Business Adviser No. 9

Issue 9 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

How to Start a Business in A FEW HOURS Work Less to WORK BETTER

The

EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT APPLE PAY

TOP 3 TEXAS + TECH STARTUPS SOUTH

Apps Every Entrepreneur Must Have

Are You a True Leader or Just a Manager?

CRM - Why Does Your Business Need It and What Should You Do About It

Our Team

Editor’s Letter

STAFF

EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESS

Andrew Yoo Maggie Yoo Oriol Zertuche John Amour

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS John Amour David Armstrong Alonzo Cantu Alfonso Cavazos Janet Cavazos Enrique Garza Marco Garza Albert Lopez Dr. Arturo Lopez Shavi Mahtani George Myers Dr. Teofilo Ozuna Carol Schmitt Danny Smith Andrew Yoo Maggie Yoo

CONTACT US In print, online, and in person, nobody connects the people, issues and ideas within valley business owners like Business Adviser.

First let me thank you for your continued support, we hope to establish Business Adviser Magazine as the single most important resource for business owners in the Rio Grande Valley. Our vision is to create a brand that would stand for everything business and support business owners with everything they require outside of their core disciplines.

This magazine is the result of an ongoing demand for a reputable, responsible source for business knowledge and advise. The business world can be a scary place, with tough decisions to make and a tough road to success. We plan to ease these situations by providing an online and offline publication that will guide business owners of every level in their ventures. Our team consists of knowledgable entrepreneurs that eat, breathe and live business.

With a dedicated panel of industry experts and a hands-on approach to answering business related questions, Business Adviser Magazine helps business owners stay ahead of the competition and empower them into success. Our mission is to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit and foster business growth by providing the resources needed for business owners to prosper. I personally invite you to join Business Adviser Magazine. We are sure that your business will benefit greatly from the exposure generated in this publication, building brand equity and establishing you as an industry authority.

Sincerely,

The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce is a contributing member of Business Adviser Magazine.

Andrew Yoo, CEO & President andrew@businessadvisermagazine.com

In This Issue

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Some Apps Every Entrepreneur Must Have The Entrepreneur Psyche – What Goes On In Great Minds?

5 Secrets to Attract Customers Win Their Hearts With Simple Tricks

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THE ENTREPRENEUR PSYCHE – WHAT GOES ON IN GREAT MINDS?

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5 SECRETS TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS

Happiness Drips Through Your Words

Grow, Because There Is No Other Choice Small’s Big These Days Advantages of Being Small

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SMALL’S BIG THESE DAYS ADVANTAGES OF BEING SMALL

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Are You a True Leader or Just a Manager?

Everything You Want to Know about Apple Pay

ARE YOU A TRUE LEADER OR JUST A MANAGER?

Holiday Mortgage Tips

Overthinking Can Be Both Good and Bad

THE TOP 3 SOUTH TEXAS TECH STARTUPS

HEB Celebrates The Reason For The Season How Long Does It Take To Start a Business? Just a Few Hours The Top 3 South Texas Tech Startups When I grow up, I want to be So You Want To Build Your Dream Home?

5 Tips to Ensure That Marketing Team Works together with the Sales Team

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MARKETING TEAM WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE SALES TEAM

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WORK LESS TO WORK BETTER

Dipping for the win Mission resident finalist in H-E-B competition Work Less To Work Better

TECHNOLOGY

Some Apps Every Entrepreneur Must Have As an Entrepreneur, you are always on the go. Ma ke sure you don't miss a single opportunity by using these use ful apps.

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ntrepreneurs might start alone, but eventually they have to create a team and have cutting-edge technology to help them achieve success.

When you are building a company from scratch, you have to make the best use of your time and resources. Luckily for you, there are several apps that can help you manage your time and money more efficiently. And you don’t have to go looking for them because we have alrea dy done that. Here is a list of some apps that every entrepreneur must have.

ECHOSIGN

Geographical distance will no longer delay the closing of an important contract. EchoSign is an Adobe app which allows you to sign documents electronically. In addition, it will store the history of each document just in case you will need to access it in the future.

FEDEX OFFICE

Using FexEx Office, you can easily send files and images to the nearest FedEx office to get them printed.

You can also upload files from Google Drive and DropBox.

FREE WI-FI FINDER

This can be a game changing application for an entrepreneur who has to be connected 24/7. When you start out, you cannot miss even a single opportunity. A bad internet connection can do a lot of harm to your budd ing business. The Free Wi-Fi Finder will prevent this from happening.

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UBER

This app will allow you to hire a taxi or a private car using your mobile phone. It is a must for all entrepreneurs who are always on the go.

HUKKSTER

Hukkster makes shopping easy. It eliminates the need to browse the sale racks. It will track your favorite products and let you grab one, the moment it hits the market.

TRACKMAVEN

Using TrackMaven, you can easily monitor the information about your competition without having to consult multiple sources.

SKITCH

While screenshots are quite common in the world of business, making notes on them is not easy. This app from Evernote will allow you to get to the point via different shapes, annotations, and sketches.

While there are tons of other apps in the market that would help you have a firmer grip on your business, make sure you have the apps we’ve mentioned here. Some other apps that you may like are CloudOn, Audio Memos, and LectureNotes.

Minimize the productivity loss by going mobile. These apps help you in control of your day

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INVESTMENTS

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INVESTMENTS

The Entrepreneur Psyche What Goes On In Great Minds?

INVESTMENTS

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eing successful in an independent business venture translates into huge amounts of money, fame, and power. But the status of a ‘successful entrepreneur’ brings along a lot of stress as well. It’s never easy to be in the shoes of people like Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. Some of the most iconic entrepreneurs in the history of the world were forced to face exceedingly difficult times when they were trying to climb the ladder of success. Almost every entrepreneur faces despair and fear of losing everything he or she built from the scratch.

THE ‘FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT’ APPROACH People usually don’t like to talk about their fears and anxieties, but in the last few years, more and more entrepreneurs have come forward to discuss their problems in order to seek help from experts. There is a strange notion that if you are a business leader, you can’t show vulnerability; but how can you lead your people if you don’t have a sound mind? Leaders do not like to admit that they are facing emotional turbulence, which is usually caused by the fear of failure. Other causes of stress could be the loss of costumers, a substantial increase in competition or a fall-out with your business partner(s).

HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT New entrepreneurs put every ounce of their energy in dealing with the crisis situation. They forget to eat and sleep, or alterna-

tively they start eating like there’s no tomorrow. When you are in a stressful situation, health is the last thing you are concerned about, but sooner or later health takes a toll on you since your body refuses to co-operate.

HOW YOU SHOULD DEAL WITH IT The most successful as well as the most cost effective way of dealing with depression is being in the company of your loved ones – your family and friends. Don’t hide your feelings from your loved ones. Discuss everything with them, and if necessary, take the help of a professional psychiatrist. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating on time and sleeping on time. Include an exercise routine in your daily schedule. You don’t really need to join a heavy-duty gym! You can do simple exercises at home as well.

You need to realize that sound health and love of your family is far more important than success or failure at work.

MINDSET MATTERS If you’ll keep telling yourself that you’ve failed, you’ll never be able to start a new venture. A positive mindset helps a lot. Life is all about experiences and what you learn from them. Consider your failure as an experience, and a rather important one.

Now you know what ‘not to do’ while trying to establish a business venture. Engage yourself in non-work related activities (the ones in which you are good at). These activities could be anything from playing baseball and dancing with your partner to re-modeling your kitchen.

