¿Pero qué hay de aquellos que tienen como propósito comenzar un negocio propio en el 2013? Espero que esta guía te sea de utilidad.

Primero que nada, comenzar una empresa no es tarea sencilla. Aunque seas un maestro en cualquier cosa que hagas, administrar y ser responsable 100% de tu negocio requiere de mucha dedicación, organización y planeación. Es muy importante que te rodees de gente con experiencia que pueda guiarte en el proceso de lanzamiento. Austin es una ciudad “amigable para los empresarios” hay muchas organizaciones que sirven como recursos para las personas que quieren comenzar una empresa. La incubadora de negocios EGBI, es el sitio perfecto para comenzar.

Antes de cualquier otra cosa, debes analizar tu situación financiera personal. Un empresario exitoso cuida siempre sus finanzas personales y familiares. Asegúrate de no tener problemas de crédito y arreglar cualquier cosa que esté afectando tu puntaje crediticio.

Mientras te encargas de tus finanzas personales, puedes comenzar la planeación de tu negocio. Esta planeación requiere de un análisis completo de tu idea, producto/servicio y un estudio del mercado al que vas a atacar. ¿Quiénes van a ser tus clientes? ¿Cuáles son sus preferencias? ¿Dónde están esos clientes? ¿Estás seguro que tu producto o servicio cumple una necesidad del mercado que quieres atacar? Con hechos y datos en mano, dedícate a empezar tu plan de negocios.

Muchos se “avientan” a abrir una empresa sin un plan de negocios previamente hecho. Esto es un grave error. El plan de negocios te servirá de guía para saber cuáles son los pasos que debes de tomar para lograr tus metas. Además, elaborar el plan nos obliga a pensar seriamente en cada uno de los aspectos del negocio. ¿Cuál es la misión y visión de tu empresa? ¿Cuáles son tus fortalezas y debilidades frente a la competencia? ¿Quiénes formaran parte de tu equipo de trabajo? ¿Cómo voy a promocionar mi compañía y cuáles son mis proyecciones financieras? ¿Cuánto tardaré en hacer dinero, cuanto necesito para cubrir los primeros meses en los que seguramente operaré con perdida? El común de los negocios comienzan operando con alguna perdida, esto es normal- por eso hay que estar preparado.

Una de las cosas en las que primero pensamos cuando vamos a abrir un negocio, es en el nombre que le vamos a dar. Trata de ser lo más creativo posible. Investiga bien a tu competencia y elige un nombre que cause impacto en tus clientes. Es tu responsabilidad asegurarte que el nombre que vas a utilizar este disponible. Esto lo puedes checar con la oficina de DBA del Condado de Travis. Una vez elegido el nombre, deberás llenar una forma de registro del nombre que vas a asumir (Assumed Name/DBA Form) y presentarla al Condado de Travis. Pagaras una cuota al condado de $13 y con esto asegurarás el nombre de tu negocio.

Ya con DBA en mano, solicitarás del IRS un número de Identificador de Empleador (EIN). Esto lo puedes realizar en Internet, por teléfono, fax o correo. Es un proceso relativamente sencillo y lo puedes obtener presentando tu número de Seguro Social o tu ITIN.

Asimismo deberás solicitar un Permiso Estatal de Impuestos sobre las Ventas con la Oficina del Contralor de Texas. Igualmente, la forma la puedes llenar en Internet o la puedes enviar por correo.

Una vez que hecho todo esto, podrás elegir la estructura legal bajo la que vas a operar. Este proceso de registro de la compañía, es un poco más costoso y delicado. EGBI recomienda el apoyo de un abogado para esta parte del proceso. Sobre todo, si es la primera vez que comienzas un negocio. Además, esto se puede hacer con el tiempo, puedes comenzar a operar con un DBA y estructurar legalmente la empresa a unos meses de haber comenzado operaciones.

Deberás también abrir una cuenta bancaria de uso exclusivo para tu negocio. Esto es sumamente importante para proteger tus finanzas y las de tu empresa.

