Fulfilling a dream while providing livable wages is the driving force behind Christina Paz, owner of Siller Preferred Services. Growing up in South Texas with her six siblings, Paz watched her mom struggle to meet her monthly obligations as a migrant worker, often relying on social services and government assistance. Wanting to break the cycle of poverty, Paz dreamed of a future of stability. While living in Minnesota, she worked for an employment agency. Working her way up from receptionist to regional manager, she realized how she could help individuals, like her mother, provide for their families with honest work. Moving back to Texas prompted Paz to open her employment agency in 2014. Today, Siller provides over 200 individuals throughout Austin with livable wages. A mom of three, Paz stresses the importance of hard work and giving back to your community. She is an active member of her church and enjoys Pilates.
Christina Paz shares her experience as a client and supporter of EGBI.
To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself? Within the EGBI community, I am known as the person who kicked Al Lopez, the previous Executive Director of EGBI, out of his office.
Why do you support EGBI? I met Al Lopez and Barbra Boeta in 2014 when I had just opened my business. My attorney Ana is the one who introduced me, and that is where everything started.
EGBI cultivates a culture where entrepreneurs are built up with attention to detail. The services that I received are not easy to find, and when something is very rare you take care of it and protect it. For all of these reasons, I chose to support, as a way to give back and contribute to others.
Why is it important to support EGBI? As an individual who took courses through EGBI, I created a relationship with the staff that was incredibly unique. The one-on-one guidance given to me by mentors helped me understand topics I did not have experience with as a business owner. Nobody made me feel unintelligent just because I didn’t know something, everyone was very understanding through the process.
Why did you decide to support EGBI for Celebrating Success? Similar to above, I chose to support this organization because of the amazing experience that I have with it. I have witnessed the passion that is ingrained into what EGBI offers. There is still a relationship where people will check-up on me, there are areas that I still don’t have knowledge in and they do. I continue supporting because of the support that I was given as an entrepreneur.
How has EGBI helped you and your business? I think that one of the most important things I learned at EGBI were the organizational parts of opening a business. EGBI teaches you everything you need to know from business partner etiquette, agreements, and contracts. Above all else, EGBI gave me the support I needed during hard times which I don’t think I would’ve gotten anywhere else.
In 2021, EGBI supporters like Christina help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.
I am, Margrita Foss, an expert in the management and control of personal emotions and the building and maintaining of positive self-esteem. I am born Colombian, living in Austin, Texas, a happy wife and mother of two incredible children, Jaime and Daniela. I have now dedicated my life to guiding Hispanic women who may have already achieved success, started a family, and feel that they “have it all”, but inside, their thoughts do not allow them to be happy, feeling unable to overcome an unpleasant past. I help Latinas who have done so much for others that they have forgotten themselves; reaching a point in their lives where they say: “Now it’s my turn!”. Step by step, I help them become mentally strong women in control of their emotions; obtaining a more productive, fulfilling and happy life.
From the point in my earlier life when I personally suffered emotional abuse, I have worked diligently to rise above the pain and sadness. Learning English provided me with the ability to learn from many of the experts in the areas of mental self-improvement, emotional healing, and spiritual development. I studied, listened to podcasts, attended seminars and workshops, obtained certifications and accreditations and custom built a profession that takes all that I have learned and adapted and tailored it for the Hispanic women community. Recently I have created The Empowered Latina Academy (ELA), an online program that teaches that living without emotional burden can make you a happier and inspired woman, living a more productive and abundant life.
Margarita Foss shares her experience as an EGBI client.
Do you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself? Since even before becoming a Dentist more than 25 years ago in Colombia, I have hated to give presentations. I hated to speak in public. I disliked getting in front of my classmates. I would get extremely nervous and it would make me sick to my stomach. But somehow I always seemed to do a pretty good job of it. In fact, I was invited several times to teach oral health on local radio stations in my home city and also in small rural villages in Colombia. As time went by, I moved to the States 17 years ago, I went to Dental Hygienist School and again I found myself giving presentations to my classmates in the school. After graduating, every single job I have had in Dental Offices has required me to inform and educate people, individually and in groups on oral health and hygiene. I present to my patients, in schools, nursing homes and more. The last several years in my dental career I ended up teaching Oral Hygiene in the orientation for new employees for an institution with patients with special needs. But still, public speaking and now in English, was something that I didn’t enjoy at all. However, one day I noticed that people were staying after classes to ask questions, and THAT was the moment I realized that teaching was something that I’m pretty good at, and I started falling in love with public speaking.
