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Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston   
October Small Business Opportunities
 
For Startup and Existing Entrepreneurs, HCC Faculty, Staff & Students 
 
In this Issue:
 
October Events
  • SBA Lender Matchmaking Event 10/1
  • Strategic Hiring Tools for CEOs - Silver Fox Advisors 10/3
  • Free Monthly Digital Marketing Clinic - 10/9
  • HAGGL Golf Tournament - Proceeds benefit the HCC Business Plan Competition! - 10/10
  • Exit Strategy - Silver Fox Advisors - 10/23
  • Women's Entrepreneur Boot Camp - 10/25
Small Business Success Series by HCC©  Sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank
  • Introduction to Entrepreneurship 10/4 - HCC North Forest Campus   
  • Small Business Success Series - Remaining Fall Workshops at HCC Alief Hayes: 
    • How Much Will It Cost? - October 5
    • How Do I Market My Idea? - October 19
    • How Do I Manage Risk?  - November 2
  • More Soon About Future Small Business Success Series Workshops Coming this Spring
Entrepreneurship News From Our Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Northwest
  • Junior Achievement "Ignite the Spark," on September 21 Gathers 27 High Schools at HCC
  • Small Business Summit & Expo-Starting, Growing, Buying & Selling a Business on September 25 Draws Aspiring and Existing Business Owners Across Five Generations
  • HCC Delivers Pitch Training Sessions for the City of Houston's 2019 Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
October Events
Lender Matchmaking Event 
Pitch your businesses financial needs to SBA-approved lenders!

Tuesday, October 1, 2019, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm, 
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319

You are invited to attend the Small Business Lender-Borrower Matchmaking & Resource Event with the Houston SBA!  Representatives from several banks, certified development companies, and alternative lending sources will be on hand to meet with existing and startup business owners to discuss funding for small businesses.  Small Business owners will have the opportunity to:  pitch financing needs to multiple lenders in scheduled, one-on-one 10-minute sessions!  Access business advisory services from participating resource organizations such as the SBA, SCORE and the Small Business Development Center.

This event is free to all thanks to the generosity of the Small Business Administration, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Wallis Bank. 
  
Strategic Hiring Tools for CEOs! 

Thursday, October 3, 2019, 9:30 am - 11:00 am, 
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319

The true cost of a bad hire can easily skyrocket and have a lasting negative impact on company financials, especially for smaller growing enterprises where every hire is important. Silver Fox Advisors John Younker (I/O psychologist and management consultant) and John Sweney (staffing & recruiting firm founder) provide tools and tips to dramatically increase your chances of finding professionals with the needed talent, skills, knowledge and experience and who fit well into your culture. TOOLS to profile both the real job and the ideal candidate, including measurable goals and stripping out irrelevant "requirements" TOOLS to search, screen, leverage networks, relationships, hiring sites, and social media for you and candidate to know each other TOOLS for objective assessment to reinforce a hiring decision or choose among finalists This is intended as an interactive session with time allowed for questions and answers.

NEW AT HCC!  Free Monthly Digital Marketing Clinics
 
October 9, November 13, December 11
Monthly, 2nd Wednesday, 6:30 pm- 8:30 pm
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319  

Choose one date or come every month to ask questions and focus on continuous improvement of your company's digital marketing effectiveness.
 
Our Format:   Open Discussion - Ask questions of our expert relating to your business about various digital marketing topics, including but not limited to those listed below.  
Each clinic will focus on learning a bit more about one topic, but also allow for questions on the other topics.
 
Clinic Topics: Social Media, Web Design, Videos, Local Search Engine Optimization, Convertible Key Words - How to Make Sales, Analytics & Conversion Management. 
 
Clinic Expert & Facilitator:   Beth Guide President, SEO411
SEO 411 is a leading provide of Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing services,including organic results as well as social media and ppc options.
 
 
18th Annual HAGGL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Thursday, October 10, 2019, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm, 
Blackhorse Golf Club, 12205 Fry Rd.,Cypress, TX 77433.



Thank You HAGGL!  
  
A portion of the proceeds from the HAGGL Golf Tournament will benefit the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition.  

HCC thanks the Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (HAGGL) for becoming a recurring sponsor of the HCC Business Plan Competition!  Registration is open for individual golfers, packages & foursomes. 