El comenzar un negocio requiere de tiempo, dedicación y mucho esfuerzo. ¡Apóyate en los recursos que están a tu alcance y comienza tu negocio con el pie derecho! En la incubadora de negocios EGBI tenemos Cursos Empresariales Bilingües (en asociación con Las Comadres para las Americas), donde te enseñamos esto y más, y te apoyamos en cada parte del proceso. ¡El siguiente curso comienza el 8 de enero! Cuesta únicamente $50. A partir de marzo el curso costara $100, así que aprovecha el precio de descuento y regístrate hoy mismo en www.egbi.org o llama al 512-928-2594.

Archivo de Blogs del 2012

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:47:05 +0000

Factores que Afectan tu Crédito

Por Nayeli Gallegos, EGBI Market Analyst, 15 de agosto del 2012

¿Sabes cuál es tu puntaje de crédito? Esa cifra mágica que hace que los bancos nos den un préstamo para un carro, una casa, o un negocio. Es muy importante que estemos conscientes de la importancia de cuidar nuestro crédito, porque un buen crédito nos puede abrir muchas puertas. Hay cinco factores importantes que tienen un impacto en tu puntaje de crédito.

1- Historial de pago: ¿Pagas a tiempo tus facturas, tarjetas de crédito, cuentas de teléfono y créditos bancarios? Tu puntaje de crédito toma en cuenta los pagos que has realizado y dejado de hacer en los últimos 7 años. Si quieres mejorar tu puntaje asegúrate en particular, de pagar a tiempo los pagos de tu auto, casa, y por su puesto tus tarjetas de crédito.

2- Tus deudas actuales: Entre más debes, peor es tu situación. Es casi imposible no tener deudas, sobre todo si estamos tratando de progresar. Lo importante es cuidar a cuantos organismos se le debe. Es mejor tener pocas deudas grandes en lugar de muchas deudas pequeñas. Por ejemplo, cuando en tu historial crediticio aparecen deudas para un préstamo estudiantil, o una hipoteca o un auto, esas deudas no se ven tan mal como tener un montón de deudas en diferentes tarjetas de crédito. Si tienes tarjetas de crédito, una buena regla es pagarlas a tiempo y mantener tu deuda hasta un tercio del límite de crédito que tienes. Es decir, si tu límite es de $1000, trata de no deber más de $300, para que esto no afecte tu puntaje de crédito.

3- Periodo de tu historial crediticio: Entre más largo sea el periodo de tu historial, es mejor. Asimismo, es mejor llevar más tiempo con las mismas cuentas en las que debes (siempre y cuando estés haciendo los pagos a tiempo). Es por eso que no es recomendable abrir tarjetas de crédito a cada rato y también se recomienda mantener abiertas tarjetas de crédito con las que ya llevas muchos años.

4- Nuevas indagaciones acerca de tu crédito: Cada vez que vas a una tienda y te ofrecen una tarjeta de crédito o cuando checan tu crédito para ver si te aprueban para un préstamo de un auto, esto tiene un impacto negativo en tu puntaje de crédito que te puede afectar por un periodo de uno o hasta dos años. Cuando alguien indaga tu crédito, tienes un periodo de gracia de 14 días en el que nuevas indagaciones no te van a afectar el puntaje. Pueden hacer hasta 200 indagaciones de tu crédito durante ese periodo y te va a afectar lo mismo que si solamente hicieran una. Cabe mencionar que si en tu trabajo, es política checar tu crédito a la hora de contratarte, puedes estar tranquilo, porque este tipo de chequeos básicos no afectan tu puntaje.

5- Cuantos tipos diferentes de créditos tienes: Trata de mantener uno de cada uno, por ejemplo, un préstamo para un auto, una hipoteca, un préstamo estudiantil, etc. En el caso de las tarjetas de crédito, puedes tener hasta dos sin problema.

Otros aspectos que van a impactar tu crédito son tu historial de trabajo, tu historial de vivienda y otra información publica, como si has tenido alguna bancarrota o has cometido algún delito, etc.

