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July 16, 2001
Business Program Aids Entrepreneurs in Texas
Melissa S. Monroe, San Antonio Express-News

Also See Community Minority Business Advancement Executive Education

Austin – Business owner Manuel Villa said he thought he knew what it took to run a company. That was before he had an eye-opening experience going through one of the top-notch business programs in the state.

Villa, a West Side entrepreneur, began to see the bigger picture while he was a student in the Community Minority Business Advancement program, a division of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Villa said the program made him realize he needed to develop a long-range plan for his computer services and networking company, VIA Technology Inc. He had been too focused on just one area of his business.

The realization came in a program taught by Jim Nolen, associate director of CMBA. In its eighth year of operation, the 45-hour program enlists about 30 to 40 students who are business owners. So far, it has helped more than 1,100-minority entrepreneurs hone their management and operation skills.

CMBA programs are held in San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas. Professors from Austin, including Nolen, commute to the different cities to teach the business owners. Some professors have been entrepreneurs themselves.

"Usually they (business owners) find out that they are not the only ones finding the same problems," Nolen said. "They will say this has happened to me, and a light bulb comes on and they start to become more educated."

The program's sponsors, which include H-E-B Grocery Co. and Bank of America, pick up most of the cost for classes.

Participants pay $200.

Being involved with the small business program is a perfect match for Bank of America, said Dawn Bannwolf, vice president of corporate relations in San Antonio.

"We were one of the first banks in San Antonio to create a special small-business lending unit in the late '80s, and it just makes perfect sense for us to be supportive of a program like this," she said.

Another student, Joe Linson, said the value of the classes is priceless.

"A lot of small firms can do the work, but where they fail is on the administrative end. It's kind of scary when you realize on how much you don't know," said Linson, former president of the Alamo City Chamber of Commerce and coordinator for the minority women business enterprise program at Hunt Construction Co.'s Spurs arena project.

Linson graduated from the program about a year ago.

CMBA graduates become attractive as business partners for big companies, said Glenn Murray, H-E-B's director of supplier diversity.

"I think this is the best buy for small businesses. What it (CMBA) does is raise them to a higher level and makes them an even better business partner with H-E-B," Murray said.

Villa said he knows that many entrepreneurs don't have a lot of extra time, but making the commitment to the program is worth making the business successful. His own commitment came with a $1,000 donation to the program.

The San Antonio CMBA class will graduate in early September and registration for the next class is ongoing.

A Laredo CMBA program will be added to the city lineup in March.

Those seeking more information about the program may call CMBA program director Vilma Gonzalez at (512) 475-6428.

For general media information contact director of communications: David Wenger (512-471-3314).