welcome to comunidad del valle. we hope you're enjoying your halloween and weekend. celebrating the hispanic businessman for the year in california is in our studios. he owns a business over in the east bay. this is your comunidad del valle.

we begin this morning on comunidad del valle with the executive vice president of the western market retail bank. she's in our studio to talk to us about obtaining those loans and get your small business started, jump-started. welcome to the show. >> thank you very much. you speak from experience because you are a former small business owner yourself. >> absolutely. >> tell us about that. >> i started my first business when i was 19 years old. it was an engineering and manufacturing company. in fact, if you go to kaiser permanente, that was my claim to fame, my first company. i had another company later that was -- we did manufacturing in high-end furniture products. then later on bought a couple of tire franchises which i sold subsequently. so absolutely. >> you're an immigrant from columbia. there are are those who would say -- [ speaking spanish ] i'm going to keep doing it.

what was it about your upbringing that said i'm going to make it here. >> when kay to this country, i came inspired by my mother, who brought three of my brothers and i. [ speaking spanish ] whatever you want to do you can absolutely do in your life. she had a lot of faith in god as all of us do. really the education was something that i really focused on. education is a differentiator. when you get educated you understand what needs to happen. can you forge forward and help others come along the way as well. >> a lot of people are at a crossroads. they have either been laid off or in a career transition. maybe opening up your own business might be the way to go. you're here to tell us there are loans to apply for to get that jump-started. >> absolutely. there are loans out there. the economy is not doing very well. but the small business owners, what's happening is a lot of people are going to start their own business. they maybe have a good idea.

they are going out to start a small business. the banks can really help them and help educate individuals to start in the right way. >> first a business plan and the small business administration would have all that information for you. google the small business administration. but there are five cs you want to go over with us. we do have those listed here on the program. go over them for us individually. we'll start with character. >> absolutely. the bank are is going to look at your character. the first thing about character, you really want to take a look at the applicant's honesty and how they fill out the application. when you're filling out an application for a loan, you want to make sure you fill in all the blanks. if you leave something open they are going onwonder why did you leave it open. the lenders will review your

background, how much experience you have, also the experience of the key individuals who are managers for your business. the second c is capitalization. what that is, we need to take a look at capital equity and equity structure of your business. what does your balance sheet look like? how much initial investment you made into the company. that tells us you're putting your heart and soul into the company. if you're investing in your company, it helps us, the bankers, also invest with you. then the process of the company. >> we'll have to speed through the last few there. >> cash flow is the next one. we take a look at the last three to five years of the business. we'll take a look at how much cash the company has and how the cash comes in and out. the fourth c is conditions. these are things that you may or may not have access to or control over like the external

conditions. how has the economic environment affected your business? is your business growing? is your industry growing or is it shrinking? what are you doing different in your business that helps you grow your business. the last c is collateral. we take a look at what is it we would be able to look at if you are unable to repay your debt. it depends on the banks. some banks will take accounts receivable less collateral, some banks will take real estate as collateral. some banks will take stocks and bonds and even cash, how much cash you have. the most appropriate collateral is whatever asset is being financed. >> this is what you would look at as comerica bank. >> that is what a lender would look at and comerica bank. >> go ahead and give us your sales pitch for comerica. >> comerica that ha been in existence since 1849, around a long time. we're a business bank. we're a benefiting that really understands business.

just like i know business because i have owned several businesses, the types of people we hire at comerica bank are people that really understand business. at comerica bank we truly care. you can go into any banking center and the people will really care about you and your business. we are big enough that we can grow with your business. we're here to be your trusted adviser. >> all right. any more information you can like, obtain from the website, comerica.com. do logon to the small business administration website and we'll be happy to help you out as far as preparing your business fund. thank you so much for helping our viewers. >> thank you so much. >> next on comunidad del valle. . and that's reckless and dangerous. she's for risky new oil drilling that could threaten our jobs. fiorina's plan would mean slashing social security and medicare, which would devastate seniors. and she'd make abortion a crime. no wonder fiorina is endorsed by sarah palin. carly fiorina. just too extreme for california.

[ boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. stephen is a general director and this one of the students and dancers from the dance team. thank you for coming on the show.

tell us about your group. you guys are going to be busy the next couple of months. >> well, first off, thank you for having us. we were founded a year ago by myself and another who i believe you know. we've grown as a children and adult dancing company. gabriella has been dancing with me for over a year. tight a lot of time and effort and investment, but it's proving to do really well. we just got back from a trip to hawaii where we took the whole company. we've been busy. >> i did download a clip from youtube on one of your performances over in berkeley. what is it about this traditional dance that made you say this is what you want to do? >> well, i was raised by a

mexican parents and they took me to mexico every year until i had to start school and other responsibilities frchlt there on i just really loved my culture. one day i just received a flyer from my parents. it's something i always wanted to do. you know, sometimes you don't go look for something. for some reason this flyer and to me and i called my instructor now, stephen, and i told him when can i come in, i'm ready to start. >> that was your calling. >> it was. he brung me in. i felt very welcome. i've been doing it now for about a year and a half and i enjoy it. it's fun. >> plus you build your calf muscle muscles, don't you? >> i think a little bit. >> is it a ballet?

