Traditional Mexican candy
is a great treat that all families and friends can eat together. Local made
artisan candies by Sweet Tsopelik have a variety of ingredients from fruits,
nuts, honey, syrup, flour, and corn which makes it perfect for anyone with a
sweet tooth.
Daniela Ariza, the owner
of Sweet Tsopelik, specializes in creating her own artisan candies that people
may have not seen in the United States before. Tsopelik means sweet or candy in Nahuatl, an
ancestral language from Mexico. She uses
organic ingredients and less sugar than the original candies from Mexico. She
also gives the option for vegans as well. “I didn’t want to use ingredients that
need refrigeration like milk or eggs. So now, anyone from a toddler to a senior
can try my candies.”
She started her business
after taking one of Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) workshop series,
“I took the class which helped me find business ideas.”
“I created “Garapiñados”
which are peanuts covered with sugar from my town. Even though it is my first
time to make candies, I read books, did research, and taught myself. I had many
failures to make perfect ones, but what I needed was more patience. Finally, I
shared good ones with my sisters in law and they loved the sweet treats. That
is how I decided to make my business about candies,” she explained.
Starting a business was
not always easy and Daniela had some obstacles. Due to her lack of transportation,
the venues she could sell her products to were limited. EGBI connected her to
organizations such as The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Las
Comadres para las Americas, and Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas. Daniela has
received help and support from those resources and the community to reach more
customers. Her next goal is to reach a broader, worldwide audience that will
buy her products.
These special artisan candies can be found when shopping at HOPE Farmer’s Market located in 412 Comal St, Austin every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. For more information about Sweet Tsopelik, visit sweetsopelik.com.
Alicia’s Tacorriendo de Austin agrega algo extra a su
comida; ¡Amor!
Max Varela, dueño de Alicia’s Tacoriendo. Cocina todas
las comidas con pasión y amor por el gusto de una comida deliciosa. Alicia,
quien es famosa en Mustang Ridge por sus tamales, es su madre. Así que él
utiliza las recetas de ella. Su negocio local, de propiedad familiar se
especializa en auténtica comida mexicana de Monterrey, México a un precio
accesible. Él ofrece servicio de alimentos para cualquier tipo de ocasión o
lugar, junto con tamales disponibles para tu deleite.
“Yo he trabajado al lado de mi madre en muchos
festivales y eventos de venta de alimentos. Mi madre tiene más de 30 años en la
industria del servicio de alimentos y es propietaria de su propio carrito de comida.
Quiero ofrecerle oportunidades a mi familia a medida que vamos creciendo “, el comentó. La comunidad que visita su carrito de comida
recibe el amor que él le pone a cada platillo.
A pesar de que él tenía la experiencia, le fue muy
difícil establecer y promover su negocio. Para resolver su problema, Economic Growth
Business Incubator (EGBI), le ayudó a refinar su plan de negocio y le brindó
ideas de mercadeo. Pero más importante aún, es que continúan ofreciéndole
consejos y asesoramiento empresarial. Al completar la serie de talleres para
pequeños negocios de EGBI. Él fue elegible para una
membresía de un año en la Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC).
Y al ser parte de (GAHCC) le daría mayor exposición a su negocio a posibles clientes.
Puedes visitar su carrito de comida el cual está ubicado en 8503 Hilmoore Drive,
Austin, Texas 78719. Para más información sobre Alicia’s Tacoriendo
visita: www.facebook.com/aliciastacoriendo.
Austin’s own Alicia’s
Tacoriendo adds something extra to their food; amor!
Max Varela, owner of Alicia’s
Tacoriendo, cooks all of the meals with passion and love for great tasting
food. Alicia who is famous in Mustang Ridge for tamales is his mother, so he
used her recipes. His local, family-owned
business specializes in authentic Mexican food from Monterrey, Mexico at an
affordable price. He offers catering for any type of occasion or venue, along
with, readily available tamales made to your delight.
“I have worked alongside
my mother at many food vending festivals and events. My mother has over 30
years in the food serving industry and owned her own food truck. I want to
provide opportunities for my family as we continue to grow,” he said. The community
that visits his food truck receives the love he puts in every dish.
Although he had experience before, it was not easy to establish and promote his business. To solve the problem, Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), helped him refine his business plan and provided him ideas on marketing. More importantly, they continue to offer him business advice and counseling. By completing the EGBI small business workshop series, he was eligible for a free year’s membership to the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce(GAHCC). Being part of the GAHCC will give his business more exposure to potential customers. You can visit his food truck which is located in 8503 Hillmoore Drive, Austin, Texas 78719. For more information about Alica’s Tacoriendo visit www.facebook.com/aliciastacoriendo.
March was a horrible month for me personally – my car decided to leave me on the side of the road and I lost two beloved family members. Car repairs, funeral and travel expenses just about pushed me to the edge. It’s times like these I realize the importance of having an emergency saving account. As small business owners, we rarely take the time to put money aside for a rainy day. Mainly because we’re too busy trying to keep up and when we have a little extra we want to reinvest in our businesses. Investing I. Your business is great but you also have to invest in yourselves. We all know we need a savings, account, and a retirement account. But knowing we need something and actually doing it are two VERY different things. Here are a couple of my tips to start a personal savings account.
Set a reasonable goal – setting and accomplishing goals is a great way to feel like you are moving forward instead of just going in circles. Example: I want to save $200 over three months. I need to add $30 to my savings every two weeks to reach my goal.
Where to put your money. When I’m putting money in my emergency savings I try to keep it at a different bank than my personal checking. This way I’m less likely to spend it. I believe in the out of sight out of mind theory.