There are hundreds of other things you can focus your mind on. Why waste time on the concept of failure?

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Just because you have a great product doesn't mean that customers will make a beeline to your door.

They need motivation, and that ain't easy.

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5Customers MARKETING

Secrets to Attract

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o you’ve launched a brand new small business. Your product is better, cheaper, and faster than that of your competitors. Obviously, you expect it to be a bit hit. You have already let the word out, posted it on your Facebook fan page, and launched some ad campaigns. You now expect to be bombarded with customers.

Unfortunately, nothing happens. Nobody calls or places an order. What could have gone wrong?

Fact – just because you have a great product doesn’t mean that customers will make a beeline to your door. They need motivation, and that ain’t easy.

Motivating customers to make a purchase have always been difficult. It becomes even more difficult when you are a brand new business. Customers hate change. They simply don’t want to switch providers. They are also wary of new products and new companies.

So how can you lure them into buying from you?

First of all, you should launch an aggressive campaign to promote the product. People should at least hear

Win Their Hearts With Simple Tricks about you. Expose them to your brand and product repeatedly. No matter what platform you choose to advertise your product, you will need to spend some bucks to spread the word.

Even after exposing customers to your product, you should still offer them an incentive to make a purchase. Here are five tips to attract more customers.

GIVE IT AWAY Who doesn’t enjoy trying something if it is offered for free? Consider the case of several popular cloud-based services. They offer a basic package for free. Consumers who seek more features can sign up for their premium services by paying a fee. You can try this method even if you aren’t offering a cloud-based service. Offer your service free for one month.

LET THEM SAMPLE OFF Offer free samples of your product. This works for just about any product that is not overly expensive. By giving potential customers an opportunity to try your product, you are introducing your product to them.

MAKE THEM BETA TESTERS

Before launching your product, you can ask customers to beta test it. Testers can always become your first purchasers as they develop an interest in it.

And then you can always offer them a discount – lure them even more.

SELL IT CHEAP Sell your product a little cheap in the beginning. This will attract potential customers to you. Supermarkets sell turkeys cheap before Thanksgiving. They won’t make any profit on the turkey, but it does attract you to their store and they will make money on all other products you purchase.

CROWDFUNDING If you are offering an innovative or cutting-edge product, consider running a pre-launch campaign via crowdfunding. While crowdfunding is typically used to raise money, it will also allow you to introduce your product to people.

So there you go – five simple secrets that small and large companies use to lure customers. Try them and win some hearts!

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LIFESTYLE

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LIFESTYLE

Happiness Drips Through Your Words

Things Happy People Say At Work People who are motivated to get things done don't let disappointment interfere with their life.

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appy people have a happy aura around them, and it cannot be faked. It’s difficult to portray a ‘happy image’ of yourself when you have a cranky boss in your office or when your colleagues always complain about how stressful, boring, or frustrating their jobs are. But people who are mo-

Make sure you don't just say these words, you actually have to mean them. tivated to get things done don’t let disappointment interfere with their life. They try to maintain a positive working environment by saying things like – “I am pumped about this meeting.” – The word ‘pumped’ is filled with positive energy. Saying that you are pumped up about a meeting or a presentation instills excitement and enthusiasm in everyone’s mind. Saying such things shows that you have a winner’s attitude.

“It’s going to be a joyous day at work.”

– If the start of the day goes well, the

rest of the day automatically becomes rapturous. Motivated people inspire themselves and others around them by saying things like – “Looking forward to a great start” or “Let’s begin this day with a joyful attitude”.

“I relish those opportunities when I’m asked to make sales calls.” – Such remarks show your dedication towards work. If no one else, your boss will love to hear such things from you.

“I am motivated to complete this project as soon as possible.”

– The word ‘motivated’ is not just a fancy synonym for ‘excited’, but it actually shows your positive state of mind.

“I have sanguine expectations from this project.” – The word ‘sanguine’ not only means ‘hopeful’ but ‘hopeful despite of a setback’. Use this word as often as possible when no one seems to have faith in your decisions, but you know that you are right.

“It sounds perfect!” – Be that guy who says ‘perfect’ instead of ‘okay’. If a colleague asks “you want a cup of coffee?” say – “perfect” instead of ‘yeah’.

And make sure you don’t just say these words, you actually have to mean them. Your positive energy will influence others and lead to successful end results.

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STRATEGY

Grow, Because There Is No Other Choice

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rowth is basically a choice. Yes, every business owner wants growth, but many of them simply choose not to grow.

They may be satisfied with their company’s size and hence decided not to grow any more. Solo entrepreneurs, for example, may enjoy working alone and don’t want to take on the responsibility of paying an employee. Consequently, they will not take more work

than they can manage. Small business owners who employ 2 - 10 people might assume that they can’t manage any more people. Some people may be earning enough to meet their professional and personal goals. They too may decide not to grow. Growth, after all, is quite challenging.

It involves assuming different roles and taking on new responsibilities.

So if growth is difficult, why should you decide to grow?

Well, as a business owner you have to choose growth because if you aren’t growing, you are actually shrinking. If

As a business owner you have to choose growth because if you aren't growing, you are actually shrinking.

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your small business does not grow, you will have to deal with the following situations.

LOSS OF CUSTOMERS No matter how well you serve your customers, you will still lose some of them every year.

People may drift away as their needs may change or your competition will snatch them.

CHANGING PREFERENCES Things change over time, and so do your customers’ buying patterns. If your business does not evolve, you will lose customers.

INCREASING COSTS Costs keep rising and the trend will continue. And if your sales remain the same, your profit margins will decline. This won’t be a good thing.

NEW COMPETITION When new businesses emerge, you will have tough competition. This will also reduce your income. There are also some economic forces that can wreak havoc with the financial stability of your business.

Some businesses want to make more sales, but they don’t want their size to grow.

But that still involves engaging in activities which will expand your customer base.

Even if your business enjoys the patronage of your customers, it will still go through trying times. Here are some situations where you have to choose between growth and decay.

• You have just started out and want to build a customer base. When you start out, growth is not a choice.

It is the only option you have if you want to survive.

• You’ll have to take on more work, and thus employ more people.

• You have to launch new products to retain your

existing customers.

• You have found a great opportunity, but you will need more resources/people to handle it.

• Or you may have to deal with aggressive competitors who are trying to snatch your customers.

Many small businesses decide to stop growing when they reach a point where they have more people on their payroll than they can manage. When you employ several people, you will probably have to hire a manager.

This might feel like a loss of control. If you can get around that mental block, you will be able to lead your business to growth and glory.

STRATEGY

SMALL’S B THESE DAY

ADVANTAGES OF BEING S Small brands can reap massive benefits by publicizing their small size compared to their large competitors.

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BIG YS

SMALL

STRATEGY

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e often think large companies are a huge deal, but if you look closely, small companies, groups, and teams often perform better than their large rivals. What is it that helps them compete against giants and thrive?

While it might seem ironic, being small is not exactly a disadvantage. In fact, the smallness of a company can help it fight against massive brands.

Several studies have proved that being small can bring unexpected benefits. It is not exactly clear why or how this happens but some psychology may be at play here.

This study clearly shows that when a small company competes against a big brand, consumers want the former to win.

IT’S DAVID V/S GOLIATH Small brands can reap massive benefits by publicizing their small size compared to their large competitors.

