Most funeral homes in the Rio Grande Valley are located in the more heavily populated cities like Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen, with many of them owned by large corporations. But a few are still family-owned and operated. The small Willacy County city of Raymondville has two of them, down from three just a few years ago. Duddlesten Funeral Home and Good Shepard Funeral Home are both located along West Hidalgo…
One of the first customers of the recently opened Venture X shared workspace in Harlingen was a Dallas production company that needed a place to make an advertising pitch to South Texas H-E-B executives. The company had made arrangements for a space in the Los Fresnos area, but discovered internet connectivity problems in advance of the meeting. So they contacted Venture X and rented a 10-person meeting room equipped with…
Lemonade stands pop up every year around McAllen as the local chamber seeks to spark an entrepreneurial spirit in the city’s youth. Lemonade Day is held every May as stands set up shop in front of McAllen-area businesses. Lemonade Day is a national event and is held in 65 U.S. cities and 23 states. McAllen’s first Lemonade Day came in 2012, and since then the McAllen Chamber of Commerce has…
Kerry Schwartz discovered surfing at a young age growing up in the Rio Grande Valley. “Surfing was always my passion,” he said. “I even had a little surf shop in Brownsville in the 60s when I was just a teenager.” Today he owns and operates Island Native Surf Shop on South Padre Island, which he opened in 2003 when he retired. After college Schwartz lived in the Houston area where…
One of the least favorite aspects of a supervisor’s job is having to discipline, and possibly terminate, an employee. It can be fraught with emotion and legal pitfalls if not done correctly. But there are ways to minimize the unpleasant and sometimes risky task. Former corporate human resources manager Marco E. Garza, who today serves as assistant chair and faculty with the Department of Management at the University of Texas…
You can find important lessons in the smallest things. You just have to pay attention and look underneath the surface. One of the activities I usually start my seminars with is a game where the group tosses a ball around while calling out their names. There are several challenges along the way, and the group has to respond to those challenges. Throughout the game, I stop every so often to…
It takes time and money, but there are enough people in the Rio Grande Valley in pursuit of a pilot license to keep two full-time flight instructors busy at McCreery Aviation Flight Academy at McAllen Miller International Airport. “It’s a process,” said chief flight instructor Mike Garza. “You’ve got to study, you’ve got to learn and you’ve got to have the time.” McCreery Aviation is a full-service general aviation center…
Once upon a time, a small business’s IT person installed new systems and programs, trained staff to navigate them and fixed glitches. But that’s so 20 years ago. “Marketing has changed so much, especially for anyone like us who markets nationally. If you don’t stay on top of marketing trends, you lose market share,” said Terrie Crockett, who with her husband Allan runs the gift fruit shipper Crockett Farms. “There’s…
When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a member of your staff? A healthy rapport with staff is critical to good leadership and good workplace outcomes. Building good rapport from day one provides the foundation necessary when critical conversations are necessary to launch a product, address a concern or clarify an objective. When employees walk into your office or meeting area knowing you are invested in the relationship…
The Women’s Business Center of Cameron County and the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce are now accepting applications from those interested in starting a business for its DreamBuilder Academy. The 12-module course is designed specifically for women (although anyone can participate) and creates a step-by-step framework for starting a business. The DreamBuilder format helps participants realize if they should start a business, as well as understand a business plan. Costs with…