Small Biz Insider

 Dallas Garrison is president and CEO of Garrison Construction Group.  Founded in 2013, the small business was recently named on the Inc. 500 list.

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Abbey Donnell is founder and CEO of Work and Mother, which provides private, dedicated spaces in office buildings for new moms who are breastfeeding.

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

How did two Houston entrepreneurs quickly change from making cold brew coffee to hand sanitizer?

Houston entrepreneurs Constantine Zotos and Mitchell Webber talk about launching Modern Chemical, which produces EPA-registered hand sanitizer and disinfectant products with B2B clients across the country.

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

We talk with Chris Williams, chef-owner of Lucille's, a locally-owned restaurant in Houston's Museum District co-founded in 2012 by Chris and his brother, Ben. The restaurant's name and cuisine is in honor of their great-grandmother, Lucille B. Smith. 

Key topics:

• Switching from a profitability to sustainability model 
• How COVID-19 prompted Lucille’s to launch its non-profit, Lucille’s 1913
• How Houston chefs are banding together through Lucille’s pop-up program to support for Houston's bar community during the pandemic
• What success looks like for Lucille’s in 2020

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are well-known for innovating, taking risks and bouncing back from crisis again and again. 2020, though, has been exceptional. Nearly every facet of the economy has been incredibly impacted in some way.

On this episode, we talk with Sara Brook, founder and CEO of Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe. The small business is a Houston staple that's been around for 25 years. 

Key topics:

• How small businesses are integral to Houston's broader economy
• The significant milestones to reach as a small business owner in the hospitality industry
• Advice on retaining employees
• Ways customers can give constructive feedback to small businesses and how it’s used

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

We've been exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Houston's small business community and the resources these business owners should leverage. And while the community at large has been impacted, a report from McKinsey & Company said the pandemic could disproportionately affect minority-owned small businesses.

On this episode of Small Biz Insider, we take a look at the challenges and resources for Houston's minority-owned small businesses. 

Our guests on this episode are:

• Justin Moore, founder of Holly Hall Supply Company, a local skincare business. Justin was also a member of the City of Houston Women and Minority-Owned Business Task Force
• Maya Durnovo, Chief Entrepreneurial Initiatives Officer, Houston Community College's Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives
• Jennifer Kellough Holmes, Director of HCC's Corporate College

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Houston-area colleges and universities graduate more than 100,000 students each year. With a a dual economic challenge stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the oil downturn, 2020 is an especially challenging year for Houston's newest entrepreneurs. 

Our guests on this episode are:

• Dr. Yolanda Norman, Assistant Director of the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering Career Center and founder and CEO of FirstGenCollege Consulting.
  
  
• Dr. Hesam Panahi, Interim Executive Director of the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He's also a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Jones Graduate School of Business.

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

The City of Houston recently launched a program providing free legal advice to small businesses affected by COVID-19. The Houston Small Business Legal Consultations Program is led by the city's Office of Business Opportunity as well Vinson & Elkins, an international law firm headquartered here in Houston.

Our guests on this episode of Small Biz Insider are Ellyn Josef, Pro Bono Counsel for Vinson and Elkins, and attorney Anton Krayniy, also with V&E.

Small Biz Insider is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

June first marks the official start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, one that federal scientists predict to include frequent and powerful storms. It also poses a dual challenge for small businesses - preparing for an above-normal hurricane season while navigating a global pandemic. 

Our guest on this episode of Small Biz Insider is Mark Winchester, Deputy District Director with the Houston SBA office. 

This is a special episode of Small Biz Insider, a podcast from the Greater Houston Partnership.

While many Houston restaurants have been operating with just takeout and delivery for nearly two months, not all are reopening for dine-in customers at the same time. We spoke with two restaurant owners about their different plans.

On this episode, Alli Jarrett, owner of Harold's, a restaurant in the Heights, talks about her decision to reopen May 1.