Esta información es parte de lo que brindamos a nuestros clientes en nuestros Cursos Empresariales en la Incubadora de Negocios EGBI. El próximo 28 de agosto va a comenzar un curso bilingüe enfocado a comerciantes inmigrantes latinos que quieran comenzar un negocio en Austin. Si te interesa saber más acerca de nuestro Curso Empresarial bilingüe, envíame un correo a nayeli.gallegos@egbi.org. El curso es de 12 semanas, dos veces por semana, tiene un costo de $50 y el cupo es limitado. También puedes llamarme al 512-928-2594 para recibir más información. Si quieres comenzar un negocio, ¡nosotros podemos ayudarte!

Lo que debes saber si quieres pedir un préstamo

Por Nayeli Gallegos, EGBI Market Analyst, 13 de julio del 2012

Si eres dueño de una empresa o quieres empezar un negocio y estas pensando en pedir un préstamo, estas son algunas de las cosas que debes tener en cuenta:

Primero debes preguntarte si tienes la capacidad de generar ingresos para pagar tu préstamo. Como regla general, debes tener un ingreso de al menos $1.25 (después de impuestos) por cada $1.00 de deuda. Osea que si piensas pedir $1000, al menos debes de generar ingresos de $1250 (después de impuestos).

Debes revisar tu ratio de endeudamiento, el cual se calcula dividiendo tu deuda total entre los capitales propios. En otras palabras, que dividas lo que debes entre lo que posees. Lo ideal es que el ratio sea de un 50%. Así, si debes actualmente $1000, el monto de tu capital propio deberá ser de al menos $2000.

También deberás tener en cuenta que por lo general, los prestamistas te van a pedir un colateral o garantía para el préstamo. Esto es, cosas físicas con las que puedas garantizar el préstamo. Por ejemplo, inventario o equipo. Es muy importante que tengas una lista de todos los activos de tu negocio y del valor de cada uno de ellos a la hora que vayas con un prestamista. Algunos micro-prestamistas, incluso toman como colateral vehículos y hasta joyería en algunos casos.

Asimismo, deberás estar preparado para dar un enganche de un 20% (aunque esto varía dependiendo del prestamista). Así que si necesitas un préstamo de $50,000, deberás dar un enganche de $10,000.

Finalmente, deberás tener un plan de trabajo sólido que contenga proyecciones financieras claras. Estas proyecciones deben indicar cuanto vas a vender, cuáles van a ser tus gastos y deben dar la seguridad de que tendrás la liquidez para pagar el préstamo.

Desafortunadamente estamos en tiempos económicos difíciles. Y obtener un préstamo no es sencillo. Por eso es muy importante estar bien preparados. Pero no te desanimes, en Austin hay muchos lugares donde puedes recibir ayuda, y hay varias organizaciones que se especializan en apoyar a pequeñas empresas, como es el caso de la incubadora de negocios EGBI.

Si necesitas un préstamo o quieres empezar un negocio ¡nosotros te podemos ayudar a prepararte! Llámanos para una consulta gratuita o regístrate para nuestras clases de cómo empezar un negocio. Los siguientes ciclos empiezan el 30 de Julio y el 6 de Agosto. Visita www.egbi.org para mas información.

El ABC del Empresario

Por Nayeli Gallegos, EGBI Market Analyst, 6 de junio del 2012

Todo empresario debería tener tres aliados al momento de iniciar su negocio, un Abogado, un Banquero y un Contador Público. En la Incubadora de Negocios EGBI, le llamamos el ABC del empresario.

El Abogado te orientará respecto a la estructura legal bajo la que debes formar tu empresa, te guiará en caso de que tengas que realizar algún contrato con tus socios o tus clientes, y se asegurará de que tú y tu negocio estén protegidos ante la ley, entre muchas otras cosas más.

El Banquero será la persona que maneje la cuenta bancaria de tu negocio. Es recomendable separar nuestras cuentas personales de las de nuestra empresa, para tener un mejor manejo de las finanzas del negocio y no mezclarlas con nuestros gastos personales. Así que cuando abras una cuenta bancaria para tu negocio, es importante que establezcas una relación con la persona que maneja tu cuenta. A diferencia de las cuentas personales, donde cualquier persona puede atenderte y resolver preguntas, en las cuentas de negocios, generalmente el banco o la unión de crédito asignan a una persona exclusivamente para ti. Es importante que conozcas bien a la persona que está manejando tu cuenta y mantener una relación y comunicación constante. Ten en cuenta que a la hora de pedir un préstamo, el Banquero puede ser un aliado muy importante para ti.

