The Small Business Administration estimates about 627,000 new businesses open every year. It might be a hobby to earn extra income, or a long-standing idea you finally want to act on. Whatever the motivation, there are resources available for people who want to launch a business in 2019. One of the organizations aspiring business owners can turn to is the Small Business Development Center housed at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Center…
Linda McMahon and her husband took a small regional business and built it into a multinational powerhouse brand known as WWE. For non-wrestling fans, that stands for World Wrestling Entertainment, a media and entertainment company primarily known for professional wrestling. Active in WWE from 1980 to 2009, serving as president and CEO, McMahon left the company to mount two unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Senate in her home state of…
The U.S. Small Business Administration has appointed Justin Crossie as the regional administrator for SBA’s Region VI, which includes the Lower Rio Grande Valley District. Crossie now leads 10 district office directors, serving more than 3.8 million small businesses. Offices under his direction are in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Crossie will lead the delivery of SBA’s financial, entrepreneurial development, government contracting and international export initiatives. He will also head…
This week is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Veterans Small Business Week, highlighting the different facets of the veteran business community. Locally, the Lower Rio Grande Valley office of SBA is in the middle of the celebration, offering events, many of which take place in the next days. This year’s theme, “Our #VetBiz Community,” showcases the various facets of the veteran business community, ranging from the prospective or existing veteran…
Nominations are now open for both the SBA National Small Business Week awards and the Lower Rio Grande Valley District Office awards. While nominations are open until Feb. 15 for the local level, national nominations are due Jan. 9. Both individuals and organizations dedicated to the support of the small business community in the United States may submit national or district office nominations. Additionally, businesses may self-nominate. “During National Small…
From the moment people walked into the Brownsville Event Center for the Business to Botana Expo on Sept. 19, they were surrounded by the sights and smells this event was showcasing. There was no shortage of food booths with everything ranging from Taco Palenque to Bara Exotic Food to Vita Zumo. Free to the public, this popular event drew crowds of all ages. Babies in strollers ate pieces of fruit…
Purchasing a franchise involves many steps — and a lot of time and effort. But, if you’re organized, and you’ve taken the time to learn all you can about franchising, you’ll be able to speed up the process. Keep reading to learn how long it will take to start your franchise business. Purchasing Steps: 1. The Search Typically, you’ll visit several different franchise opportunity websites until you narrow it down…
Being in business is exciting but it also means facing challenges and risks every day. These risks and threats to your business can come from innumerable sources, including economic conditions, lawsuits, competitors, and the weather. In order to be able to sleep at night, it’s essential that you adopt a variety of risk management strategies. These are designed to avert catastrophe and provide you with protection to the extent possible.…
For this blog about Hurricane Season preparedness, we thought it would make sense to get some business continuity tips from a real expert — a business owner who survived multiple disasters. Three Brothers Bakery, a 69-year-old business owned by Janice and Robert Jucker, suffered losses of around $1 million after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston last August. In 2008, the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike forced the couple to close the…
When was the last time you’ve revisited your workplace safety plan? Not only is it the law, but it also can ensure that you and your employees are always safe. In honor of National Safety Month, we would like to highlight four resources that will help you identify unsafe behaviors, create opportunities for improvement and also help you (and your employees) make well-informed safety decisions on a daily basis. 1.…