Category Archives: Business Advice

Mentors Increase Small Business Success

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Paola Carmona photographs her favorite clientele. (Courtesy)

January is National Mentor Month, a perfect time to connect with a counselor/mentor at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Lower Rio Grande Valley District partners provided counseling and training to 9,094 small businesses in 2017, and helped create or retain about 481 jobs. These partners also helped start 111 new businesses. Mentors can be invaluable to small businesses. After all, it can be overwhelming to juggle dozens of responsibilities and…

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Never Stop Practicing, Practicing

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practice

  Any skill that is important to you – from simple writing skills to complex negotiation skills – needs to be practiced, and practiced even when you don’t need it. While people say that practice makes perfect, I prefer a different quote: “Don’t practice until you get it right; practice until you can’t get it wrong.” You know who Michael Jordan is, the winner of six NBA championships. After winning…

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Exporting Basics for Small Businesses

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Alberto Rodriguez-Baez with the Minority Business Development Center offered guidance on how American companies can become exporters. (VBR)

U.S. companies exporting to other countries is big business and small entrepreneurs can get in on the action if they can navigate a sometimes complex process to identify international markets and promote their products. “Size doesn’t matter. Small business imports are growing all the time,” Alberto Rodriguez-Baez, senior export manager for the U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency, said during a presentation in Weslaco hosted by the Small Business…

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SBA Loans Pump Cash into Economy

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SBA loans

The Small Business Administration’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District saw an increase in the amount of money loaned to businesses in fiscal year 2017, even though there was a slight decrease in the number of loans approved. The LRGV district guaranteed 191 loans in the 7(a) and 504 loan programs. These programs combined provided more than $71 million to small businesses that created 633 jobs and retained 984. The loans…

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The Contagious Nature of Synergy

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synergy

Flu shots are big right now. An inevitable wave of symptoms is expected to hit the workplace, and your managers are understandably concerned. One well-situated sneeze and an entire work team could be calling in sick by the end of the week. One thing you DON’T want to inoculate your staff from, however, is the persistently contagious bug of good synergy. Wait, you say. Is synergy contagious? Yes, say the…

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Under Attack: Scammers Want Your Money

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Frost Bank Vice President Sylvia talks to business leaders about digital theft and fraud. (VBR)

The chances of becoming a victim of electronic fraud are growing every day for both individuals and businesses. “We see fraud on a daily basis,” said Frost Bank Senior Vice President Mickey Boland as he introduced a presentation on how to protect your money and your identity in a digital world at the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce. With so many options to conduct financial transactions online and with wireless devices,…

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Just Right: Try the Goldilocks Approach

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Goldilocks Approach

I’m not one to offer quick-fix solutions to motivation, but this one singular tip is useful for personal and as well as group or team motivation. Try the Goldilocks Approach. I picked this up from author, photographer and entrepreneur James Clear. Clear looked at research to point to how people succeed. According to Clear, you need to pick challenges that are just out of your reach. They can’t be too…

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Look Before You e-Leap

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PlatformGraphic

  E-commerce is growing 23 percent per year as 51 percent of Americans prefer to shop online. Yet 46 percent of small businesses do not have a website. “Is selling online right for your business?” asked Eduardo Lugo of the Small Business Development Center at a seminar on e-commerce. “You have to do your homework, just like you were opening a restaurant or retail location. It revolves around your target…

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