And customers absolutely enjoy watching David take on Goliath and win. When a small company competes against a big brand, they will probably have to differentiate themselves by cutting prices, improving their customer service, or focusing on a narrower niche.

In one experiment, researchers gave people who entered a local bookstore a $5-off coupon. Some coupons casually mentioned that the bookstore was competing with a large store. Some other coupons explained that it was competing against another small store. Some coupons did not mention anything. Those who were given the coupon mentioning the large competitor were more likely to buy a book than those who were given the small-competitor coupons.

Interestingly, none of the coupons made any comments on the superior quality of the store. This study clearly shows that when a small company competes against a big brand, consumers want the former to win.

This is probably because the smallness leads to more involved conversations. This will also allow them to make decisions quickly. Apple’s board of directors has only 8 members on it.

AND THEN THERE IS THE RINGELMANN EFFECT The Ringelmann effect was first observed when measuring the force applied to a rope that was being pulled by teams of different sizes.

Ringelmann observed that when a 5th person joined the group, the average force applied by each member declined. This concept of diminishing returns clearly suggests that groups tend to become less efficient when they become bigger.

HOW CLOSE IS IT?

Many researchers believe that size probably should not be the top priority in building a team. Nonetheless, it plays a crucial role. While large teams have greater human resources, they often fail to convince people that they are supported. To put it in other words, members of a large group often feel that they are on their own. They can’t imagine themselves as the part of a team. However, there is no ‘optimal’ team size. In fact, different groups have different group sizes.

Proximity also matters. Yelp reviews of coffee shops show that local shops that are closer to Starbucks have higher ratings. Everybody loves the underdog. People have a certain fondness for small companies that fight against large brands.

Small companies that compete against big brands will also need to preserve the quality and uniqueness of their product. If they lose their initial uniqueness during the period of rapid growth, they will eventually lose out.

The smallness of the board is also known to make companies more successful.

So what are you waiting for?

Get started and bring those big boys down!

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INVESTMENTS

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INVESTMENTS

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INVESTMENTS

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MANAGEMENT

Are You a TRUE LEADER or Just a MANAGER? CHECK WHERE YOU STAND THE INFORMATION FLOW

LEADERS RECOGNIZE TALENT

D

o you lead your pack into a winning battle or stand behind a wall when your soldiers bare theirselves?

While some people aspire to become managers by playing office politics, there are others who carve their own paths with wisdom and hard work. These are the people who end up becoming great leaders. Let’s analyze some basic differences between these two types of working professionals

LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM GOALS True leaders focus on long term goals while managers

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Managers identify people around them by their ranks but leaders try to remember their names. Leaders have the talent and willingness to recognize talents, interests, strengths, and weaknesses of their subordinates. They appoint people on the basis of their abilities and personalities instead of degrees or experience. spend most of their time and energy in accomplishing short term goals. Managers usually focus on what’s urgent instead of what’s important. They make their team members do petty tasks all the time, which have no or little relevance in the growth of the organization. Great leaders on the other hand, have a vision of what can be achieved in the long run.

Therefore, they do not care about short term goals like daily reports or meetings.

LEADERS ARE NOT THREATENED Inept managers feel insecure when a team member achieves something great on the work front. Deep down somewhere, they know that they are not very talented and thus they feel threatened all the time. Leaders on the other hand, feel proud when a team member achieves something.

They even try to help the team member in realizing their true potential.

Great leaders try to give out as much information as possible while starting a new project. Their honest and transparent approach keeps everyone on the same page, thus making the team’s performance smooth and unrestricted. Managers, however, feel that providing all the information is like giving up the strategic advantage of being on the top. This approach sabotages the team’s performance.

SMALL MANAGERS BLAME THEIR TEAM A true leader knows that if the outcome of a project is inappropriate, he is the one responsible for that. Even if the project has suffered because of a specific team member, the leader takes up the responsibility, encouraging the team to work better. Managers are afraid of losing their position and power and thus they never accept that the fault is theirs.

In order to hide their shortcomings, they start blaming their team members.

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INVESTMENTS

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FINANCE

EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT APPLE PAY Apple has just launched three new gadgets - iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch. The company also announced a new payment system that can change the way mobile payments work. Apple Pay as it is called will probably be more successful than Apple’s smartphones.

WHAT EXACTLY IS APPLE PAY? Apple Pay is basically a wireless payment system that will allow you to make payments by holding your Apple Watch or iPhone 6 close to the payment point in a shop.

You can use your fingertip to authenticate. You will no longer have to remember PIN numbers or carry plastic cards in your wallet. The system will also work online with the help of apps.

HOW IT WORKS? Apple Watch and iPhone 6 support the NFC technology, which allows you to securely transfer data wirelessly between two devices that enjoy physical proximity. This technology is ideal for making mobile payments. All you have to do is to hold the Apple Watch or iPhone 6 next to a payment point compatible with this technology and then authenticate.

APPLE PAY COMPATIBILITY Right now only iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch are compatible with Apple Pay. Older versions of iPhone are not supported, but there is a way to get around this. If you pair your Apple Watch with an older version of iPhone, you will be able to make payment with that as well.

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IS IT SAFE TO MAKE PAYMENTS WITH APPLE PAY? It is. It is perhaps safer than the old card payments we have been making for years.

This is probably because when you make payments with Apple Pay, the staff at the retail outlet will not be able to see your card number or name. The iPhone will apply a one-time code instead of the data stored in your debit or credit card to process the payment. Retailers don’t have to keep any of this information. Now in case you lose your iPhone, you can remotely stop the use of all payment information stored on it through ‘Find My iPhone’.

HOW TO SET UP APPLE PAY

APPLE PAY SUPPORT

If you use iTunes, you probably already have your payment information on Apple’s system so you can start using Apple Pay as soon as you buy an iPhone 6. Adding a new payment card is also easy.

Using the camera on your iPhone 6, grab a photo of the payment card you would like to add. The phone comes with clever software that can pull out all relevant details.

The next step is to verify with the bank that the card you have added is indeed yours. After you have completed the verification process, you can add that card to the Passbook application.

Right now, around 220,000 stores support Apple Pay. These include Disney, McDonalds, Nike, Staples, Whole Foods, Subway, and Toys R Us. Apple has won the support of MasterCard, American Express, and Visa.

It has also entered into agreements with 6 major banks.

WHEN CAN YOU START USING APPLE PAY? Apple Pay will be available in October. It will launch with iOS 8. For the time being, only stores in the US will accept Apple Pay.

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INVESTMENTS

HOLIDAY MORTGAGE TIPS Another wise thing would be to not get the car until you get the house first.

KEEP YOUR MONEY IN ONE ACCOUNT When your mortgage banker reviews your personal finances for approval, one of the major things they check is the source of your down payment and closing costs.

You will be asked to provide the statements for the last two months of all your liquid assets. This includes checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit, stock statements, mutual funds, and even your company 401K and retirement accounts.

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ith the holiday season upon us, it is easy to change our purchasing and spending priories. If you are planning to buy a house at the beginning of the next year, you should take into consideration the following tips for personal finance and purchase habits.

MAKE SURE YOU SAVE FOR YOUR DOWN PAYMENT Your down payment affects every choice you make when you buy a home. When you get ready to take action the first thing you should do is figure out how much money you have available for the purchase.

If you have just enough funds available for a minimum down payment, your choices of loan programs will be limited. If you are receiving a part of the down payment or all of it as a gift, your options will still be limited.