Exit Strategies

Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 9:30 am - 11:00 am 
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319

If a business plan is the road map for your business, the exit strategy is the destination.

Entrepreneurs seldom place importance on their exit strategy when starting a business. Unlike investors, business owners are focused on running (and growing) the company.   Eventually, every business owner will exit their business. Most are unprepared to do so successfully. Business owners are busy people and when there is no immediacy in the idea of exiting their business, they don't place enough value on doing it now. Experience has shown that those who delay are least likely to achieve a successful exit. 

This workshop is designed to help Business Owners:
  1. Prepare for and to leave your business on your own terms and conditions;
  2. Obtain the most value for your years of work and dedication to the success of your business;
  3. Increase the value of your business before you exit;
  4. Prepare in advance for an unanticipated exit event; and
  5. Incorporate exit strategies in your business operations.
Featured Presenter and Content Developer:   David Regenbaum , Entrepreneur in Residence, Center for Entrepreneurship, Houston Community College, Northwest.

This event is Free to all thanks to the generosity of Silver Fox Advisors, HCC Center for Entrepreneurship and our sponsors.

HCC Women's Entrepreneur Boot Camp

Friday
October 25, 2019
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
West Houston Institute, Auditorium HCC Alief Hayes

Save the Date!  

More news coming and registration opens soon!
Small Business Success Series by HCC © 
Sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank
Introduction to Entrepreneurship at HCC
Small Business Success Series by HCC©

Friday, October 4, 2019, 9:30 am - 11:30 am 
HCC North Forest Campus, 6010 E. Little York Road, Houston, TX 77016

Get an overview of the topics offered in the series, developed specifically for entrepreneurs who are either planning to start a business, in the early stages of launch, or planning to grow their businesses.

Topics:
  • Ignite the Entrepreneur in You!
  • Is My Idea Lucrative?
  • How Much Will it Cost to Start & Grow My Business?
  • How do I Market My Idea?
  • How do I Manage Risk?


At this introductory event, meet some of HCC's Entrepreneurs in Residence and meet currently practicing entrepreneurs. Learn about this program and others offered at HCC including the annual HCC Business Plan Competition, which delivers free training and advising to all contestant teams accepted, and awards seed money to the top five teams! We invite: proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs. Create a tailored pathway thru HCC to achieve your small business goals to start and grow your business!

This introductory event is Free to All - A celebration of HCC's plans to bring more entrepreneurial training and opportunities to North Houston through 
HCC Northeast, through HCC Northwest and 
through our collaborative partners in our district Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives!

How Much will it Cost to Start & Grow my Business?
Part of the Small Business Success Series by HCC©

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, 
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319

For proposed, startup and existing business owners!  An all-day workshop that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and p lan right !   This workshop is stand alone excellent, and it also offers entrepreneurs a pathway to apply for the free mentoring and training offered in Spring 2020 in the Annual HCC Business Plan Competition. 
  
Featured Topics
  • Understanding Cash Needs - Understanding how much money you need; Negotiating to save money - a framework; Collecting money and making a profit; and Forecasting for success.
  • Loans - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Understand how much you should borrow; What loan type is best for you; Loan sharks, and How to avoid predatory lenders.
  • Are You Doing a Good Job? -  The basics for measuring your hard work; Importance of understanding your financials; Building a real asset; and Connections. 
  • Financing Panel - Relationships for success. Representatives from Houston's financial entrepreneurial eco-system.
Free to HCC Faculty, Staff, Students and Veterans!  Also offered at a reduced cost of $25 to our external community, thanks to our sponsor Wells Fargo Bank. 

How Do I Market My Idea?
Part of the Small Business Success Series by HCC©

Saturday  October 19, 2019,  8:30 am - 4:30 pm
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building.  Room A319

S ales and marketing are often used interchangeably, but in reality are two distinct disciplines. Successful startup and existing business enterprises must master the sales and marketing tools that create success. This workshop prepares you for the "why, how and what's next" of understanding your target audience and effectively reaching them. Use this day to plan for growth!

Featured Presenters :  Ashley Small, Founder/CEO of Medley Inc., PR &  Digital Marketing Agency and Austin  Tennette , Certified Business Coach, Focal Point Coaching, Entrepreneur in Residence, HCC NE. 

