The Houston Independent School District Office of Business Assistance has been named the City of Houston’s Community Partner of the Year for its role in overseeing the Interagency Mentor-Protégé Program.
This month’s Workshop Wednesday featured a presentation from Melissa Rascon, managing partner and founder of The Rascon CPA Firm, who discussed business strategies to grow a small business as well as tax updates and tips.
“When you start your business, it’s so important to have a passion for what you do and be very deliberate in your plans,” Rascon said. “A positive attitude and state of mind are essential.”
Rascon also discussed the pros and cons of various corporate structures, the importance of focusing on sales every day, and which numbers a business owner should keep an eye on.
Participants in this month’s Workshop Wednesday, entitled Talk Like a Leader, learned that strong leadership and effective communication go hand-in-hand, and received tips on incorporating constructive phrases, positive body language, and effective vocal quality into daily interactions.
Presented by Corinne Chalmers, owner and leadership coach at Deliberate Changes, the workshop also gave insight into fundamental strategies for what works and what doesn’t when influencing others.
“Leadership is all about influencing a group toward a common goal,” Chalmers said. “There is very little distinction between strong leadership skills and strong communication skills.”
The group of about 50 attendees learned to drop key phrases that harm credibility and adopt new ones that create positive influence and encourage mutual respect in a conversation. Continue reading
At this month’s Workshop Wednesday, sponsored by HISD’s Business Assistance Supplier Diversity department, about 50 attendees learned various project management skills and participated in team-building activities on creating goals for a project.
Continue reading
At this month’s Workshop Wednesday, sponsored by HISD’s Business Assistance department, about 35 attendees had the opportunity to hear from Mildred Dillon, a certified public accountant and founder of The Money Doctor. Continue reading
Attendees at August’s Workshop Wednesday, sponsored by HISD’s Business Assistance Department, learned that there is often a financial cost to a bad hire and that hiring decisions – good or bad – can have a huge impact on a company’s bottom line.
Houston’s monthly African-American magazine, Subcontractors USA, recognized HISD’s Business Assistance team Wednesday with the 2015 Top 25 Supplier Diversity Champions award during the 2015 Top 25 Prime Contractors, Engineers, Architects, Construction, Transportation and IT for Diversity Awards at the HESS Club in the Galleria area.
“Subcontractors USA is proud to be a minority business journal that inspires, informs and educates,” said Subcontractors USA magazine president Keith “D-MARS” Davis. “Recognizing and celebrating the community is one of the things we are known for. We are especially proud to celebrate agencies and companies that put forth effort and resources to provide minority and women-owned companies with opportunities.”
July’s Workshop Wednesday featured Luis Ramos, a business adviser at LiftFund, describing what his firm and other lenders look for in a successful business plan.
Five HISD Business Operations employees were celebrated as Employees of the Month for May during the department’s breakfast with HISD’s Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla on Tuesday.
(From left to right): Roy Giles, Pat Sykes, HISD Sr. Business Analyst Priscilla Martinez, Kelvin Bryan, and Eusebio Silver.
Every month, five individuals from the areas of Transportation, Police, Nutrition Services, Construction and Facilities Services, and Business Assistance are selected to attend “Breakfast with Leo.” The event serves as a way to recognize district employees who go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service.
April’s Workshop Wednesday presentation was led by members of HISD’s procurement department, and provided valuable tips for businesses interested in doing business with the district.
The standing-room-only event was held at the Hattie Mae White building and featured an overview of the structure of the department, roles and operating procedures of the procurement team, and advice on how businesses can be more successful in winning contracts.