How did you first get involved with EGBI? A couple years ago I was searching for an organization that could help me learn how to start my new business, Life Coaching for Latinas. I found EGBI and had the opportunity to take one of the workshops offered at that time. Later, as a coordinator of Miercoles Professional Amhiga Hispana (Nonprofit Organization), I had the opportunity to connect with Monica Peña and she told me more about the organization. I feel that we, as women-owned small businesses, are so blessed to have the opportunity to work with EGBI and learn the skills that are necessary to succeed.
Why is it important to support organizations such as EGBI? As a Latina entrepreneur I know first hand the struggles involved in setting up a business and honestly, unless you have the guidance of experts like the ones I found at EGBI, it can take you years to succeed. So, why try to build something from scratch in an area where you have no clue, no experience, and waste the time, money and effort when you can count on expert assistance like EGBI. As the African proverb says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Saying this, the support of organizations like EGBI is so important for business owners who are struggling to build a successful business. Together we will go far together!
How has your involvement with EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally? Day one, EGBI started helping me to become more organized, to use my time more productively, and most importantly to build my own power of staying focused on the important parts of building the business. They provided me with the organizational “tools” indispensable for any business. Working with EGBI I have had the opportunity to meet incredible people that bring to my life the experience and knowledge of building a small business, something I value immensely.
There is no doubt that my business is moving to the next level much faster than if I wouldn’t have had the support of EGBI.
In 2021, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.
Establishing your brand is one of the most important aspects of your business foundation. In fact, having a consistent brand image will allow you to increase your business’ recognition amongst potential customers.
To begin building your brand, consider the following factors:
Company Logo
Your company logo should be recognizable and portray your brand “identity”. It can represent your product or service; or even qualities of your company that make it unique.
For example, take a look at the Beats by Dre logo:
Not only is the logo minimalistic, much like the Beats headphones, but the logo itself represents a circular head wearing the “b” symbol as headphones.
Creating a successful logo, however, is only one of three ways to make your company stand out.
2. Company Colors
Another branding strategy for unification is through your company colors. This palette should once again convey your brand identity and be used in all company materials, such as the website, email signature, and promotional material. This not only creates a company aesthetic, but improves brand recognition and association.
Check out these colors:
What company comes to mind?
You probably answered McDonald’s, and this choice isn’t random. The bright red and yellow McDonald’s uses have scientific backing—yellow is associated with positivity, while red induces feelings of excitement, making them memorable. Additionally, these colors are used consistently throughout their marketing materials, from the shirt colors of actors in advertisements to the text colors.
Your color choice and usage will help identify your company with customers.
3. Company Content
The last step to building your business’ brand is through your marketing content. This may include posts on social media, newsletters, blogs, videos, and more—anything that is created by your company and represents your image. Your content should show your company’s values and help craft its identity. For example, your company may value sustainability. Consider launching a community campaign, such as funding a garden or trash pick-up event, and promote these projects through a variety of channels.
There is no limit to the content you can produce. The end goal is to communicate your company vision and values with consumers.
Establecer tu marca es uno de los aspectos más importantes de la fundación de tu empresa. Es un hecho que el tener una imagen de marca consistente te permitirá incrementar el reconocimiento de tu empresa entre tus clientes potenciales.
Para comenzar a construir tu marca, considera los siguientes factores:
Logo de la Compania Tu logo de compañía debe ser reconocible y debe mostrar tu “identidad” de marca. Puede representar tu producto o servicio; e incluso las cualidades de tu compañía que la hacen única. Por ejemplo, observa el logo de Beats by Dr. Dre.
No solo el logotipo es minimalista, incluso los audífonos Beats los son, pero el logotipo por sí solo representa una cabeza circular usando como audífonos el símbolo de la “b”. Sin embargo, el crear un logotipo exitoso, es solo una de las tres formas para hacer que tu compañía destaque.
Colores de la Compania Otra estrategia de marca para la unificación es a través de los colores de tu compañía. Una vez más, esta paleta deberá transmitir tu identidad de marca y debe ser usada en todos los materiales de la compañía, tales como la página web, la firma de correo electrónico y el material promocional. Esto no solo crea la estética de la compañía sino que mejora el reconocimiento y la asociación de la marca. Observa estos colores:
¿Qué compañía te viene a la mente? Probablemente respondiste McDonald ‘s. Y esta elección no es casualidad. El rojo y amarillo brillantes que McDonald’s utiliza tienen respaldo cientifico—el amarillo es asociado con positivismo mientras que el rojo induce los sentimiento de emoción, haciendolos memorables. Adicionalmente, estos colores se utilizan constantemente en su material comercial. Desde las playeras de los actores en comerciales hasta los colores de texto. El color que escojas y utilices le ayudará a tus clientes a identificar a tu compañía.