El Contador Público se encargará de que tus finanzas estén en orden. Te ayudará a entender la situación financiera en la que se encuentra tu empresa, cuánto dinero entra, cuanto sale y te ayudará con tus declaraciones de impuestos, entre muchas otras cosas más. Muchas veces nos sentimos capaces de hacerlo todo por nosotros mismos, pero es muy importante que un experto en la materia lleve la contabilidad de nuestro negocio, ya que ellos están al tanto de las leyes y normas que rigen la contabilidad de las empresas. También se asegurarán de que no tengas que pagar multas por hacer una declaración de impuestos incorrecta.

A veces los empresarios prefieren ahorrarse unos dólares y no contratar a un Abogado o un Contador Público para su negocio. Sin embargo, un error en cualquiera de estas áreas puede resultar en altos costos para tu empresa. Esta es una de las muchas cosas que todo empresario debe tener en cuenta a la hora de comenzar un negocio.

Si quieres empezar un negocio o si necesitas ayuda en hacer crecer tu pequeña empresa, la Incubadora de Negocios EGBI te puede ayudar! Ofrecemos clases y espacio de oficina a muy bajo costo y consultas gratuitas. Llama al 512-928-2594 para recibir más información o hacer una cita.

¿Cómo te comunicas y relacionas con tus clientes?

Por Nayeli Gallegos, EGBI Market Analyst, 29 de mayo del 2012

La semana pasada asistí a un seminario para pequeños negocios que se enfocó en la importancia de la Mercadotecnia de Compromiso o “Engagement Marketing”. Este es un término relativamente nuevo que están utilizando las compañías en su proceso de comunicación, promoción y relación con el cliente.

Durante años, las empresas se han enfocado en mantener comunicación con sus clientes mediante el envío de correos electrónicos, tarjetas, trípticos y volantes que envían por correo, entre otros medios. Esto con el fin de comunicar al cliente acerca de nuevos productos, noticias de la compañía, promociones, etc.

Creo que todos entendemos el término “comunicación”, pero ¿qué es la Mercadotecnia de Compromiso? Básicamente, es dar un paso más allá, es asegurarse de que la persona que reciba la comunicación se sienta “comprometida” a responder de alguna manera. Y que esa respuesta sea algo que podamos medir, ya sea un “click” en una liga de nuestro correo, un reenvío de nuestro correo electrónico, una llamada telefónica, etc. La diferencia entre Comunicación y Mercadotecnia de Compromiso se centra precisamente en lograr la respuesta del factor humano.

Muchos negocios emplean tiempo y dinero en la comunicación con sus clientes, pero deben preguntarse ¿qué tan efectiva es esta comunicación? ¿Cómo miden el nivel de respuesta de sus clientes? La clave del éxito está en lograr que nuestra audiencia se interese y tenga una reacción a lo que les estamos enviando.

Si mantenemos a nuestros clientes comprometidos por medio de nuestra mercadotecnia, involucrados de alguna manera en nuestro negocio, es más fácil retenerlos. ¿Pero cómo lograr esta Mercadotecnia de Compromiso? A diferencia del lenguaje empleado en un volante, por ejemplo, el lenguaje que debes utilizar en tu Mercadotecnia de Compromiso es el lenguaje que utilizarías en una conversación con un amigo o conocido. Utiliza mensajes cortos, simples y sencillos, que inviten a la persona a leerlos.

Cuando alguien llegue a tu oficina o tu tienda por primera vez, asegúrate de que se vayan con la mejor impresión que puedan tener (excelente servicio al cliente, algún detalle especial que te distinga de los demás, etc.). Antes de que se retiren, pídeles permiso para registrarlos en tu lista de distribución para que reciban tus correos electrónicos. Posiblemente algunos se negarán, pero habrás ganado mucho con aquellos que te digan que si, querrá decir que están interesados en tu negocio.

