Join the Texas South-West SBDC Network for our annual virtual workshop series highlighting pieces that make up the entrepreneurship puzzle and your roadmap to success. Through expert-led sessions, gain practical strategies for marketing & advertising, business growth, accessing capital, and leadership and professional development. Whether you're starting up or scaling your business, these workshops provide valuable resources to help you succeed, with content particularly relevant for women while beneficial to all entrepreneurs.
The Entrepreneurship Puzzle: Pieces to Business Success
November 17th - 21st, 2025
Morning Workshops: 10 - 11am
Afternoon Workshops: 2 - 3pm
Join us online for a week celebrating women entrepreneurs!
WEW 2025 UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 17, 2025
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About This Session
This course covers the basics of setting up and managing your business finances, including creating a chart of accounts, understanding financial statements, and maintaining accurate records. Perfect for new entrepreneurs and those seeking to strengthen their financial literacy.
Meet the Presenter: Rita McDaniel
Rita McDaniel is a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, certified in QuickBooks Online, Desktop, and Payroll. She has over 29 years of experience working with the small business community as an accountant, over 20 years as a business consultant/coach, and is a small business owner herself.
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
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About This Session
Are you tired of losing track of potential customers and watching sales slip through the cracks? Join us for this power-packed session where you'll discover how the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can transform scattered leads into steady revenue streams. In just one hour, you'll learn exactly why successful businesses swear by CRMs – and how you can finally stop leaving dollars on the table.
What You'll Walk Away With:
- The wake-up call: Real numbers on how much money small businesses lose without proper lead management
- Tool deep-dive: Hands-on comparison of Pipedrive vs. HubSpot – which one fits YOUR business model?
- The selection blueprint: A practical checklist for choosing the CRM that will actually get used (not just purchased)
- Quick wins: Simple strategies you can implement immediately to capture more leads and close more deals
Perfect for: Service providers, consultants, retailers, and any small business owner who's ever thought "I know I'm missing opportunities, but I don't know how many or where."
Led by Jana Minifie and Bill Thompson – seasoned business professionals who've helped dozens of small businesses transform their customer relationships and revenue growth.
Stop wondering where your next customer is hiding. Come learn how to find them, nurture them, and convert them into loyal, paying clients.
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Meet the Presenter: Jana Minifie
Meet Jana Minifie—the court-qualified expert witness who turns complex business valuations into clear, defensible analysis. With over 35 years of experience spanning academia and entrepreneurship, Jana brings a unique perspective to business valuation. Her Ph.D. in Production and Operations Management provides the analytical foundation, while her real-world experience as a serial entrepreneur gives her the practical insight that numbers alone can't capture. Jana specializes in high-stakes valuations where accuracy and credibility matter most. She's the professional attorneys trust for divorce proceedings, partnership disputes, and estate litigation—cases where her ability to explain complex financial concepts under cross-examination can determine the outcome. Her expertise extends to IRS compliance valuations, M&A transactions, and ownership transitions that require independent, unbiased analysis. What sets Jana apart is her dual role as both a meticulous analyst and an expert witness. She doesn't just calculate what a business is worth—she can defend that valuation in court, translate complex methodologies for judges and juries, and withstand the scrutiny of opposing counsel. She serves on the certification board that sets standards for business valuators nationwide, ensuring her work meets the highest professional standards. Whether it's a contentious divorce involving family business assets, a partnership buyout dispute, or an IRS challenge requiring detailed documentation, Jana provides the independent expertise that helps resolve complex financial matters. Her nationwide practice serves attorneys, CPAs, and business owners who need valuations they can depend on when the stakes are highest.
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Meet the Presenter: Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson is Associate Director and Sr. Certified Advisor at Texas State University’s Small Business Development Center. Bill specializes in business model development, feasibility analysis, financial analysis and forecasting and positioning clients for successful funding. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and holds a Masters in Education from Texas State University. Bill recently earned his second master’s degree from UH-Victoria in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. Bill’s career includes residential mortgage lending, sales and marketing, B2B wholesaling, computer information systems, and teaching at the secondary level in Williamson and Travis counties. Exceptional coaching skills, refined over many years of professional counseling, make Bill a favorite of SBDC clients throughout our 12-county service area. He has the winning combination of an easy-going, likable personality, dependability and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for his clients.
Meet the Presenter: Rebecca Esparza
Rebecca Esparza is a freelance marketing consultant with over 20 years of marketing, media relations and event management expertise. She has a bachelor's and a master's degree in business; both from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Rebecca is also a trainer with a dynamic portfolio of seminars and webinars on digital marketing, where attendees learn about successfully utilizing the most popular social networks, dominating search engine optimization, and creating engaging email marketing campaigns that bring results. She is a Corpus Christi, Texas native and enjoys working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits to help them optimize success with their digital marketing efforts. She has been working with local small business owners to start and grow their businesses since 2009.
NOVEMBER 19, 2025
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About This Session
Join us for an empowering and insightful webinar designed to help women take control of their financial futures. Whether you're just starting out, navigating mid-career transitions, or planning for retirement, this session will provide practical strategies tailored to every stage of life.
