This story was originally published on new-wbc.org.
Reina Morales Garcia, as a young girl, worked with her mother selling merchandize in a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico. She always dreamed that one day she one day would own and manage her own business. Even with all the trials and tribulations of immigrating to the United States, she never lost that vision.
An enterprising love story
She fell in love with Agustin Gomez. He found a job as a plumber’s assistant while she worked odd jobs to pay their financial obligations. In a short time, Agustin mastered his trade. Reina saw that his attention to detail and professionalism would be key for them to start their own plumbing business. With enough English knowledge and repetitive study of the right answers, he was able to get his plumber’s license. They decided to forge ahead on their own business path. They launched Tingo’s Plumbing in honor of the two Agustines in the house: father and son. It is also how their name is said in Mixe, his native dialect.
Reina has always remembered her mom’s advice to never stop learning and seek help whenever she needed it. She took a full-time job to supplement the income that Agustin used to make. At night, she searched the internet for accounting tutorials to learn how to keep the financial records of their business. Her desire to be an effective business manager led her to the New Women’s Business Center. She found the answers and business guidance that she was looking for through Libia Berbesi and her Latina Biz Team.
After much discussion, Agustin and Reina decided to take the next big business challenge. They sought a $ 220,000 loan for the purchase of three trucks and working capital. The couple booked an appointment with Ric Saenz, the WBC’s Financial and General Business Manager, and The Small Business Lending Support Team. They wanted to see if they could get a loan ready assessment of Tingo’s Plumbing.
Onwards and upwards
“I was very impressed by the company’s growth and how they quickly made six figures in gross sales and currently are projecting to make ten times that milestone mark which puts them in a great position to obtain the loan they are seeking,” said Ric. “They will only need to complete their business plan.”
Tingo’s Plumbing does not advertise, use social media, flyers, or other standby marketing at this time. As Reina says, “our business has grown one customer at a time”. They know that timing is key for the success of every business and that 100% customer satisfaction is what creates repeat business and trying to grow too fast is when businesses cut corners and lose customers.