Follow your schedule – if you plan on putting money in your account make sure you do it. But. If something happens that you can’t one week don’t beat yourself up and give up. Get back on track and continue to save.
Once you accomplish that goal set another one. You don’t have to increase the amount you are saving. If you aren’t ready, just continue to save. Your new goal could be in 3 months I want to have a total of $400 in my savings.
Think of putting money in your savings like paying your rent. It’s not an option. Once you get in the habit of adding money to your savings account you won’t even miss the money your saving. And then when you have that emergency, you will have a little extra to help ease your stress.
The spring is a good time
to learn how to cook. I recommend you visit Tye Cooks Austin website which has
plenty of recipes.
Tye Lewis, an owner of
Tye Cooks Austin loves teaching people to cook a healthy gourmet meal using
staples found in most pantries. Her business combines her training as a teacher
and her passion for food. She offers highly personalized one-on-one and small
group cooking classes. Additionally, she offers on-site team building cooking
lessons for organizations in the Austin area. She is happy when her clients
realize that they can cook healthy flavorful entrees in their own kitchen.
However, it has not always been easy starting a business. She faced obstacles like developing a clear mission, finding her “client”, and startup funding. She got help from Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI). EGBI helped her learn the basics of how to set up a business from scratch. “Also, the value of insurance, pricing, refining my elevator pitch, and seeing the full value of the service I provide to my clients.” Tye offered. “Now my goals are to expand into more markets here in the Austin metro area as well another Texas city. I am working on publishing a multi-cultural cuisine cookbook geared for those who have food allergies or intolerance.” You can find her own recipes on her website, which consist of ingredients found in most people’s pantries, but also one ingredient that can easily be found in a local grocery store but is versatile. Anyone can try one of the free recipes and building confidence in your own cooking skills.
For more information about the Tye Cooks Austin, visit www.tyecooksaustin.com.
El número de empresas de propiedad negra en Austin está creciendo. Febrero es el Mes de la Historia Negra, una celebración anual de los logros de los afroamericanos y un momento para reconocer el papel central de los negros en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Para celebrar el Mes de la Historia Negra, Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) reconoce a dos clientes que operan un mercado de comida africano y una organización sin fines de lucro que destaca la historia negra. Uno lleva la comida etíope a la comunidad de Austin, mientras que el otro ayuda a los jóvenes a moldear su identidad y aprender de su pasado.
Sitotaw Degefaw, uno de los propietarios de Selam International Mart & Café en North Lamar, vende alimentos y especias importados de Etiopía y África Oriental en su tienda de comestibles. Los visitantes pueden explorar la cultura de África oriental mientras disfrutan de la comida tradicional etíope sin la necesidad de viajar a Etiopía. Selam International Mart & Café es un lugar donde la comunidad de África Oriental en Austin puede venir y disfrutar de su cultura nativa de Etiopía, así como un lugar para que los no africanos prueben algo nuevo en un ambiente muy amigable. La parte favorita de Degefaw de ser dueño de su negocio es conocer gente nueva y tener un lugar donde su comunidad pueda reunirse.
Comenzó su negocio con sólo una idea. Llegó a EGBI para obtener el apoyo que necesitaba para su pequeña empresa, con la idea de comenzar un matadero para un tipo particular de carne de res importante para la comida etíope. EGBI lo ayudó a comprender las regulaciones gubernamentales sobre el procesamiento de carne y, a medida que su idea se definía mejor, tuvo la oportunidad de comprar una tienda de comestibles que tenía espacio para agregar una carnicería para su carne especial.
Trabajó con Joni Foster, Director de Programas de EGBI, a través de sesiones de entrenamiento uno a uno. “Ella me conectó con el proveedor que sacrifica la carne especial según la costumbre de mi país”, ofreció Degefaw. “Trabajó conmigo para hacer realidad mi sueño”. Sigue visitando a Joni una vez al mes para hablar sobre este negocio. Para obtener más información sobre Selam International Mart & Café, visite selamcafe.com
The Living History Foundation se fundó en febrero de 2018 cuando el primer grupo de personas se sentó alrededor de la mesa y ordenó la reunión. El año pasado, la organización recibió su estado 501 (C) (3) del IRS y presentó tres programas de historia de vida en el centro de Texas. Edgar B. Garza, presidente de la Junta de Living History Foundation, dijo: “La misión de la Fundación es inspirar a los niños y jóvenes de corazón a conocer las contribuciones de la gente de color en la construcción de esta gran nación del mundo. Tiempo antes de los primeros europeos hasta nuestros días.
“La historia es una parte importante de nuestra vida personal”, continuó Garza. “Es la clave para entender quiénes somos como humanos. Los jóvenes finalmente desarrollarán su propia perspectiva sobre la vida humana y la sociedad. Una que se basa en historias sobre personas comunes, como los jóvenes que están en el programa. También aprenderán de la gente común lecciones de coraje, liderazgo y protesta constructiva.
Es la primera vez que muchos de los miembros de la junta directiva forman parte de una organización sin fines de lucro, pero EGBI se reúne con los directores un par de veces al mes para ayudarles a poner todo junto. La junta se reunió en diciembre de 2018 para hacer planes para 2019, y Joni Foster, Directora de Programas de EGBI, facilitó la conversación. Manténgase atento a uno de los 12 programas de historia viva que la organización ofrecerá en los próximos meses. Para obtener más información sobre The Living History Foundation, visite facebook.com/livinghistoryfoundation.
Board members of Living History FoundationSalem Mart
