2019 McAllen Top 5 Small Business Awards are scheduled for October 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Old Church Winery. Deadline to apply is August 16, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. Criteria: Please provide enough information and documentation to support your answers Your business has to consist of no more than 200 employees to qualify as a small business Your business was established before 2014 Your business has had a consistent record of employment in the last two years Your business has had a steady increase in sales over the last three years (no hard numbers just percentage increases) Your business has demonstrated consistent community involvement in the last two years Your business has improved or expanded its product and/or services through expansion and/or innovation Your business operates a location in the McAllen area   2018 RECIPIENTS Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects Community Hope Projects, DBA Family Health Futuro…

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How does a person create change and new opportunities? Most business people are consumed with just taking care of their customers, inventory, equipment, employees, bills, taxes – and the list goes on. They hardly have a chance to think about new opportunities or innovation. The challenge for “flat and thin” organizations is: “How do you do all the things that have to get done for your business and still create and bring about change to make your organization or business successful?” Some experts believe some people are “hardwired” to create and see opportunities that other people don’t see. Still, other experts believe you can train yourself to see new opportunities. I think it is a combination. Part of that ability to see new opportunities or to create new opportunities can be built into the culture of a business or organization. Here are six suggestions to create change and opportunity: 1.…

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Thursday, February 28, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Entrepreneur Summit at the Embassy Suites in McAllen. The event is powered by Texas Regional Bank, Texas A&M, Burton McCumber & Longoria LLP and the Federal Reserve Bank Dallas – San Antonio. The summit will support our efforts in developing a dynamic entrepreneur ecosystem in McAllen and throughout South Texas. Fostering innovation and new ideas is a foundation for creating wealth for a community or a region. So many times, groups and cities focus only on what I call the ingredients – incubators, accelerators, angel investor funds, and grants. The real challenge is figuring out how to create and blend the “right” recipe for success. The most critical elements and the most significant “X” factors for success when creating an entrepreneur ecosystem are people. Are we bringing the right people together that…

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Being selected as the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Man and Woman of the Year requires people with a mixture of attributes. They could be business owners, people of faith, retirees or elected officials. Career accomplishments are no surprise, but the award is not just about the work they do. It’s also about the heart they give. Woman of the Year Veronica Gonzales is UTRGV Vice-President of Governmental & Community Relations. Born and raised in San Marcos, it was upon graduation from law school that she opted to join the law firm of Jarvis, Schwarz and Kittleman in McAllen. Driving down to the Valley back in 1991, she gazed upon the wide open spaces with nothing in them and exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh! What did I do?” She laughs today as she recalls that first drive to the land that has become her home and her life. Veronica even found relatives…

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David Hernandez President, Holiday Wine & Liquor   1) What is your favorite book?  Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. It’s about understanding what goes on inside people emotionally. It gives one a better understanding of what’s happening in oneself and then gives the reader a better understanding of what’s happening in other people, allowing for better communications.  2) What is your favorite movie? The Man from Snowy River. It’s about young love and determination. It’s set in Australia and is about a wealthy ranching family. Kirk Douglas was the rancher who had a brother who struck out in a different way to try to find fame and fortune. A young man fell in love with the daughter of the rich rancher and consequently had to prove himself to be worthy of the daughter. It’s a good, clean, wholesome kind of movie. 3) What was your favorite vacation spot? Napa, California.…

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Cindy Trevino  Community Manager, Tres Lagos   Cindy Treviño’s eyes are constantly sizing up what is happening in front and around her, ready to instantly take charge if necessary.  As Community Manager of Tres Lagos, Treviño’s life interweaves with all aspects of the 2,571 acre site. She is a major part in making life for the residents top quality and just plain fun. “I started with McAllen Country Club as the Membership Marketing Director,” she began. “I brought Mike Rhodes, the Tres Lagos   developer, and his family on as members. The Rhodes family liked me. I knew one day I could possibly work for their company.” Four years and 300 Country Club members later, Cindy made the decision to work at Tres Lagos. “When Mike hired me, he said, ‘I don’t know exactly what you’re going to do, but I know I need Tres Lagos taken care of.’ Then…

