SAN ANTONIO – Business leaders from the San Antonio area shared some of their best advice and discussed community-related events on our KSAT Money Q&A series in 2022.
This series was a succession to my original “Money: It’s Personal” series, which touched on consumer and personal finance-type stories.
The KSAT Money Q&A series was a chance to give aspiring and current entrepreneurs a push to try out new ventures in the San Antonio economy.
These are some of the best Q&As from 2022:
Small Business Development Center helps local entrepreneurs with training, consulting
Whether an entrepreneur is just starting a business or a small company has been established for a long time and needs help, the UTSA Small Business Development Center provides training and consulting for free or at a low cost to ensure success.
Watch the first Q&A of the series with UTSA SBDC Director Richard Sifuentes below.
Bustling startup community brings new opportunities, growth to Alamo City
Charles Woodin, CEO of Geekdom, a collaborative community and co-working space for entrepreneurs and new startup companies, discussed how the San Antonio business community has evolved and grown organically over the past 10 years since Geekdom was first founded.
He also shares tips for new entrepreneurs who want to enter the startup scene.
Woodin also spoke about the emerging industries in San Antonio and other ways to get involved in the startup community.
Watch below.
How to use business funding effectively, tips to get funding process started
New and existing businesses benefit from funding to fuel their companies’ growth, but obtaining loans or grants isn’t easy and requires a lot of time. Using that funding effectively is crucial to sustaining operations.
Stephanie Scheller, CEO of Grow Disrupt -- a company that produces personal growth events that support small business growth -- discussed how business owners could use funding effectively and provided tips about loans and grants.
Watch below.
How to be an effective solopreneur
Solopreneurs had become more prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic on social media and in person at local and national retailers.
Many have left their jobs to make it out on their own in business, but becoming an effective solopreneur isn’t easy and takes a lot of dedication.
Stephanie Scheller discusses tips for solopreneurs or potential ones who want to be effective in their business strategy.
Watch below.
Geekdom offers summer programs for San Antonio entrepreneurs
Ahead of summer programs, Phillip Hernandez, chief operating officer of Geekdom, discussed Startup Week.
Those programs included the LLC Formation Workshop and Startup Weekend.
Watch below.
Holiday incubator program to help small businesses explore downtown retail rent-free
Kailey DeLuca, with Centro San Antonio, discussed a new incubator program that allows San Antonio small businesses to explore retail selling during the holidays without paying rent in a downtown space.
Watch below.
Navigating business in a rocky economy
Inflating prices and rising interest rates have trickled down to shoppers’ wallets at the checkout, making business a little more difficult for entrepreneurs.
Stephanie Scheller has worked with more than 5,000 businesses in the past decade. She discussed that while San Antonio has done a good job navigating rocky economic periods, local business owners aren’t immune to the effects across the nation.
Watch below.
San Antonio Startup Week offers learning, networking opportunities
San Antonio Startup Week offered local entrepreneurs and business professionals a chance to network in person and learn from industry experts during seven days of panels, workshops and city-building events in October.
Ahead of San Antonio Startup Week, I spoke with Geekdom COO Phillip Hernandez, who discussed this year’s panelists and sessions.
Watch below.
San Antonio’s business and startup communities have shown resilience through rocky times and a positive outlook for the local economy. Follow KSAT Money for more Q&As and other content in 2023.
Happy New Year,
Ivan Herrera, MS Business
KSAT Digital Journalist