>> we have a lot of ballet techniques. our session, our practices we begin with stretching and we have a lot of ballet. we want to point our toes, we do the spins. we do a lot of that. so it incorporates it a little bit. >> you had an answer to that. >> actually we are very much a ballet folkloreco. i'm really proud of her for knowing. we use a lot of ballet technique in the warm-up. we bring in a professional dance instructor to teach our advanced dance company once a week so that we can truly be trained. i can only show them so much ballet, which is why it's very, very important to have a professional dance instructor that is an expert in something other than folklore to help us

elevate our dance company. >> i interviewed a man, kind of like the god of ballet folkloreico. are you trying to keep the mexican traditions alive and well in the bay area but probably goes beyond that because it's art, technique, all the above. >> it's absolute manifested itself into a true art form. i think at one time folklore was exactly what we're doing now, social dancing. what happened was this music got time capsuled, what people were wearing got time capsuled, got turned into a production, a famous choreographer, who he danced before and started his company. >> do you have a lot of gigs coming up, over at the college of san mateo. >> weave we'll be doing a full two-hour production with our children's dance group and our adult dance company.

it will take you all over mexico, 150 costumes, dancers. it should be exciting. >> briefly you have an 84-year-old danner? >> our younger is three years old and our oldest dancer is 84. >> so when you have that -- [ speaking spanish ] >> if you want to get ahold of the folks here, any other thoughts? >> anyone interested in performances or learning to dance themselves, i would welcome them the same way we welcome gabby and everybody else. >> nice job. thank you for coming. up next comunidad del valle, hian bspusinessman of e year for california. [ male announcer ] with jerry brown, it's just one dishonest smear

after another. and another. just a dishonest politician, trying to hide his record of failure. the real brown plan? more spending on out-of-control state pensions. more favors for the big teachers union, blocking education reform. more job-killing taxes and regulations. more of the same old failure from sacramento. job killer jerry brown. always more taxes, more spending, and more lost jobs. the votes are in, california hispanic chamber of commercial voted the businessman of the year.

he's right here in our studio. jesus vargas own a company right here. tell us about your company. >> we're construction managers, program managers and we do community relations, public agencies for cities, county, state and private sector. >> i mentioned off cam remarks i don't like being the dumbest guy on the show, but it's happening a day. it's been happening a lot. we should call a spayed a spayed. you also came as an immigrant, landed in chicago and you were in gang-in fessed neighborhoods. >> yes. >> when did you get out? >> from the age of five trying to avoid the gangs was critical. my dad said, we've got to keep studying, got to avoid the gangs. he did everything. he moved us out of those neighborhoods slowly as he could year by year and tried to continue with education, put the blinders on. as i tell my children, just study, study, and the opportunities will come.

>> what does it take to be the businessman of the year and what an honor. >> well, thank you. in it takes a little bit of giving back to the business community. what we have done, we've actually started helping other small companies, newcomers and also getting involved with public agencies in public policy advocating for the small businesses. we actually go and testify in front of the state government suggesting and county governments that they keep minority business goals. actually had to do that a couple of days ago. >> here is where some people might see this is somewhat miraculous. here you are trying to help make your own business survive. it's been a struggle for everybody. you're still helping others. tell about the struggle you went through over the last couple of years and why it was you decided we need to help others. >> the last few years, as it has been tough for many firms, we

actually needed to hunker down -- i needed that term defined a few months ago. what does hunker down mean? i'm mexican, i don't know what that means. it's belt tightening. i've been doing that since i was born. focus on the positive, not get down with the negative and look for opportunities in new places. also focus our attention on the great clients to retain them. those were elements that took us through the time times inch '09. >> for those that might be going through those now, how do you focus on the positive when there's so much negative. >> one needs to look at diamonds in the rough. for us, one positive moment within the day and let that become the day. rather than let all the other elements bring us down. a lot of the support from the family, my wife, was also here. that actually was critical.

family support, friend support, that gets us through a lot of the tough times. >> it's been successful for seven years and more to come. >> more to come. we're now looking to expand. i continue to look back and mentor small companies. >> what does your crystal ball tell you about small businesses and where we might be. >> we are getting out of it. the state is getting out of it different stages for different parts. we're looking at seeing where we could expand faster, possibilities of moving to southern california and expanding an office there is an option we're looking at. the crystal ball says where is the construction? for us we follow construction and planning and design. the crystal ball says there's a lot of pent up demand for construction and high-speed rail, utilities. our utilities are very old. there's a lot of positive coming. >> why -- again, you sit on various boards. you're helping other businesses.

why do that? why not focus on yours. the family, take care of the family. everybody appreciates you doing, why are you doing it? >> this may be a secret i'm letting out. it actually gets you in circles of decisionmakers. the people you've interviewed here over the last months you get to rub shoulders with decisionmakers and actually make a change for the better by being involved. >> what does it feel like right there knowing, one, you're successful, your company is doing well and you're taking care of your family. two, you're helping others reach the goals you have. >> feels like dancing. >> ballet? >> samba. >> well, the california hispanic chamber of commerce made that vote. as you can tell by our guest here it was a well deserved vote. logon to to the california chamber of commercial right here in california. any final thoughts as we wrap it

up? >> we need to continue to help the youth. my youngest is nine. i always think she needs to get better and get more involved in school. i think she's doing great. we need to continue to support the youth and latinos and we'll prosper. >> from the east bay, ladies and gentlemen, the california hispanic businessman of the year. congratulations. up next on comunidad del valle, mystique. stay with us. us

now here is what's happening in your comunidad. ♪

we're celebrating a special day.

remember to always pick up a copy of the newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies across the bay area. we thank you once again for joining us on your sunday. we will be back with you again next week. we leave you now with the sounds of mystique. ♪

♪

♪

♪ ♪