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Steve Urbina Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist, Shepard Walton King Insurance   After his high school teacher told him he was too small to win a football scholarship, his first real extracurricular interest, Steve Urbina fell in love with theatre. He excelled in drama and was awarded a theatre scholarship to the Conservatory of Theatre at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. His family’s history was already rich in love and drama, a real Romeo and Juliet tale. His father and mother fell in love against the strong wishes of their fathers. “There were guns involved,” laughed Steve. “And drinking. At the end of the brouhaha, they stayed up pretty late drinking beer, ending with, ‘Let’s get them married. They love each other.’”  Steve moved to Shepard Walton King Insurance two years ago after 15 years with State Farm, and now focuses on commercial insurance. “I get to learn about how…

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Last week, I wrote about several fundamental basics a good salesperson does every day. Good salespeople are working when others are sleeping, watching TV or wasting time on Facebook or other social media platforms. The most fundamental aspect of selling is understanding your customers’ wants. If a successful salesperson can master the “wants” of a customer, they are halfway to making the sale. Here are some of the things customers may have at the top of their minds: more profits, more sales, better image, more customers, better brand recognition, no hassles, less stress, more value, more success, and recognition. The good salespeople learn these key drivers by researching their customers and understanding their customers’ markets and business models. If you are still cold-calling customers, you are wasting your time. A salesperson who is cold calling is making a “Hail Mary” effort. Networking is the difference between success and failure. Spending…

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There are some people who just seem to be natural-born salespeople. There are others who dread the thought of having to try to convince someone else to buy something. The reality is that all of us are selling something. We are selling our skills, our contacts, our ability to get something done, or a product or service – but we are all selling. The one key difference – and this is important – is whether you are helping someone solve a problem or whether you are just trying to get their money. We have all dealt with people who are just trying to get our money; the high-pressure salesperson who is more focused on what they can get out of a deal than actually helping a potential customer solve a problem. Here are five things a good salesperson focuses on during the sale process: It is not about you. If…

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The City of McAllen is launching the “I Know a Place in McAllen” social media campaign to showcase all of the incredible attractions, sites, and sounds that go beyond the traditional locations that have made McAllen so well known. We want our proud locals and inspired visitors to be the stars and to help us bring to life the real McAllen. Learn more at visitmcallen.com

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will award South Texas College a total of  $974,665 in grants for advanced training Friday, Jan. 11. These funds will support training in the computer system, healthcare, and manufacturing industries, greatly assisting students in these fields of study at South Texas College. A total of three grant checks will be presented to the college including a Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant totaling $249,096, a Skills Development Fund (SDF) Manufacturing grant of $409,890, and a Skills Development Fund (SDF) Healthcare grant of $655,153. $315,679 of the Healthcare grant will be for STC to provide job-training opportunities and the remaining portion will go to grant partners for training in their areas of the state. Grant partners involved in the SDF Healthcare grant include United Health Systems and two colleges, Southwest Texas Junior College and Laredo College. The SDF Manufacturing grant business partners are Wood Crafters Home…

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This past holiday season gave me a chance to reflect on the many things “having kids” has taught me over the course of watching them grow and develop. I am now entering the next phase of life, watching grandkids grow and develop, which I must admit is not as stressful as raising kids. So, I started to think about what “having kids” and “having grandkids” has taught me about life. Here are seven things I have learned from kids: 1) Be curious. Kids are curious about everything. One day it can be dinosaurs and the next day it could be horses. Kids remind us that curiosity is a key ingredient to loving life. Ever been around an adult who has lost the ability to be curious about things? There is no spark, nothing that makes them interesting. Kids have taught me not to lose my curiosity about life. 2) Be…

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