When you have enough for

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the down payment, but need the seller to cover all or part of your closing costs, this further limits your options.

In case you borrow all or a portion of the down payment from your 401K plan, different loan programs have different rules about how you would qualify.

Of course, when you are all ready to pay a large down payment by yourself, then you have many choices.

Your loan options would include varied programs such as the conventional fixed rate loans, adjustable rate mortgages, buy downs, VA, FHA, graduated payment mortgages, and all the varieties of each.

ney Land or simply getting a signature loan to have extra money to splurge. What we don’t remember is that all these actions will have a reaction sooner or later. It affects your buying power.

Whenever you plan to spend majorly, even if you feel you can afford it, check with your loan officer first. Make sure that it does not affect your debt to income ratio. When the new year comes around, you want to be ready and not be forced to delay buying your dream home.

If you have been transferring money between accounts, there may be many transactions of deposits and withdrawals in some of them. You will need to document these transactions by submitting cancelled checks, deposit receipts, and other seemingly inconsequential documents. This could get quite frustrating.

Moving your money around, even if you are consolidating your funds to make it “simpler,” could make it more difficult for proper documentation. So, leave your money where it is until you talk to a loan officer.

Do not get discouraged; however, you should still take the time to get pre-qualified.

You can always contact me for a free consultation.

Edgar J Hernandez Branch Manager-PRMI RGV NMLS# 226169

O: 956-616-4926 Fax 1.800.519.7915 www.PRMIUSA.COM

DO NOT MAKE ANY MAJOR PURCHASE During the holidays, we are tempted to make major purchases, such as buying a new car, new furniture, charge out our credit cards, planning a Christmas vacation to Dis-

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INVESTMENTS

Exhausting Your Think Tank?

Overthinking Can Be Both Good and Bad

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here are two types of thinkers – ones who act impulsively and take quick decisions and then there are those who consider all aspects of a given situation and then make a calculated decision. Steve Jobs belonged to the ‘impulsive thinkers’ category and yet his decision making power was considered exceptional. But we’ve all faced that awkward situation when we listened to our instincts and made horrible decisions. So how does all of this work? Have you ever wondered what opinion people form about you based on your decision making abilities? Let’s find out.

CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY – Sometimes people make bad decisions, but they convince you that their decision is ‘not all that bad’ because of their confidence. If you’re a confident and charismatic person in general, there’s a high possibility that people around you will not question your impulsive decisions.

NOT ALL DECISIONS ARE DIFFICULT – Decisions can be categorized into two types – easy decisions and hard/difficult decisions. Deciding what clothes to wear while going to a nearby cafe can be termed as an easy decision, but if you have a job interview and you have to pick clothes for that, you are up for a challenge.

Wise decision makers spend a good amount of time while making important or difficult decisions, but they don’t

waste time if the choice is too obvious or the end-result is too inconsequential.

INCULCATING A REFERENCE – To influence the audience, decision makers inculcate great references in order to explain their choices. Explain why you chose something and rejected something else by giving examples, but be tactful while doing so. If it’s an easy decision, but you are giving way too many explanations, people will not take you seriously. Understand the mindset of your audience and analyze the task at hand and then adopt a strategy.

question. For example, if you have to paint the walls of your room and you have to select a color for that, will you give in a lot of thought or will you choose a color without much consideration? Try to think from the perspective of your partner or children. If they are okay with whatever color you choose, why bother so much?

THINK FROM OTHER PERSON’S PERSPECTIVE – So we can conclude that people favor those thinkers who do not over-analyze things while making an easy decision, but are keen to go through an intense research process before taking a tough call. But if you are the decision maker, how you’ll examine whether you are over-analyzing the situation or not?

Try to think from the perspective of the audience and you’ll find the answer to that

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INVESTMENTS

WHY DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED

lows you to get an inside view of who your clients are and what exactly they want from your organization. You can use this information to formulate better client management strategies that’ll ultimately lead to increased profitability.

For instance, if you know that 70 percent of your clients are associated with the finance industry, you could hire people who know how the finance industry works as your salespeople. These new employees will be able to pitch proposals which are more relevant and inviting to your existing as well as potential customers.

TRACKS PROFITABILITY This amazing tool helps your accountants in drafting more accurate financial reports since it acts like a convenient bookkeeping system. With the help of ‘profitability tracking tool’ you’ll be able to track all your revenues, shipping costs, client returns, and product discounts. A simple yet skillfully organized bookkeeping system is exceedingly important for the growth of your venture.

AND WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT IT

HELPS IN COMPLYING WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS

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RM seems to be the ‘in’ word these days.

People generally talk about CRMs for their websites… what exactly is a CRM? Customer Relationship Management or CRM helps small or medium sized businesses handle their operational challenges such as a reduced number of customers, decline in sales, and mismanagement between customers and salespeople of the organizations.

how their clients acquired success or regained their position in the market with the help of their services. The websites of these companies are overloaded with success stories and testimonials written by business owners explaining how their ventures were transformed by using CRM as a source of providing consumer satisfaction.

Yes, CRM is used to increase profitability by providing real time responses, solving issues of customers, and by improving sales and productivity.

Companies that provide CRM services proudly narrate hundreds of wondrous stories on

BUT IS THIS ALL REAL?

IT’S ABOUT CLIENT MANAGEMENT

Do you think CRM is capable of doing all that or is it just anoth-

CRM tools can be used to manage your client database. It al-

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er business fad? It’s for real! It can perform some miracles for your business, given the fact you know how to use it properly. Opting for CRM services is like buying a Porsche. You won’t automatically become a fabulous driver just because you have a fabulous car. But if you are a skilled driver and you have a Porsche, no one will be able to catch you on the road.

Here are a few pointers on how to make use of a client tracking system effectively.

With the help of a CRM, you’ll be able to automate certain business processes which were previously being handled manually by your organization.

This is a great step forward, as it allows you to obey federal and state laws more stringently.

With the help of this tool, you will no longer need to employ compliance analysts to keep a check on your company’s policies and processes. Make sure you have applied the right ‘settings’ for this CRM tool. You can use it to mark a high risk client or to produce a legally sound document to deal with the client. With this particular tool, you’ll be able to steer away from any sort of legal trouble in a very cost effective manner.

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INVESTMENTS

FORMULATES SALES STRATEGIES Since you are running a small sized business, losses are fatal for the future of your venture. In order to avoid losses, you need to identify your target customers carefully. If you’ll waste time targeting a wrong group of clients, you will be running towards a disaster. This CRM tool offers valuable suggestions on how to build compelling sales strategies that are in sync with the current market trends. You can also introduce amendments in your existing sales strategies with the help of this tool.

How This Works – Let’s assume your company manufactures sports equipments and you’ve noticed that baseball equipments manufactured by your company are high on demand while equipments required for ice hockey have no substantial buyers. With the help of the

‘sales strategy tool’ you can target baseball clubs and leagues more aggressively. Later on, the same tool can be used to pull back from the ice hockey sector.

IMPROVES CUSTOMER SERVICES The ‘customer service improvement’ tool can be used to revamp customer service processes. This tool allows your customer care executives to resolve consumer queries more quickly and conclusively. For instance, you can track the complaints you’ve been receiving to analyze the most problematic set of products or services that your organization provides.

This way, you can find out which area(s) of your organization needs improvement.