Una vez que tengas tu lista de distribución, ponte en el papel de tus clientes y envíales mensajes que sean de su interés. Monitorea su reacción, evalúa que tipo de promociones, temas, servicios, etc. tienen mayor respuesta y continúa enfocando tu mercadotecnia en eso que a ellos les interesa.

Si algunos optan por salirse de tu lista, no te preocupes, te están haciendo un favor al permitirte enfocarte en aquellas personas a las que les interesa tu negocio.

Recuerda, tu comunicación va a ser efectiva únicamente si logras una respuesta por parte de tus clientes. Elabora estrategias que te permitan medir resultados (un click, un reenvio, una llamada), envía mensajes que sean de interés para tu audiencia, enfócate en que la primer experiencia de tu cliente sea magnifica y no tengas pena en preguntarles si los puedes agregar a tu lista de correos.

La mercadotecnia es uno de los muchos temas que enseñamos en nuestras clases de la incubadora de negocios EGBI. La siguiente clase comienza el 4 de junio y será los lunes, miércoles y viernes de 12 a 1:30 pm. Visita www.egbi.org o llama al 512-928-2594 para registrarte o para recibir mayor información.

¿Estás Preparado para Empezar un Negocio?

Por Nayeli Gallegos, EGBI Market Analyst, 17 de mayo del 2012

A menudo nos encontramos con personas que creen que pueden comenzar un negocio en cuestión de semanas porque tienen una gran idea, porque tienen alguna habilidad especial, o simplemente porque ya están cansados de trabajar para alguien más. Aunque tal vez un porcentaje de ellos lo lleve a cabo en poco tiempo, la realidad es que comenzar un negocio requiere de mucho tiempo y preparación.

Lo ideal sería que comenzaras a prepararte alrededor de un año antes de empezar a operar tu negocio. Aunque parece mucho tiempo, son muchas las cosas que tienes que preparar con anticipación. Las siguientes, son algunas de ellas:

Entender y arreglar tu situación financiera personal: ¿Estás al corriente con tus pagos de impuestos? ¿Cómo está tu crédito? ¿Puedes mejorarlo?
Realizar un estudio de mercado y analizar el estado y las tendencias de la industria en la que vas a incursionar y el mercado que vas a cubrir.
Basado en el estudio de mercado, entonces crear una marca y una estrategia para las necesidades que vas a cubrir.
Realizar un estudio de tu competencia.
Entender los beneficios de las diferentes estructuras legales para conformar una empresa y decidir cual vas a aplicar para tu negocio. Consultar a expertos en la materia.
Seleccionar un nombre y asegurarse de que alguien más no lo esté usando o lo haya registrado.
Escribir un plan de negocios que incluya proyecciones financieras, presupuesto y una línea de tiempo con fechas que te indiquen las metas que tienes que ir cumpliendo.

Efectivamente, el comenzar un negocio requiere de un compromiso muy grande de tiempo, talento y dinero. Es difícil comenzar algo exitoso de un momento a otro. Si tienes la oportunidad de prepararte con anticipación, sin tener que hacer las cosas a la carrera o de último momento, tus probabilidades de éxito serán mayores.

El prepararse para comenzar un negocio no es fácil y es recomendable tomarse de la mano de expertos que te puedan guiar en el proceso. La buena noticia es que en una encuesta llevada a cabo por Thumbtack.com, Austin acaba de recibir una calificación de A+ por la facilidad para comenzar negocios en nuestra ciudad. Esto se debe a que en Austin hay muchos recursos que te pueden ayudar a prepararte para lanzar un negocio. Por ejemplo, la incubadora de negocios EGBI, ofrece cursos de negocios de muy bajo costo, que te dan las bases para comenzar y administrar exitosamente tu empresa. Además de las clases, tienes acceso a consultas gratuitas y la posibilidad de rentar espacio de oficina a muy bajo costo.

El siguiente curso de EGBI para comenzar un negocio comienza el 4 de junio y las clases son lunes, miércoles y viernes de 12 a 1:30 pm. También tenemos cursos lunes y miércoles de 6 a 9 pm. Visita www.egbi.org para mayor información o llama al 512-928-2594.