Free to HCC Faculty, Staff, Students and Veterans!  Also offered at a reduced cost of $25 to our external community, thanks to our sponsor Wells Fargo Bank. 

How Do I Manage Risk?
Part of the Small Business Success Series by HCC©

Saturday November 2 , 2019,  8:30 am - 4:30 pm
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building.  Room A319

Featured Topics:
  • The advantages and disadvantages of operating as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, LLC, or non-profit charitable organization;
  • Legal Liability and tax requirements, and the consequences for each form of organization;
  • The use of Insurance as a form of Risk Management;
  • Hiring Employees vs Independent Contractors;
  • Contract Negotiation; and
  • Operational Processes and Procedures.
Workshop Format - Progressive presentations, round table group discussions, workbook exercises, class discussion and a minimizing risk panel

Featured Presenter & Content Developer:  David Regenbaum was owner and operator of Association Management, Inc. (AMI) from 1979-2010.  AMI achieved remarkable growth and prestige under his leadership for over 36 years, becoming the leading community association management firm in Texas, managing over 300 communities consisting of over 100,000 homes and commercial units.  David is now Entrepreneur in Residence for the HCC Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston,  President of the HCC Foundation and Faculty & Guest Advisor for HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. 

Free to HCC Faculty, Staff, Students and Veterans!  Also offered at a reduced cost of $25 to our external community, thanks to our sponsor Wells Fargo Bank. 

Small Business Success Series by HCC©
Register for the Small Business Success Series by HCC ©

FEES FOR OUR EXTERNAL COMMUNITY: 
   
Total Fee for the Fall Series was:  $80  
 
Each remaining Fall workshop is now available individually for $25.   
 
FEES FOR OUR HCC FAMILY: FREE
 
FREE for HCC Students, Faculty, Staff, HCC Alumni,
 HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni & 
HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumni
 
HCC attendees should sign up for each individual workshop only when committed to attending-to respectfully reduce no shows. When doing so, u se code HCCS & Click APPLY when registering. Bring ID at check-in.
 
THANK YOU AGAIN WELLS FARGO BANK!
 These reduced rates for our surrounding community and complimentary seats for our HCC Family are made possible by Wells Fargo Bank, our sponsor for the 
Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Small Business Success Series by HCC©  
 
 
For more on each individual workshop in the series 
 
Earn a Certificate of Completion from HCC 
after completing all five workshops in the series. 
 
Missed one already?  Make it up later. 
More dates for future workshops announced soon.  
More Spring 2020 Small Business Success Series 
programs announced soon with 
additional opportunities to sign up for a Spring series.
HCC thanks Wells Fargo Bank 
Sponsor of the 2019 - 2020 
 Small Business Success Series by HCC© 
Entrepreneurship News from HCC Northwest
Junior Achievement "Ignite the Spark" Gathers 27 High Schools at HCC to Kick-Off a Year Long Program Across the Houston!
 
Sponsors  Microsoft, Veritex, Chick-Fil-A & HCC Helped Make the Day Great    
After a week of Tropical Storm Imelda and varied inclement weather school closings, HCC reopened on September 21, just in time to host our Junior Achievement "Ignite the Spark" event and 27 high schools to kick off a year-long program.  From September through May, Junior Achievement (JA) representatives, sponsors, instructors, and volunteer business mentors will guide high school student teams throughout Houston as they plan, start, run and dispense proceeds from businesses they create between now and next May.  Volunteer mentors deliver training sessions from now through November and business plans are due in early December. The students will launch and operate their businesses January through March.  Year end reports are due in April and top students and teams will be celebrated in May at the Federal Reserve Bank.
                                 

Houston Community College, our Center for Entrepreneurship and the West Houston Institute were honored to collaborate with JA and this year's sponsors to deliver an excellent kick-off to the program with: "red carpet" arrival photo ops with HCC mascot SWOOP; light continental breakfast by Wallis Bank; orientation briefings; a panel of HCC entrepreneurs; a Chick-Fil-A lunch; round table exercises; and Microsoft's mini pitch competition!  Rice University will host the high schools for a big day on November 16 and the University of Houston invites all JA teams to compete in a Pitch Day in March.  