HOW TO USE A CRM SYSTEM FOR THE BEST RESULTS With the help of all the above mentioned tools and

applications, your business will acquire an operational superiority in a very small interval of time. These CRM tools will help your company in formulating strong customer outreach policies and programs that’ll boost your sales. But employ one such system, only after carefully analyzing your organization’s nature, customer base, and operating processes.

Also, once you are equipped with a powerful CRM system, follow these steps to get the most out of it.

Simplicity – Keep in the mind the size of your business while selecting a CRM program. Employing an overly complicated system will only make things difficult. Pick a system which can be easily understood by your employees and is easy to handle.

Make Sure It’s Not a Loner – A CRM system which is not

capable of importing/exporting data from other CRM systems is not a good choice.

Train Your Employees – You need to make sure that your employees know how to use the system properly. Train them again and again till they master the intricacies. If they want to access the program from their phones or tablets, show them how to do that as well. Reward those employees who were able to use the system more productively.

Prepare Reports – You need to make sure that the reports you are generating with the help of your CRM system are updated and relevant.

Employ a reliable CRM program to boost your sales and to earn trust of your clients. Recent studies show that a fully utilized CRM can increase sales by more than 25 percent.

INVESTMENTS

CELEBRATES THE REASON FOR THE SEASON DURING ANNUAL FEAST OF SHARING CELEBRATIONS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS More Than 65,000 Community Members to Enjoy a Free Holiday Meal Starting Saturday, Nov. 8

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COMMUNITY

A

t H-E-B, the holiday season is a time to give thanks to its customers, and to bring family, friends and neighbors together for what’s become a beloved annual tradition – the H-E-B Feast of Sharing. \ The H-E-B Feast of Sharing dinners were founded in 1989 and are a facet of H-E-B’s Food Bank Assistance Program, which works year-round to prevent hunger in Texas and Mexico. Today, 31 dinners are held across Texas and in Mexico, with more than 250,000 meals served to hundreds of communities.

“H-E-B looks forward to the Feast of Sharing each year because it gives us a chance to say thank you to our loyal customers in the Border region, an area of Texas we have served for more than 85 years,” said Danny Flores, H-E-B Public Affairs Manager.

“It’s really special to see such diverse communities come together and celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.”

For the first time this year, H-E-B has partnered with the City of McAllen Metro Bus services to provide free transportation to and from the McAllen Feast of Sharing on November 16. Regular Sunday bus routes will operate as usual, with the addition of two routes dedicated to Feast of Sharing guests. Anyone interested in attending the McAllen Feast of Sharing can be picked up at the bus stop located at 21st and Quince Street or the stop located at 25th and Tamarack Street.

In addition to the Feast of Sharing community dinners, H-E-B also celebrates the reason for the season with special holiday feast deliveries to homebound seniors in need. Through partnerships with local homebound agencies, H-E-B Partners (employees) are able to hand-deliver a holiday meal to more than 800 community members who are currently unable to leave their homes, and may not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy one.

It’s really special to see such diverse communities come together and celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.

From November 8 through December 13, thousands of H-E-B volunteers and Partners (employees) from across South Texas will work together to prepare a delicious holiday meal for more than 65,000 expected attendees.

H-E-B will host 10 Feast of Sharing events throughout the South Texas area, all of which are free and open to the public. In addition to a holiday meal, guests will enjoy music, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and even an appearance by Santa himself!

“The Feast of Sharing is the culmination of a year-round commitment H-E-B makes to fighting hunger in Texas and beyond,” said Linda Tovar, H-E-B Public Affairs Manager. “We are honored to be able to say thank you to the communities we serve for their continued support, and to provide a warm holiday meal to those guests who may not otherwise receive one.”

THE 2014 H-E-B FEAST OF SHARING SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS: LAREDO Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd.

PORT ISABEL Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014 6 to 9 p.m.

Port Isabel High School, 18001 Highway 100

DEL RIO Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Del Rio Civic Center, 1915 Ave. F

MCALLEN Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014 2 to 6 p.m.

McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd. *Free bus service available to and from the Feast

BROWNSVILLE

Preparing for a massive, largescale feast of this size is no easy feat.

It takes an army of dedicated volunteers consisting of H-E-B Partners (employees) and community members to help make each event a great success. For more information on volunteer opportunities for the Feast of Sharing in your city please call the Public Affairs office at 956-926-4133 or e-mail loflin.yvonne@heb.com.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jacob Brown Auditorium, 600 International Blvd

ABOUT H-E-B

EAGLE PASS

H-E-B, with sales of more than $20 billion, operates more than 350 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrated its 105th anniversary in 2010.

Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 80,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.

Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

International Center for Trade, 3295 Bob Rogers Drive

RAYMONDVILLE Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Perish, 693 N. 3rd Street

HARLINGEN Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harlingen Community Center, 221 E. Madison

RIO GRANDE CITY Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014 6 to 9 p.m.

Fort Ringgold Elementary, 1 Fort Ringgold St.

WESLACO Saturday, Dec.13, 2014 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

St. Joan of Arc Parish - 200 S. Illinois

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STARTUPS

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO START A BUSINESS?

JUST A FEW HOURS

If you have a strong business plan along with the requisite financial resources, you can start your new venture in no time. count the road trip time to the local offices.

APPLY FOR A SELLER’S PERMIT

I

t doesn’t have to take weeks or months. Most entrepreneurs are intimidated by the complicated legal and administrative tasks they need to complete before starting their ventures.

But when you think about it, all these tasks are not really that complicated. If you have a strong business plan along with the requisite financial resources, you can start your new venture in a matter of just a few hours. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

DECIDE A COMPANY NAME People take months, just to pick a perfect company name or to get the perfect URL. Just get over with it! Pick any name that comes to your mind, is easy to remember, and has some brand value, and go for it. If the need arises, you can always operate a business under a different company name, since it takes less than 5 minutes to fill-up the ‘doing business as’ form.

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APPLY FOR AN EIN (EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) An EIN is used to identify your venture. It is essentially a federal tax number and you don’t really need it unless you have plans to employ people to work for you or if you want to establish a partnership, corporation, or LLC. But it’s advisable to apply for an EIN anyway since it offers safety to your business from identity theft. You can visit the IRS official website in order to apply an EIN online.

REGISTERING THE TRADE NAME You need to register a trade name for your business if you are not operating by your own name. The process is fairly simple and can be completed in just a few minutes.

GET A BUSINESS LICENSE This process is pretty uncomplicated as well. You just

need to fill a form. Make sure not to use your SSN (social security number) in order to identify your venture. Use the ‘employer identification number’ instead.

FILL THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX FORM Usually you are not required to fill this form during the first year of your venture. If you operate your business from home, you don’t need to list items like your computer, work equipment, etc. Things are pretty simple if you work from home and don’t require a lot of paperwork.

AREA SPECIFIC FORMALITIES Each state has its own set of legal formalities that an entrepreneur requires to fulfill.

Ask your state authorities whether there are any specific formalities that you need to take care of before starting your venture. This might take a few minutes if you don’t

You need to apply for a resale certificate, also known as the seller’s permit if your business deals with selling products (not services). This permit allows you to fetch state sales taxes on the products you’ve sold. You can apply for this certificate online.

ESTABLISH A BANK ACCOUNT A common mistake many novice entrepreneurs make is to merge their business funds with personal funds. You need to open an exclusive business account for your venture.

Open this account in the name of your venture and use it only when you have to carry out business related transactions.

