When you hear the word “leap,” you might picture someone jumping forward or rushing to action. But Graciela Meza, Alcides Aguasvivas, and the two brothers Jorge and Manuel Garcia used the word as an acronym for the organization they have formed.
The mission of Latino Entrepreneurship Association for Progress (LEAP) is to assist New Jersey Latino entrepreneurs in starting or expanding their own business by providing incorporation, marketing, and business operational services at no cost to the client.
“We sort of mostly start from word of mouth,” said Jorge, explaining how their group usually comes across entrepreneurs who need help. Sometimes “It’s a friend of a friend who says ‘I know someone who’s trying to start a business.’ ”
Three of the founding members are originally from West New York and one lives in North Bergen. They each bring their own special set of business skills and talents to the organization.
Jorge has a degree in economics from Rutgers University and currently works as an operations specialist at a major financial institution. Manuel’s specialty is finance, which he studied at Rutgers. Meza and Aguasvivas have experience in branding, marketing, graphic design, and entrepreneurship.
Learning from mistakes
The saying “to err is human” has a special meaning to the foursome. Part of their inspiration for starting LEAP came from witnessing their own mistakes and those of others.
“One of the reasons why we all decided to get together and do this is because all of our parents or friends have gone through the same difficulties,” said Manuel. “We thought we could make a difference in someone’s life or someone’s business.”
“It’s really not that difficult to start your own business. It’s just that people need to know the basics.” – Jorge Garcia
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Another time, they watched their father struggle with financing for another business idea.
“In witnessing that, it was our goal to help Latinos that are not experienced in starting their own business or that have never been to business school,” said Manuel.
Aguasvivas can also attest that a key component of any entrepreneurial effort is having finance knowledge. He took a break from college to start his own business. Now he is on his way to finishing his studies with a degree in fine arts while running his second venture. But he admits that not having a careful eye on spending during the initial phase of any start-up can have serious consequences.
His first business venture landed him $50,000 in debt.
“You can be making one million dollars, but if your finances aren’t straight, then eventually you’re going to go bankrupt,” said Aguasvivas. “Most businesses fail because [of lack] of a finance background.”
Aguasvivas has learned from his mistakes and now runs pixlonline.com, a website that showcases the two branches of his business: website registration and hosting, and graphic design.
Brand identity is the key
“It’s really not that difficult to start your own business. It’s just that people need to know the basics,” said Jorge. “Developing a business plan and understanding what it is that your business does to make money.”
LEAP’s first client was the Garcias’ father, Jorge, who now owns Two County Cleaners, a dry-cleaning business in Ridgefield. His business model caters to busy clients that prefer their garments picked up and delivered.
LEAP helped Two County establish a credit card merchant account and even found a way for the company to charge clients on the go, something that your local dry-cleaner may not do. As the name implies, Two County does business in both Hudson and Bergen counties.
Meza emphasized that it’s important to establish brand awareness, “something that is prominent, that people are going to remember your brand and differentiate your brand.”
Since helping Two County, the group has gone on to help five other clients with their entrepreneurial ventures.
LEAP’s requirements for someone who asks for their help is that they have a basic business concept, demonstrate commitment, and have an overall passion for entrepreneurship. For more information, visit their website at: www.leafp.org
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com