In the News

PRESS RELEASE No. 9
July 14, 2008
Contact: Gilma Jiménez
Phone: (919) 582-2734
Cell: (919) 274-9963
gilma.jimenez@nuestro-banco.com
www.nuestro-banco.com

Thirteen Hispanics received a certificate for the
Small Business Entrepreneurs Program from
Nuestro Banco, Raleigh Chamber and Wake Tech

Raleigh NC, July 14, 2008. – Thirteen Hispanic entrepreneurs successfully completed the 2008 Small Business Entrepreneurs Program developed this summer by Nuestro Banco in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Wake Technical Community College and La Conexión.

The 2008 series of seminars attracted 20 participants from diverse backgrounds: entrepreneurs with existing businesses (restaurants, auto repair, consultants, cleaning services, beauty salons, etc.), recent immigrants interested in creating their own business, one student from UNC who recently graduated in entrepreneurship, and one pastor interested in understanding how to improve the management of his church. The age of the participants ranged from 25 to 40 years old.  

David Flores, CEO of Nuestro Banco, says:”It is truly an honor to provide Hispanic entrepreneurs with the tools to successfully launch their own businesses.  The Hispanic communities’ innovation and entrepreneurship will contribute to the continued growth of the economy in North Carolina”

The speakers of the seminars were talented professional individuals, belonging to the American and Hispanic communities of the Triangle Area, each of whom donated their time and delivered excellent presentations in their field of expertise.  This dedication ensured that the objectives of the Small Business Entrepreneurs program were fully met to help participants understand:

• How to be successful in the American business environment
• How to structure a business (financial, legal, management, marketing, etc.)
• What resources are available to them
• The importance and opportunities of serving the non Hispanic market.

The participants received the basis and foundation for moving forward with their plans of opening a new business or growing their existing business.

The development and delivery of this program provides a platform for Nuestro Banco to accomplish its Mission:

To accelerate the integration of Hispanic immigrants, within the communities that we serve, into the banking system and their local communities by:

Some of the attendants were interviewed about their learning experience during the seminars. The following are their answers:

Rosa Torres: “We have a paint and drywall company. We have seven years in business. Nevertheless we always were looking for new ideas to improve our business. The money that we have spent in this program has been one of the best investments. Before we came to the seminar and learned about how to get a loan and how to manage the money, we had been learning by experience. If we had this opportunity before to understand the things  we have been learning in the seminars, we could had saved money and time and avoided some mistakes and headaches. Another important topic that we understood in the seminars is that the business is alive and in permanent transition. So we have to be prepared to face changes in the market and be ready to manage the change”.

Galenia Euceda: We have a company to manufacture cartridges for printers. The program has a great use for us. When we opened our first business in the past we were operating by intuition. After taking the seminars we realized that we were not aware about different steps of the process. We have plans to open a second business. It will be a Christian bookstore and we feel better prepared to manage our budget after taking the seminars. We have been learning a lot to be more efficient in reaching our goals”.

Fernando Echegaray: “The program was very informative and over all allows me to clarify so many questions about how to open my own business. The most useful topics for me were about how to pay taxes and the different kinds of companies that you can create. I am working for a Spanish newspaper and I am thinking of creating my advertising business. Now I understand how that process should be done”
The next Small Business Entrepreneurs Program will be delivered in the summer of 2009.

Nuestro Banco

1408 Garner Station Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27603

Phone: (919)-582-2720 – Fax: (919) 582-2759 Toll free: (800) 381-9061