ACCOUNTING Bookkeeping sounds like an intimidating task, but it’s quite simple, at least in the beginning. Don’t try to learn complicated software programs like QuickBooks; just use a simple spreadsheet for the first few months.

With just a few steps, you’ll be able to start within a few hours. The paperwork might take a little time for completion, but you’ll be all set to begin before that.

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INVESTMENTS STRATEGY

The

TOP 3 TEXAS TECH STARTUPS SOUTH

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STARTUPS

MAROON PAYMENT SYSTEMS

M

aroon Payment Systems provide online, POS, and Kiosk payments for government entities to allow the people to make payments easily, thereby increasing the revenue received by the public sector enterprises.

The company evolved its system as the needs of government entities changed, and started incorporating easier payment settlement, more fiscal accountability, and better access to government payment systems. The company currently serves multiple cities and counties in Texas, and provides technically advanced services to help people.

We got a chance to interview a spokesperson from Maroon

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Payment Systems and gained useful insights about their success story.

What was the inspiration behind Maroon Payment Systems?

We weren’t inspired by any particular thing. God led us in this direction and we felt compelled to follow. When you accept a cash payment, you cannot eliminate the possibility of human error. It is also possible that an employee can get tempted to steal the money. These situations have occurred several times in the past and now many entities do not accept cash payments. Unfortunately, this can cause a great deal of inconvenience to the pub-

lic. At Maroon Payment Systems, our chief concern is solving this problem. We provide Kiosks that can accept cash payments, online payments, and credit card readers. Since all of these are integrated into one system, the payment processing department can easily monitor all transactions.

How did you launch this venture?

My wife and I have worked in the government sector for over 20 years. Almost two years ago, we decided to quit our government jobs and re-open a company we had launched in 2006: Maroon Consultants, LLC. At around that time,

we moved to Texas. During my visits to government offices in Texas, I often heard people discussing the need for a better payment collection system. That is how we decided to launch an Automated Payment Company, which serves government offices.

Tell us something about your experience so far?

Our experience so far has been both challenging and rewarding. We have had to deal with both successes and failures, but I guess these experiences are invaluable in business as well as in life.

We are always learning. We have an incredible team who believes in our work ethics.

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STARTUPS

Build relationships. They will eventually turn out to be helpful.

You should also find a mentor who possesses the right experience and want to see you succeed.

We have also partnered with some outstanding companies like BPS and CODESM. As a startup, you must have faced a lot of hurdles. What was the biggest among them?

At times we found it difficult to organize, prioritize, and manage our time well. There have been situations when we had to revisit our plans and objectives. We also realized the need to be flexible. When you are in a business that involves technology, you have to be in constant change. That is imperative.

Your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Our advice is to evaluate the business model and the population it targets to ensure that you are offering the right product. You should also involve yourself in the community to promote your business venture. Build relationships. They will eventually turn out to be helpful. You should also find a mentor who possesses the right experience and want to see you succeed.

How do you intend to take this project forward?

The journey has so far been quite exciting. Our company provides unique solutions to each of our clients and right now we serve many counties and cities in Texas. Our goal is to expand our service to other states in the country.

However, we started from the Rio Grande Valley and we will be grateful to the town and its good people. They gave us our first opportunity.

maroonpaymentsystems.com

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STARTUPS

VISA EXPRESS USA

V

ISA Express USA offers a large array of customized services for different types and categories of Visa. They provide global immigration services that are tailored to individual needs. Their experts also offer consultation services to help their clients take better and more informed decisions.

They have a team of immigration professionals who provide excellent services to their customers. They offer immigration consultation and representations. They have 20 years of experience in providing Visas to their clients.

We recently met with their manager and got a few minutes to discuss things over lunch. Here is what we discussed in the half hour we had.

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What was the inspiration behind the creation of Visa Express USA? During a lunch with an immigration lawyer, we hit upon the idea to launch Visa Express.

We were familiar with the immigration process. We also had a decent understanding of the different kinds of visas and immigration requirements.

Our curiosity encouraged us to study the immigration process for different nationalities. This also led to the realization that the immigration route followed by most countries is simpler than the immigration process of Hispanics. Actually, the process was so simple that it could be automated. That is how we decided to build a simple do-ityourself immigration firm.

Building a successful business venture out of nothing is an exciting experience.

How did you launch this venture?

We are IT professionals and wanted to build a company that specializes in the DIY immigration process. We began to work on that concept.

We also wanted to incorporate the expertise of a great attorney into the process. So, we discussed the project with one of the best immigration law firms in the country.

They were quite excited by

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STARTUPS

the concept and so we decided to enter into a partnership with them. This is how we started Visa Express USA. We knew that if each one of us did what we were good at the result would be spectacular.

Tell us something about your experience so far?

It has been incredibly good.

Building a successful business venture out of nothing is an exciting experience. And when you do something that you enjoy doing, you don’t feel like you are working.

None of us ever considered this project as work. Rather, we treat it as an adventure where everybody participates using their experience and knowledge. We make sure that our clients get what they want: successful migration into the US.

As a startup, you must have faced a lot of hurdles. What was the biggest among them?

Getting this project off the ground was the toughest experience so far. We were trying to simplify a complicated process. We have got the best team. Our developers and our lawyers are all highly qualified people who understand the immigration process better than anybody else.

Getting everyone to work as a single unit was another big challenge, but we have so far been successful.

Your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Do not give up easily. Aspiring entrepreneurs should learn from their mistakes.

There will be unforeseen circumstances which will challenge your faith in your

capabilities, but don’t lose heart. Have confidence in yourself and your team.

Get up when you fall. You should also have easy access to a marketer, a lawyer, an IT professional, and an accountant.

How do you intend to take this project forward?

Right now our biggest ambition is to launch our company portal. Marketing our business in Asian and European markets will be an exciting experience for us. We have already started studying the peculiarities of these markets so that we can serve them well. Once we have our website and apps ready and prepare a marketing strategy, we will take the next step which is going to be very exciting for us.

visaexpressusa.com 37

STARTUPS

V

oyager.io is an innovative website that lets you get your favorite content at one place. You can set filters for that. It lets you select your own theme and is extremely simple to use. It does not come with a lot of bells and whistles, and you can simply use hashtags to find your favorite social engagement. It’s a new concept and we got to talk to the future Mark Zuckerberg to share his views about the modern day internet and his new venture.

What was the inspiration behind “Voyager.io”?

We launched this website because we wanted our users to be able to discover and enjoy all of our services in one

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place. We looked around, but could not find anything that was even remotely close to what we wanted. We launched the alpha build as part of our demonstration at a tech camp held in association with the local university ‘Code Factory’. In front of an audience of around 100 students, we demonstrated how to develop a rails web app that can aggregate all of your social content into one unified feed.

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INVESTMENTS

voyager.io

One of the biggest hurdles that all startups face is striking a balance between cash flow, internal expectations, and external interests.

How did you start this venture?

Our tech camp received great feedback. People who saw the alpha version of voyager were impressed by its capabilities. This encouraged us to brand it. We decided to call it Voyager and also chose the tagline ‘social discovery’ because that is exactly what voyager does. It allows people to discover everything about a brand through its content, posts from social media, and customer engagement.

Tell us something about your experience so far.

Building something with our team is an enjoyable experience. The fact that we were working on an in-house product made it more enjoyable. Marketing was just as fun as working on this project. We have already reached out to some industries and we are looking forward to launching the beta version of this product and getting more user feedback.

