SAINT ANTONIO – Business leaders from the San Antonio area shared some of their best advice and discussed community-related events in our 2022 KSAT Money Q&A series.
This series was a continuation of my original Money: It’s Personal series, which touched on consumer and personal finance type stories.
The KSAT Money Q&A series was a chance to give aspiring and current entrepreneurs a push to try out new ventures in the San Antonio economy.
Here are some of the best questions and answers of 2022:
The Small Business Development Center helps local entrepreneurs with training, consultations
Whether an entrepreneur is just starting a business or a small company has been established for a long time and needs help, the UTSA Small Business Development Center offers free or low-cost training and consultation to ensure success.
Watch the first Q&A of the series with UTSA SBDC Director Richard Sifuentes below.
The vibrant startup community brings new opportunities, growth to the Alamo City
Charles Woodin, CEO of Geekdom, a collaborative community and co-working space for entrepreneurs and young startups, discussed how San Antonio’s business community has evolved and grown organically over the past 10 years since Geekdom was first founded first.
He also shares advice for budding entrepreneurs who want to break into the startup scene.
Woodin also talked about emerging industries in San Antonio and other ways to get involved in the startup community.
See below.
How to use business financing effectively, tips to start the financing process
New and existing businesses benefit from financing to benefit the growth of their companies, but obtaining loans or grants is not easy and time-consuming, and effective use of this financing is essential to sustain operations.
Stephanie Scheller, CEO of Grow Disrupt — a company that produces personal growth events that support small business growth — discussed how business owners can use the funds effectively and gave advice about loans and grants.
See below.
How to be an effective solopreneur
Solopreneurs had become more prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic on social media and in person at local and national retailers.
Many have quit their jobs to go it alone in business, but becoming an effective entrepreneur is not easy and requires a lot of dedication.
Stephanie Scheller discusses tips for solopreneurs or potential entrepreneurs who want to be effective in their business strategy.
See below.
Geekdom offers summer programs for San Antonio entrepreneurs
Ahead of the summer programs, Phillip Hernandez, Geekdom’s COO, discussed Startup Week.
These programs included the LLC Formation Workshop and Startup Weekend.
See below.
Holiday Incubator Program to Help Small Businesses Explore Rent-Free Downtown Retail
Kailey DeLuca, with Centro San Antonio, discussed a new incubator program that allows San Antonio small businesses to explore holiday retail without paying rent on a downtown space.
See below.
Navigating business in a tough economy
Rising prices and rising interest rates have weighed on the wallets of cashiers, making business a little more difficult for entrepreneurs.
Stephanie Scheller has worked with more than 5,000 businesses in the past decade. She discussed that while San Antonio has done a good job navigating tough economic times, local business owners are not immune to the effects across the country.
See below.
San Antonio Commencement Week offers learning, networking opportunities
San Antonio Startup Week offered local entrepreneurs and business professionals a chance to connect in person and learn from industry experts during seven days of panels, workshops and city-building events in October.
Ahead of San Antonio Startup Week, I spoke with Geekdom COO Phillip Hernandez, who discussed this year’s panelists and sessions.
See below.
San Antonio’s business and startup communities have shown resilience through tough times and a positive outlook for the local economy. Follow KSAT Money for more questions and answers and other content in 2023.
Happy New Year,
Ivan Herrera, MS Business
KSAT Digital Journalist
Copyright 2022 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
