Fledgling Entrepreneurs Given Stronger Wings

Judith Segura used to think the key to running a good meat market in La Puente was serving up the tastiest fried pork strips in town.

But then she took her first business classes, as part of a minority entrepreneur seminar run by the Valley Economic Development Center, and discovered the power of coupons, direct mail and the synergy between her family’s tortilla factory, bakery and check-cashing service.

“When you’re running a business, you’re so busy trying to get through the day you don’t have time to think of anything else,” Segura said. “But in the training program we focused on exactly what we needed to make business better. We started planning, for the first time.”

Segura, who helps her family run the Ensenada Meat Market, is exactly the kind of businessperson the VEDC is trying to reach in its entrepreneur training programs. For the past eight years and with the help of public contracts and private grants, the VEDC has rapidly expanded its curriculum of business courses, offered free to new entrepreneurs. The classes are part of the VEDC’s larger mission to help fledgling businesses grow, which in turn creates jobs and revitalizes neighborhoods.

Each year the VEDC graduates more than 100 entrepreneurs from every corner of the L.A. area. Students take a 10- or 12-week course covering business plans, marketing, sales, accounting, human resources and leadership. In addition to the seminars, entrepreneurs also work in peer groups and receive individual consultations.

For an entrepreneur with little or no formal business education, the VEDC programs are like a mini-MBA, a structured course that builds not just the skills but also the confidence to survive in the business world. As for the VEDC, the training programs help the organization by expanding its client base.

The VEDC is at a critical juncture where it is searching for ways to become less dependent on government grants. The organization is trying to increase its private consulting business. The training programs help by introducing the VEDC to entrepreneurs who may later hire its consultants for business advice or turn to the nonprofit agency for a loan.

“The training programs are our intake valve to meet small businesses who can use our other services,” said Paul O’Reilly, the Wharton-educated VEDC executive in charge of training programs.

Currently, the VEDC runs two sets of seminars, one funded by the Merrill Lynch Foundation for minority and female entrepreneurs, the other funded by the city of Los Angeles for entrepreneurs in business between six months and five years. Those served range from a tire store and parts wholesaler to a graphic designer and event planner.

Jill Hotvet sells Curious George watches and other gift items from her Glendale-based business, One In A Million Inc. A recent graduate of the women and minority training program, Hotvet says she learned a lot about leadership in the 12-week course.

“When you’re a business owner, you’re always teaching employees but nobody’s teaching you,” Hotvet said. “In the course, I learned so much about where my business is at and where I need to go.”