Jun 1, 2022 | Access to Capital, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Networking, Rebuilding a Business, Starting a Business
One of the biggest advantages of joining the Department of Commerce has been gleefully learning about the state’s lesser-known resources. These smaller, inaudible humming engines do great things to empower and incentivize businesses owned by minorities, women...
May 2, 2022 | Access to Capital, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business, Uncategorized
Unless you’re to the manor born, the biggest challenge your small business can face is access to capital. Seed money, dough to grow, pump-priming startup funds. Banks typically don’t like to fund entrepreneurs needing less than $50,000. No one should ever use a credit...
Apr 4, 2022 | Education, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business
It was an unlikely pairing, Big Tech and me. She’s a steely loud behemoth, I’m a sensitive writer. I knew from the beginning she probably wasn’t the one, but we looked good on paper. My friends and family liked the life she afforded us. Over the decades we built a...
Mar 1, 2022 | Entrepreneurship, Rebuilding a Business, Starting a Business
Before I came to Commerce almost a decade ago, I had a secret life. If you’ve read these Startup Blogs for any length of time, you know that I was an entrepreneur and small business owner before joining the state. But as you can see by the headline, I am also a...
Jan 31, 2022 | Access to Capital, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business
When I started my business, oh, so long ago, I knew virtually nothing about managing a company’s finances. About four years into it, I famously had a ton of money in the bank to brag about, but it’s only because I didn’t pay my taxes. The feds found out, and that big...
Oct 28, 2021 | Entrepreneurship
One of the hardest things about working for the state is that I can’t run off and start a business at the drop of a hat. After almost 10 years at the Department of Commerce, I still have this burning desire to be an entrepreneur. I just can’t help myself. It’s in my...