Contenido de la Compañía El último paso para construir la marca de tu empresa es a través de tu contenido comercial. Este puede incluir publicaciones en redes sociales, boletines de noticias, blogs, videos y mucho más—cualquier cosa que sea creada por tu compañía y represente su imagen. Su contenido muestra los valores de tu compañía y ayuda a crear su identidad. Por ejemplo, tu compañía puede valorar la sustentabilidad. Considera lanzar una campaña a la comunidad, tal como financiar un jardín o un evento de recoger basura y promueve estos proyectos a través de una variedad de canales. No hay límite en el contenido que puedes producir. La meta final es comunicar la visión y los valores de tu compañía con los consumidores.
Traducido al español por Diana Ariza. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.
In the age of modern technology, it is easy to get confused. Photos are an essential part of not only our personal lives, but also for our businesses. Images are essential to get consumers excited about a product or a customer wanting to move forward with a project. These pictures are needed to represent a company’s product/service in their marketing from printed material to a businesses website and social media platforms. Without being able to transfer photos from mobile phones to computers, marketing would be nearly impossible. Below are ways transfer the photos to your computer.
TRANSFERRING PHOTOS FROM AN IPHONE TO A MACBOOK:
Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac with a USB cable. USB Cables can be purchased through Apple, or at any universal technology store such as Best Buy.
Open the Photos app on your computer. This should appear on the dock of your computer, or can be found through searching in the finder.
The Photos app shows an Import screen with all the photos and videos that are on your connected device. If the Import screen doesn’t automatically appear, click the device’s name in the Photos sidebar.
If asked, unlock your iOS or iPadOS device using your passcode. If you see a prompt on your iOS or iPadOS device asking you to Trust This Computer, tap Trust to continue. This is simply giving your Computer reassurance that it can trust your personal device.
Choose where you want to import your photos. Next to “Import to,” you can choose an existing album or create a new one.
Select the photos you want to import and click Import Selected, or click Import All New Photos.
Wait for the process to finish, then disconnect your device from your Mac.
TRANSFERRING PHOTOS FROM AN IPHONE TO A WINDOWS PC:
You can import photos to your PC by connecting your device to your computer and using the Windows Photos app:
Update to the latest version of iTunes on your PC. Importing photos to your PC requires iTunes 12.5.1 or later. To update, simply go to the settings of your iTunes are press “Check for Updates”.
Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your PC with a USB cable. USB Cables can be purchased through Apple, or at any universal technology store such as Best Buy.
If asked, unlock your iOS or iPadOS device using your passcode.
If you see a prompt on your iOS or iPadOS device asking you to Trust This Computer, tap Trust or Allow to continue. This is simply giving your Computer reassurance that it can trust your personal device.
Then, visit Microsoft’s website to learn how to import photos to the Windows Photos app in Windows 10.
When you import videos from your iOS or iPadOS device to your PC, some might be rotated incorrectly in the Windows Photos app. This is likely because of the formatting change that happens when changing softwares. You can add these videos to iTunes to play them in the correct orientation.
TRANSFERRING PHOTOS FROM AN ANDROID PHONE TO A WINDOW PC:
Unlock your phone.
With a USB cable (USB Cables can be purchased through Apple, or at any universal technology store such as Best Buy), connect your phone to your computer.
On your phone, tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification. This will pop up on your phone screen.
Under “Use USB for,” select File Transfer.
A file transfer window will open on your computer. Use it to drag files.
At this point, you can drag and drop the photo files that you desire onto your computer.
When you’re done, eject your phone from Windows and unplug the USB cable.
TRANSFERRING PHOTOS FROM A SAMSUNG PHONE TO A WINDOW PC:
Connect your smartphone to your computer using a Samsung USB cable. If you use a USB C to USB C cable you may need an alternative cable or an adapter, depending on the PC you are connecting to. A Samsung USB cable can be purchased from any mobile phone manufacturer, or technology stores such as Best Buy.
If asked to Allow access to phone data? Tap “Allow” to accept.
Once connected, swipe down from the top of the screen to access your notifications.
Tap on the notification from the Android System. It will say Tap for other USB options, after doing so, tap on the option that allows Transferring files or Transferring images.
Now that your smartphone has a transfer connection it will appear on your PC as an available drive.
You can find your device on the PC by opening your File Explorer and looking down the left hand column. You can also search under Devices and drives.
Click on your device to open it.
Click on your device again.
If you have an SD card it will appear here.
You will be able to see all the files you have stored on your phone. Your photos can be found in the DCIM folder.
Select the photos that you wish to transfer and drag and drop them into a folder that is saved on your PC.