We'll explore:
- Key financial milestones across the lifecycle—from early career to retirement
- Smart money moves to make when you receive a promotion or salary increase
- How to build confidence in financial decision-making
- Tools and habits that support long-term wealth and financial independence
This conversation is about more than just numbers—it's about unlocking possibility, building financial power, and creating a future that reflects your values and goals.
Meet the Presenter: Stella Doyle
Stella is a CERTIFIED FINANCIALPLANNER™ professional and financial advisor for Westex Investment Services. Financial planning touchesevery element of your life, centered on the most unique and special aspect of it – you. At Westex, Stella helpsclients develop personalized financial plans and investment strategies that align with their financial goals andbest interests. She works directly with individuals, families, and business owners to empower them to make informed financial decisions for their futures. With expertise in cash flow management, education planning, retirement planning, investment management, and insurance services, Stella collaborates with clients to establish clear goals and create guideposts to ensure they stay on track.
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About This Session
Access to funding shouldn’t be a barrier to your success. In this SBDC workshop, we’ll demystify the lending process, share insights on SBA, conventional lending, and alternative financing programs, and offer actionable strategies to strengthen your funding readiness. Hear from an expert who helps women business owners every day navigate the path to capital with confidence.
Meet the Presenter: Rocio Vallejo
Rocio Vallejo, who earned her MBA in Business Management from Texas A&M Commerce, is the founder of SBA Loan Consultants and is passionate about entrepreneurship. Her passion has led her to serve over 15 years of assisting small business owners get on the right track by gaining access to capital and providing guidance for business development. Rocio has held multiple leadership roles and has been responsible for the growth of various financial institutions throughout the banking industry, credit departments, and SBA lending. Determined and committed to empowering small business owners make the most informed and financially sound decisions for their business, Rocio takes pride in providing assistance and support to small business owners when they need it most!
NOVEMBER 20, 2025
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About This Session
Discover practical tips and techniques to create engaging content and streamline your posting schedule for maximum efficiency. Learn how to interpret platform insights, measure ROI, and refine your strategy using performance data. Explore advanced scheduling tools and AI-driven content creation solutions to simplify your workflow and stay consistent. Then, dive into paid advertising essentials—like boosting posts and running targeted campaigns—while also exploring organic growth strategies such as hashtags, collaborations, and other growth hacking techniques. Whether you’re managing accounts for a business or building your personal brand, this session will equip you with actionable strategies to save time, improve results, and grow your impact.
Meet the Presenter: Andi Markee
Andi Markee is the dynamic co-owner and Media Director of Media Advantage, a leading full-service advertising agency headquartered in San Angelo, Texas. Renowned for its innovative campaigns, Media Advantage boasts a roster of prestigious national clients who trust Andi’s expertise implicitly. Andi’s journey to prominence began in the realm of live events, where she orchestrated over 40 highly successful gatherings across San Angelo, Abilene, Midland, and Odessa generating millions of dollars. These events not only fostered enjoyment but also generated substantial revenue, a testament to Andi’s strategic acumen and creative flair.
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Rapidly ascending the ranks, Andi assumed the role of Market President and Chief Revenue Officer at Townsquare Media San Angelo, earning the distinction of being the youngest female to attain such a position within the third-largest media company in the nation. Seeking new challenges, Andi transitioned to a pivotal role at TimeClock Plus (TCP Software), a national tech organization, where she spearheaded strategic marketing initiatives and forged lucrative partnerships to elevate the brand’s visibility and impact.
Recognized for her outstanding contributions to the small business community, Andi was named 2025 Small Business Champion of the year by the ASU Small Business Development Center. She is also a distinguished member of the 20 Under 40 class of 2018, a graduate of the esteemed Leadership San Angelo program in 2020, and Honorary Commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base 3rd Cohort 2025.
Currently, she serves as President of the Board of Directors for Downtown San Angelo, Inc., Downtown Development Coalition, the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors, and the Economic Development Advisory Committee further cementing her commitment to the community’s growth and prosperity.She enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with her friends and Husband in her spare time.
NOVEMBER 21, 2025
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About This Session
Let’s be real - you don’t have to say yes to everyone who flashes a dollar....or 5. The wrong clients drain your energy, trash your reputation, and bounce before you’ve even had coffee. I’ll show you how to cut the churn, keep the keepers, and turn your sales process into a bottom-line amplifier. Only green flags moving forward for your business.
Meet the Presenter: Jessica Allen
Jessica Allen is a sales strategist and founder of #90DaysToSlay with over 20 years of experience transforming chaos into profit through authentic, relationship-based sales approaches. She's helped clients achieve remarkable results, including securing an 80K MRR deal with T-Mobile and creating onboarding experiences that generated $10K within a year with over 90% close rates. Known for her unconventional methods and "anti-cringe" philosophy, Jessica specializes in building trust-based sales strategies that prioritize genuine connections over transactional tactics. Her diverse background spans operations, startup founding (including raising $500K in 3 months), and leadership roles across multiple industries, making her a resourceful problem-solver who thrives in chaotic environments.
Texas State University SBDC is a proud member of the Texas South-West SBDC Network, which is funded in part through the State of Texas and a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is hosted by the University of Texas at San Antonio and accredited nationally by America’s SBDC. The Small Business Development Center services are provided to all U.S. citizens and legal residents in accordance with Federal funding requirements. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.