Minority Entrepreneurs

SCORE Reaches for Hispanics

Date
Mon, 2012-06-25 08:58

SCORE Naples partnered with Naples-based Media Vista Group to develop a 13-episode interactive series for Spanish-speaking business owners that will kick off in July and air on Azteca America TV on Sundays at 9 a.m.  The growth in the Hispanic population drove SCORE’s attention to focus more on the business community. The 2010 U.S. Census found roughly 26 percent of the population in Collier County is Hispanic. That comes out to about 83,000 people. In 2000, they made up roughly 19 percent of the population for an estimated 49,000 Hispanics.

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After a Lifetime of Moving, Nacho Mama's Owner Not Ready to Settle Down

Date
Tue, 2012-06-19 08:45

"I feel that coming from a family of migrant workers really rooted my work ethic. My grandparents, on my mother's side, raised me and taught me about goals," Raul Cantu, owner of Nacho Mama's in Richmond, Virginia, said.

While Cantu had plenty of experience running a restaurant, he'd never owned a business before. Unsure of what to do next — and concerned about whether to take the plunge — he turned to SCORE, an organization with ties to the Small Business Administration that gives free advice to small businesses.

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Tré Bone's Owners Working to Make Business More Successful Than Marriage

Date
Fri, 2012-05-18 12:21

Portland, Oregon business owners Carol Ellis and Serge Ouattara discuss how they've made their venture, Tré Bone, prosper and expand despite ending their marriage.  SCORE Portland helped the pair develop a solid business plan, replicate that model in a second location and obtain financing.

“Serge had a viable business model and a good track record,” says Joanna Mehaffey, a West Coast Bank vice president. “I was also aware that Serge had worked with SCORE, which can be a very helpful tool for business owners.”

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BrowardSCORE participated in FOCUS BRAZiL

Date
Thu, 2012-05-03 10:34

 

Broward SCORE, represented by volunteers Eric Thompson and George Gremse, participated in Focus Brazil today at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The event is held to facilitate the communications about culture, community & commerce between interested parties in Brazil and Southeast Florida.

 

 

Panel discussion with the President of Embraer and Broward County officials

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Hispanic Small Business Seminar Holds Graduation on November 11, 2011

Date
Thu, 2011-11-17 22:17

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Partnership with the Greater Bridgeport chapter of SCORE, the SBA and the City of Bridgeport Small and Minority Business Resource Office hosted a six-week small business workshop series. The series culminated with a graduation ceremony on November 17, 2011. 

A new presentation of this series will start on April 12, 2012.

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BrowardSCORE participated in Hispanic Unity of Florida's 2012 Entrepreneur Summit

Date
Fri, 2012-04-20 09:50

 

 

Broward SCORE participated today in Hispanic Unity of Florida’s 2012 Entrepreneur Summit. The event, with over 500 attendees, provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs to network, attend workshops, and fete the success of some of their peers.

 

Ana Chipana, a graduate of SCORE’s first Spanish language Simple Steps for Starting Your Business, was recognized by Hispanic Unity for her success in owning and operating WARA Quinoa, an organic bakery.

 

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Dynamic Dragon Boat Racing LLC

Knoxville, Tennessee may not be the first place you expect to be carrying on the 2,300 year old Chinese tradition of dragon boat racing and you might be even more surprised to learn that the sleek, stylish, reptilian boats cruising by are doing it all for charity.  But it’s that unique and truly creative combination that has caused Dynamic Dragon Boat Racing, LLC to make such a splash in waterways across the country.  Owner Penny Behling was initially hesitant when offered the opportunity to buy out her partner in their business which organized and managed events and rented dragon boats – 46 foot long canoe-type vessels powered by a team of 20 rowers, a drummer and a steersperson. The business had been struggling, and Penny's financial situation made buying the business questionable. She contacted SCORE in 2009 for aid in analyzing the situation and determining the right move.

www.racedragonboats.com

Owner/Founder
Penny Behling
My Location
Knoxville TN
United States
Year Company Formed
2005
My Successes

Penny began meeting with SCORE mentor Bill Beres in 2009, focusing their talks on how to revive a struggling business and expand their existing customer base. Collaborating with Bill allowed Penny to gain confidence in her ability to manage a business, and she soon realized that this type of event had a huge untapped market. "Previously we concentrated our efforts on cities on the Tennessee River, but through market analysis we began to realize that any city with a body of water was a potential prospect. That gave me the confidence to purchase the business and grow it through market expansion." With Bill’s help, Penny created a business plan which allowed the firm to increase the number of events it manages from three in 2008 to ten in 2011. She also has added new equipment to her fleet. In 2010 these events raised more than $200,000 for the charities they benefitted.

Dynamic Dragon Boat Racing LLC was the recipient of the 2011 Client of the Year Award from the Greater Knoxville chapter of SCORE.

Read more about Penny's success in the KnoxvilleBiz.com feature!

What's Great About My Mentor?

Penny reflected on her SCORE mentor’s influence saying: “My SCORE counselor encouraged and equipped me with methodology to reach what I thought originally might be impossible goals. It’s been a long road, but now the ride has been worth it.”

Useful Links
Published Apr. 12, 2012

 

Special tax law provisions may help taxpayers and businesses recover financially from the impact of a disaster, especially when the federal government declares their location to be a major disaster area. Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes. Both individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area can get a faster refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return.
 
The IRS also offers audio presentations on Planning for Disaster. These presentations discuss business continuity planning, insurance coverage, recording keeping and other tips to stay in business after a major disaster. 
 
Visit their Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses section of the IRS site for more.

 

Templates
Published Apr. 12, 2012

The IRS maintains a valuable collection of resources for small businesses called the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center.  Visit their site for forms, articles, videos, webinars and audio presentations for small businesses.

Custom Fortune Cookie Company

Bonnie Chow Gutierrez secured a small business loan and bought a fortune cookie company in North Houston when she was just 27 years old.  But she soon found profits to be lagging and knew she would have to innovate and sell to new markets in order to make money from her venture.  With the guidance and technical expertise of her SCORE Houston mentors, she has managed to stay in business for 27 years and is credited with inventing the giant fortune cookie.

www.customfortunecookies.com

Owner/Founder
Bonnie Chow Gutierrez
My Location
Houston TX
United States
My Successes

Bonnie quickly realized that selling only to Chinese restaurants wasn't enough to keep her business alive.  So she created the custom fortune cookie and the now popular giant fortune cookie.  By putting the creativity in her customer's hands, her business has blossomed.  Her cookies were recently featured on the Food Network and the movie "Freaky Friday" starring Jamie Lee Curtis.  She has served famous clients including Kiefer Sutherland and has shipped orders for the campaigns of both President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Reflecting on her 27 years in business Bonnie said, "I have had a lot of fun, it is this creative part of me that gets a different kind of satisfaction from it.  It's not about money.  It is providing something for people's celebrations."

What's Great About My Mentor?

After running into a jam when a critical piece of machinery, her 37-year old handmade cookie press, had broken and no local service technicians were available, Bonnie called the Houston chapter of SCORE - the same place she had called years prior for financial advice when first starting out.  This time she was paired with mentor Mike Weltzien, a mechanical engineer who knew exactly how to fix her problem.

"Mike was just amazing.  I have never met anyone like him and he has been such an inspiration," Bonnie says.  "I will never be able to repay his kindness.  I am forever indebted to him."

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