As a startup, you must have faced a lot of hurdles. What was the biggest among them?

One of the biggest hurdles that all startups face is striking a balance between cash flow, internal expectations, and external interests. We were determined not to allow any of these to have a negative impact on the development of the project. When you develop a product, especially something bootstrapped, reaching your goals at exactly the right time is essential to ace the launch.

Have you got any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

If you want to succeed, you have to put aside the fear

of failure. You also have to accept that certain things are beyond your control.

Just pursue your goals and eventually you will discover how you can get there. Be prepared to deal with many failures and successes along the way. No matter what happens, keep going forward.

How do you intend to take this project forward?

Voyager will enter the beta phase within a few weeks.

We will announce this sometime soon. At the moment, we would like to invite people interested in this product to subscribe to receive our notifications and contribute to the development of the initial concept by making valuable suggestions.

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STRATEGY

When I grow up, I want to be… a fireman, a teacher, a doctor, a ballerina, a scientist, a lawyer, or even… President of the United States.

T

hose are pretty standard dreams children talk about when they are asked that ever-popular question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Less often (maybe never?) will you hear a child say in response, “When I grow up, I want to be an insurance salesman.” No surprise there.

But make no mistake, there are surprises.

What type of person do you suppose it takes to become a highly successful (and extremely well-paid) sales professional in the supplemental insurance field? For starters, we are looking for a certain type of person: a person who wants to be in control of his/ her own future.

SURPRISE #1: We are not necessarily looking for people that “can sell ice to Eskimos”.

Why is that? Well, clearly, ice is a product readily available to Eskimos, at little or no cost.

Someone who got an Eskimo to buy ice probably “pulled a

40

fast one”, and the buyer spent money on something that he probably didn’t need.

SURPRISE #2: We do NOT hire everyone that walks in to an interview, just because they have a pulse. The opportunity that we have to offer is second to none, and we can afford to be very selective in our hiring process.

because too often, experienced salespeople have developed habits that tend to clash with the culture of our company.

We are looking for people (including experienced sales people) that are interested in our clients’ interests.

SURPRISE #4: “Smooth talking” is highly over-rated in sales. We’d much rather hire “active listeners” who

If your dream is big enough, this could be the place for you, and we can help make your dream a reality.

We are looking for people that are likeable and easy to talk to, that make people comfortable.

SURPRISE #3: Not having any experience in sales can actually be a plus for the candidate in that situation,

will ask questions and listen to what the prospect is saying AND what she isn’t saying. We believe our prospects will tell us everything we need to know so that we can offer a product that solves the problem, and fits their budget comfortably.

SURPRISE #5: We don’t expect you to make every sale, but we do expect you to leave every person you meet in a better mood than you found them. Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

So now, let’s talk about you…

What are you looking for in a career opportunity? You probably want to find the right company to work with: one that’s financially stable and well-respected in the industry. Family Heritage, a debt-free company, is owned by Torchmark, another debt-free company, which is based in McKinney, Texas. AM Best has given Family Heritage an “A” Rating (Excellent) for its financial stability, and the Better Business Bureau has given Family Heritage an “A+”, the highest rating that they award. Family Heritage has also received 14 Stevie Awards, for everything from Best Customer Service, to Innovative Products, and the Best Sales

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STRATEGY Incentives. Sounds like we could definitely be the right company.

What kind of compensation do you want? Are you getting paid what you’re worth, or is someone else deciding your value? What would it be like to work for a company that paid you based on your performance, with no glass ceiling, and where advancement is at your chosen

where that came from, so you could get your stock, too.

What’s your vision for your future? Paying off your debt?

Traveling the world with your loved ones? Being able to send your children to the colleges of their choice, rather than waiting on scholarships and financial aid?

Becoming a philanthropist, donating money and time to causes that you strongly believe in? How about retiring 10 or 20 years earlier than the usual age? What about buying a huge parcel of land and building a

“green, off the-grid” farmhouse and growing your own organic vegetables, while home-schooling your kids?

These are all things that are being achieved by others here.

At Family Heritage. If your dream is big enough, this could be the place for you, and we can help you make your dream a reality. According to Zig Ziglar, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they

want.” We are looking for people who believe that to be true, and who are willing to work hard, study hard, and be coachable, in order to make it happen.

There’s really only one way to find out if this is the place for you. Call us, set up an interview, and start that dialogue.

If it’s not for you, you’ve lost very little. If it is for you, and you DON’T call, you’ve lost a LOT. So go ahead. Call.

pace, rather than according to some arbitrary guidelines? Can you imagine what passive income (renewals) could mean to you and your family, where you would continue to get paid long after the work is done?

Family Heritage also has a very short vesting period, with partial vesting after only 2 years, which grows for the next 3 years. That means that after 5 years, your renewals are 100% yours, and are even willable to your heirs, even if you move on.

In your current career, are you able to earn stock in your company, at no cost to you?

Family Heritage has awarded, just this year, over $1.25 million worth of Torchmark stock to sales professionals at all levels within the company. And there’s more Jose Orona (210) 823-1744 8000 IH W STE 600 San Antonio, TX 78230

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FINANCE

SO YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME? Building a home is a major endeavor requiring thorough and careful planning.

A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE HOME CONSTRUCTION PROCESS Home ownership is the single largest investment most of us will ever make during our lifetime. For those who choose to build their home as opposed to buying an existing home, there is the added sense of accomplishment of seeing their project go from being just an idea to the reality of one day moving into their completed dream home.

Building a home is a major endeavor requiring thorough and careful planning. The following guide will take you through the steps to building your home.

STEP ONE: DEVELOP YOUR HOUSE PLANS One of the first things you’ll need to do when developing your house plan is to determine what you can afford.

Conventional guidelines suggest that your monthly

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When all is said and done, you'll find that a well built and well financed home is worth the extra effort required to achieve your dream home. mortgage payment which includes principal, interest, property taxes, and insurance should not be more than 28 percent of your gross (pretax) monthly income. Total monthly payments including your proposed mortgage payment and all other forms of loan payments including auto loans, personal loans, and credit cards, should not exceed 36 percent of your gross monthly income. Another measure of affordability is a final mortgage loan amount at approximately 2.5 times your gross annual income.

Once you’ve determined what you can afford, a house plan designer can help you design

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FINANCE

Bank of South Texas 840 N Cage Blvd Pharr, Texas 78577 (956)687-44260 (800)290-6533 your dream home. Some individuals find their own house plan designer while others consult their builder to find a designer.

STEP TWO: SELECT YOUR BUILDER Builder selection is critical. Getting to know a builder’s reputation for both quality construction and customer satisfaction is highly recommended. A good way of doing this is to ask your prospective builder for previous customer references and calling up these references to inquire about work quality, overall satisfaction, and resolution of any problems which may have occurred during or after completion of construction.

Most builders place signs at their building sites as advertisement, so driving around neighborhoods where homes are under construction lets you see the builder’s product firsthand. Who you choose as your builder goes a long way towards determining the success of your building project.

STEP THREE: DEVELOP YOUR CONSTRUCTION BUDGET Your builder will provide you with a proposed contract for building your home based on your house plan. This contract will include material specifications, allowances, a construction agreement, and the cost of the project.

Do not be afraid to get competing bids.

STEP FOUR: APPLY FOR A MORTGAGE LOAN. At this point, it is time to gather your financial information and contact your mortgage lender to begin your mortgage loan approval process.

