Business Building Blocks

Gina Bertoletti

Workforce & Economic Development, Small Business Management Developer

Gina Bertoletti is a Business Coordinator at Moore Norman Technology Center. Her role and passion are to support businesses and connect them to resources. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs and considers it a privilege to serve business in Oklahoma. She serves as the President of the Oklahoma Business Incubator Association and has been with Moore Norman Technology for 17 years.

Preparing for Success, Changing Lives, Building Better Tomorrows. (405) 801-5000 • mntc.edu

MNTC Business Building Blocks — Business Startup Training & Support

In what ways does Moore Norman Technology Center work with new business start-ups?

What types of courses does Moore Norman Technology offer in the business start-up arena? If someone is interested in getting assistance with your new business, what is the best way to get information?

MNTC holds business courses as well as providing one-on-one business coaching. Each business we work with is in a different place in their existence and that requires individualized attention. We work with them on whatever challenges they may be facing, from growing pains to hiring to expanding their business.

We also work with the Moore, Norman, and

South OKC Chambers of Commerce to bring relevant “Lunch-and-Learn” topics to their communities. operations, marketing, and beyond. The great thing is most of our courses can now be accessed online. This provides a convenient and easily accessible way to pursue additional education for those who are dealing with busy schedules and managing their business. If you’re interested in our courses, you can check out our latest offerings on www.mntc.edu.

We offer courses on leadership, basic business start-up, HR, finance,

MNTC has a small business resource gold mine on our website. It is full of business links, resources, templates, and articles that are a tremendous help. In addition, they can contact Gina Bertoletti at 405801-5891 or gina.bertoletti@mntc.edu for one-on-one assistance.

MNTC Business Building Blocks — VA Benefits

First, you need to apply for the eligible program you’re interested in pursuing. Once you're accepted into the program, I would contact the VA and inquire about your eligibility. Get a certificate of eligibility and bring that to our office, or you can email it and transcripts from any previous universities or institutions that you've attend-

Yes, we offer a military tuition discount for our short-term and long-term programs. To be eligible for the discount, an individual must currently be a member of the armed forces or have received a discharge from the armed forces other than a dishonorable discharge and be able to provide documentation. Eligible students may receive a reduction of fifty percent (50%) on the cost of tuition in career majors and short-term courses. Additionally, current spouses of such individuals are also eligible to participate in the program. To establish eligibility, the spouse is required to submit a military identification card which indicates the relationship between the student and the military member.”

What if I’m a veteran, but I’m not eligible for a VA education benefit? Is there anything else available?

Audra Main

Financial Aid Coordinator

Audra has worked in financial aid services for nearly thirty years. She has served student populations at two-year, fouryear, graduate-level institutions and the career technology system. She loves working in financial assistance because she gets to help make people’s educational dreams possible.

EVOLVES INTO ONE OF MOORE’S HIDDEN GEMS

ADDRESS: 200 SE 19th Street PHONE: 405-814-9699 WEBSITE: noshinmoore.com HOURS: Monday — CLOSED Tuesday–Sunday — — 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Nosh just might be one of Moore’s most unexpected dining experiences. Owner Kim Torres began the business as Catering Creations in 1999. Still, over the years, it has become what she describes as a “bistro and tearoom” and highly popular home meal delivery service.

“We did begin as Catering Creations in Norman,” said Torres. “We still do a tremendous amount of catering as part of our business. We just met with the OU basketball team about catering their tip-off event.”

Torres says Nosh/Catering Creations can handle any size event, from one-to-5,000.

“We can do a variety of catering events that includes plated meals, buffet-style meals, and drop-off events at offices,” said Torres. “We can also do bar service and have rentals for things like tablecloths, china, and silverware, so even if you don’t use us for catering, we can still rent you those items.”

In 2015, Torres said she decided to open a restaurant in Moore.

“Kathy Gillette at the Moore Chamber of Commerce told me that I needed to check out a restaurant that had closed down on 19th Street,” said Torres. “It has previously been a tearoom, and we decided it was perfect for our needs.”

When it came time to decide on a name for the restaurant, Torres said the word “nosh” just resonated with her.

“It literally means, ‘to eat or dine with great enthusiasm,’” said Torres. “That did fit with our desire to differentiate between the catering and restaurant sides of the business.”

Torres and her team decided to keep the “tearoom” décor for their new bistro and added one of the area’s only “high tea” options. so we do have people come in and enjoy what’s known as ‘high tea.’ It’s not a strict high tea, but it includes a table with a nice tablecloth and six different items: four savory and two sweet. And then you have different kinds of tea, so four people could come in, and all have a different tea or sample each other’s teas.”

Torres says Nosh does require a 48-hour notice for the high tea experience and notes that it has become increasingly popular as the current pandemic has lingered. The pandemic also led Torres into another area of service that has become wildly popular.

“We’ve done our Thanksgiving packages for home meals, and those are popular,” said Torres. “But when the pandemic started last year, we had to get creative to keep ourselves going. At first did some quarantine packs with things like dry beans, rice, and toilet paper. But then we started offering takeand-heat meals, and now we deliver those all over the metro area.”

It’s a service that continues to grow. Torres says their kitchen changes the menu regularly, but some items have become favorites. Pot roast, chicken-mac-and-cheese, baked salmon, and King Ranch casserole are always popular.

“People know what they’re getting with us being local, and they can trust that,” said Torres. “We’ve gained a lot of clients because a lot of people have elderly parents that they want to take care of and make sure they get healthy meals.”

Back to Nosh’s very popular Thanksgiving packages, which come in family packs for 6 or 12 people. Customers can choose turkey, ham (or a combination of the two types of meat), along with mix-and-match side items including mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and green bean casserole. The most important thing this year is that people need to order early.

“Things are a little dicey with all the supply chain issues right now,” said Torres. “I don’t want to freak people out, but you’ll want to make sure you order early to be safe.”