 
The Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Northwest and a team of business mentors and entrepreneurs will guide the JA group from our Alief Early College High School (AECHS).  Lessons have already begun as students examine entrepreneurial personality traits that lead to strengths in leadership, marketing, sales, operations and numbers to decide who will be best at what responsibilities within their teams.  We will bring you more news as the year progresses on this outstanding program!
HCC Small Business Summit & Expo - Starting, Growing Buying & Selling a Business 
 
Five Generations of Aspiring and Existing Entrepreneurs Participated   
            


On Wednesday, September 25, in the West Houston Institute, attorney George Kurisky's keynote presentation dove deep into what entrepreneurs should consider in business structure, taxes, contracts, due diligence and more when preparing to buy or sell a business.   

 
The audience was comprised of aspiring and existing business owners across the generations including 10,000 Small Businesses Alumni, HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni, Center for Entrepreneurship program participants, HCC faculty, staff,and students; still more entrepreneurs from partner programs and from throughout Houston; and also Alief Early College High School students in Junior Achievement.

 

The HCC alumni entrepreneur panel relayed advice and experience from real world situations of starting and growing their businesses and selling a business to buy, start and grow new businesses.  Dr. Kimberly Burroughs presented on multi-generational leadership, Sandra Louvier presented on entrepreneurial offerings at HCC and Liz Lara Carreno facilitated round table exercises and moderated the panel, including lively Q&A.    
  

Exhibitors included funders, brokers and resource partners with brisk activity at exhibit tables during expo segments. During presentations all exhibitors participated, joining entrepreneurs at the round tables for group exercises, Q&A and networking.  

    
Alief Early College High School students got a taste early on of sound reasons to plan right from the start and throughout the life of the business, keeping track of the numbers needed to buy or sell a business for a realistic value.  Some high school students made connections about jobs post graduation and some exhibitors expressed interest in mentoring in our Junior Achievement program. These are just two examples of the enlightenment and connections that happened across the generations throughout the day! 


We thank event sponsors: Wallis Bank for Breakfast, HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses for Lunch and Amegy Bank for bottled water.
HCC Delivers Liftoff Houston Pitch Training Sessions
 
September 7, 12 & 14, 2019     

HCC Entrepreneur in Residence, David Regenbaum and Sandra Louvier, Center for Entrepreneurship Director, HCC Northwest, delivered three pitch training sessions for the City of Houston's 2019 Liftoff Houston Startup Competition. Both having participated in various competitions as judges, each gave practical advice for developing and delivering concise, compelling pitches designed to win and/or attract the funding needed to launch their proposed businesses.
  
Each training session also featured a past Liftoff Houston Alumni Finalist.  Jenna Zhang, Jimmy Tay Trihn and Lyndsey Brantley each participated as a guest speaker to offer additional advice and tips. Next, a past Liftoff Pitch video by Megan Eddings was viewed and reviewed.  The training sessions also included one-on-one pitch exercises, such that each and every attendee got to compose and practice a one-minute pitch and get feedback.
 
Then three brave souls pitched in front of each class to get additional feedback and win a bit of chocolate seed funding; a one million dollar chocolate bar! Each session was filled with entrepreneurs willing to speak up, find their voice and refine their pitches.  All left committing to practice, practice, practice!
 
Photo Web Albums:  September 7      September 12   &   September 14

Thank You to our 2019 Sponsors! 
We so appreciate our 2019 HCC Business Plan Competition and Center for Entrepreneurship Cash Sponsors: Amegy Bank, Wallis Bank, Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (HAGGL), ProVideo Systems, Origin Bank, and HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni Circle Sponsors: CRES Real Estate, PermitUsNow, HD2Menus and Texas Security Shredding.
 
We also thank our In-Kind Prize Sponsors:  Houston West Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Today, True Color Graphics, The Cannon and LetsLaunch.
 
Thanks to our In-Kind Reception Sponsors: True Color Graphics, Three Brothers Bakery and Tea in Texas.  



Dear HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni, 

Let's Tell The World About Your Successes! 

To share an alumni success update,  email us at [email protected] or call 713-718-6650. 

Sincerely,
Sandra Louvier
Director 
Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston
Houston Community College - Northwest
About the HCC Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston

 
OUR MISSION:  To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.  We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections.
Contact us at [email protected] or 713-718-6650