• A good place to start is Pay stubs (2 most recent months) • Bank Statements for all deposit accounts (2 most recent months) • Tax return with W-2’s (2 most recent years)

There are three main types of mortgage loans: Conventional, FHA, and VA. Talk with your mortgage lender and ask them to explain the features and requirements of each type of loan to determine which one is best for you.

STEP FIVE: APPLY FOR A CONSTRUCTION LOAN Many mortgage lenders do not offer construction loans. If that is the case with your mortgage lender, then you will need to seek out a separate construction loan to finance your home building project.

Banks are the main source of home construction loans, so check

with your builder to get an idea of which banks do home construction lending. A good construction lender will interact with both your builder and your permanent mortgage lender to get your home built.

At completion of construction, your mortgage lender will pay off your construction loan, and from that point on, your mortgage obligation is with your mortgage lender.

When all is said and done, you’ll find that a well built and well financed home is worth the extra effort required to achieve your dream home.

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5 STRATEGY

TIPS TO ENSURE THAT

MARKETING

TEAM

With a little transparency and efficient communication, you can make sure that your sales and marketing teams always get along together and remain in sync.

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WORKS

TOGETHER WITH THE

SALES TEAM

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STRATEGY

A

re your sales and marketing teams getting along?

Many organizations fail to bridge the gap between their marketing and sales departments. Here are some tips to encourage both departments to cooperate rather than work independently.

1 GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS CAN HELP Nobody is perfect, but if you are a marketer, you should have excellent communication skills. Include your team members in your decisions.

Keep others informed about your actions and decisions.

For example, if you develop new marketing content, let everybody know what it is and where they can find it. Do you want them to share that content with others? You should explain that too. By commu-

nicating clearly, you can let your team members know exactly what you are doing.

Be informative and encourage others to ask questions.

2 HAVE PERSONAL MEETINGS WITH YOUR SALES PERSONNEL You probably already have sales meetings with them.

Try to arrange some personal meetings as well. Get to know them personally. Be sincere and ask them what challenges they face as sales personnel. Maybe there is something you can do to help them work more efficiently.

Ask if you can help.

Invite feedback from the sales department. Your sales personnel can tell you whether your marketing materials are helpful. They can also tell you how they are using the content to sell. The marketing department can also

Invite feedback from the sales department. Your sales personnel can tell you whether your marketing materials are helpful or not. provide valuable feedback.

Offer great tips and content for selling. Once in a while, you should also have a talk with them about the sales and marketing process.

3 MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS ALIGN WITH YOUR SALES TRENDS After you have had a couple of meetings with your sales team, you should think about all the feedback you have received. Use your marketing experience and knowledge to create better marketing content. You should also consider the insights you gather from your sales team as they are the people who interact with customers.

4 LET THE UPPER MANAGEMENT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING Don’t overlook the importance of communicating

with the upper management. Managers are always busy. Try to keep them informed about what you are doing. You should also inform them when you make changes that might affect their processes. They may be busy, but they will appreciate it when you take the time to update them.

5 BE AVAILABLE As a marketer, you may be busy, but you should still be available. People should be able to have a talk with you.

Listen to them. Sometimes they can suggest better solutions than what you can conceive.

With a little transparency and efficient communication, you can make sure that your sales and marketing teams always get along together and remain in sync.

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LEGAL

DIPPING FOR THE WIN M MISSION RESIDENT FINALIST IN H-E-B COMPETITION

Out of more than 600 entries in H-E-B Primo Picks’s statewide Quest for Texas Best competition, one of the 25 finalists hails from Mission.

aria Pilar Gonzalez, owner of Habibi Gourmet, entered H-E-B’s search for a new product to add to their Primo Picks selection, which includes goods that are “unique, delicious and possibly new” to consumers.

In addition to the $25,000 prize, the first place winner will have their creation sold at H-E-B locations throughout Texas.

For first-time competitor Gonzalez, her various Dip-It dips have put her through three rounds of the contest since it began in February. Homemade from yogurt and traditional Mexican veggies, Dip-It’s come in five flavors: cilantro, jalapeño, chipotle, green olive and piquin.

Before Gonzalez entered the Quest for Texas Best contest, she won a local competition with the Mission Economic Development Corporation. Ruby Red Ventures was held in May. Judges met with local business owners and heard their sales pitch.

Before entering the Quest for Texas Best, Gonzalez won local competition Ruby Red Ventures in May, in which judges meet local business owners and hear their sales pitch, then the city of Mission rewards them with funding if they seem good enough. Dip-It interested the judges so much that Gonzalez won the $25,000 prize, making her one of two people to ever win out of seven competitions.

“I am very glad I won, so I may use that money to further expand my business,” the 48 year old said.

“After that contest, one of the judges was contacted by Primo Picks asking if he knew any products that would be fit for their competition, so he recommended me.”

If she is awarded the $25,000 prize, she said she will use it to employ industrial products to manufacture more of her handmade dips, which she believes is an important part of the product’s genuine creation process.

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INVESTMENTS

WORK LESS TO WORK BETTER

M

uch of Paris was destroyed between 1853 and 1870 on the orders of Baron Haussmann. Slums were demolished and converted into bourgeois neighborhoods. The old labyrinthine city eventually became a place full of angular avenues and wide boulevards. Poor Parisians did make an attempt to fight back, but they had to flee.

Their houses were knocked down and they received no compensation. In less than 2 decades, Paris underwent a complete transformation - from medieval to modern and working class to bourgeois. Paris now witnesses another transformation every August. Shops are shuttered. Tourists rule the beautiful streets.

And instead of the French monotone, you will hear Italian, English, and Spanish on the streets.

French workers should take at least 31 days off a year. In August, almost all of them fly to Cannes or Italy, Greece, or Spain. While some might think that this shows the laziness of French people, by holidaying for the whole of August, they are actually recharging their batteries. This vacation pays rich dividends for them.

QUALITY V/S QUANTITY The quality of work is not always directly proportional to its length. Sometimes it is inversely proportional. In other words, at some point, if you work more, you become less productive.

People who work long hours often fall prey to distractions that kill their productivity. According to Parkinson’s Law, work expands to fill the time available for completing it. If less time is available, you would work smarter.

Those who work too much also have to deal with life-threatening stress. Excess work will also lead to disengagement,

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as it simply isn’t easy to maintain focus for more than fifty hours a week. Henry Ford knew this. That is why he reduced his employees’ working schedules from 48 hours to 40 hours per week. He believed that his employees would make more mistakes if they worked for more than forty hours a week.

In some nations, especially in the US, people believe that work is a noble pursuit. Most Americans feel existentially lost when work is not the driving force of their life. They don’t care whether that force is profitable or healthy.

WE ALL SEEK A BREAK Aristotle once said that we all work to enjoy leisure on which our happiness depends. For most employees, the motivation to work harder is the hope of a peaceful retirement. Still, many people often get this equation wrong and they try to fit their lives into their work instead of fitting their work into their lives. The belief that satisfaction and happiness can be found through work is basically a myth meant to encourage employees to work harder.

Some companies have now started believing in the ‘work less, work better’ philosophy. Good for them. Too much work is pointless at best. It is harmful at worst. Overwork destroys our physical and psychological health. It also reduces the time we get to spend with our family. We are often motivated to work harder because it makes us feel productive even if we are not being productive. We take great pride in being able to tell our friends ‘I’m busy,’ but it can actually be detrimental to not just your motivation, but also your health.

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