Communitas America

By Floritza Gomez

Two years in the making.

I wish someone would have told me how hard it would be.

I wish someone would have told me that the system is designed for me to fail. 

I wish someone would have told me I would wake up some days wanting to give up. 

Two years in the making, and I wouldn't change a thing. 

Two years ago, the universe told this first-generation Dominican American from the Bronx that she would start a business.  I won't lie and say I didn't grow up with business exposure.  My mother supported our family selling Avon while my dad went to college to get his law degree.  If I took away anything from my mother's hustle, it was that you’ll get many doors shut in your face before someone opened one for you, but you must keep going.  My mother always kept going.  I remember our small Bronx apartment filled with boxes and orders, tons of magazines and notebooks filled from front to back.  Delivery days were the worst.  My sister and I would have to help her distribute all her orders in a shopping cart.

Her business went so well that we would often need to make multiple trips.  My mother had a hustle.  It took a while for me to understand as a young girl what made my mother so efficient.

She has always been the calmest, quietest lady I've known. She’s introverted and not aggressive at all.   It never made sense to me, especially since most sales courses advise people to be extroverted, energetic, and bold. My mother was none of that - what she was, was consistent. Years later, I learned what made her such an amazing saleswoman: she needed to make an impact. She was responsible for impacting the lives of her family, and that made her soar.  

As I’ve navigated my business journey, it’s had its fair share of frustrating moments. No one reminds you that money doesn’t grow on trees. Although your ideas are unique and your dreams are worth achieving, it means nothing if you don’t have the means to do so. It means nothing if you are not consistent and show up.  Often people ask me why it has taken me so long; I sigh, turn their way, to ensure that I am looking them in the eyes, and share a few things:

You need capital – to start a successful business, you need capital, consistent capital. There are a few occasions where you can invest a small amount of money, hit the ground running, and flip your capital into profit, growing after that. This all depends on what type of business you are starting since some require larger start-up costs than others. 

1.     Set aside a weekly “Business Allowance” from your earned income. It doesn’t matter how small your contributions are; with time; they will grow. Give yourself a time frame and a start-up amount. I love to encourage people to sign up for apps like digit, which take out a small unnoticeable portion of your bank funds daily or every other day. 

They took the old school loose change bucket and made it digital. You can set goals in the app, including the amount you wish to save, and let them do the rest. Your money is safe, and in no time, you find that your loose change has turned into capital.   

2.     Search for free money: donations, grants, funds, contests. Search and apply for all that fit under your business umbrella.  Free money is the best money.

I always encourage people to go with options one and two. This takes me back to why it has taken me so long. Investing in my brand from earned income is a slow but steady process. Applying for grants is a slow but steady process; both forms of capital are safe because the money does not have to be returned, so you will have minimal liability if you fail. The goal of starting a business is not to dig yourself deep into a whole you will not be able to dig yourself out of.  

3.     Create a pitch and find an investor.  You can either (a.) find an investor that wants to give money towards your business as a donation with no part ownership or (b.) find someone who is equally passionate about your mission and vision and is willing to invest on your brand with the expectation of a return. Remember business partnerships are tricky. It is important that if you’re going this route, you make sure you file all the proper legal documents necessary to secure your interests and assets.

4.     If you have a Business Plan, you can apply for a small business loan. Ensure you lay out all your costs, including incidentals, and present your idea to a reputable bank. Keep in mind that the money has to be paid back with interest so although it is an option, it is not the safest.  

Business Planning: Aquiring capital is essential, and so is creating a business plan. In the words of my mother, you can’t put the cart before the horse. Business planning allows you to flesh out business concepts, customer segments, purpose, and overall goals. It also allows you to layout how long it will take you to do all these things and how much capital you will need. As much as people love just to get up and go, starting a business without a structured business plan will make it harder to reach long-term success. I always like to remind myself that I am not looking to pay the light bill, but to own the energy source. Thinking big requires you to take your time and thoughtfully curate your business strategy.

Building a solid team is something I cannot stress enough. I wish I knew this early on; it would have probably saved me the money I spent on my first website. I didn’t properly vet the developer and went with the “I want to help up-and-coming artists like me” mentality. I paid money to someone who was not fit for the job. I am all about helping other small business owners and creatives. That is how we build a solid ecosystem. It is still imperative that even while supporting small businesses, you vet them for their talents and expertise especially if you don’t have capital to waste. For example, unlike many people, I have focused on making sure that I launch my brand once I have a solid marketing strategy and all my legal items aligned. During that time, I have created a demand on social media, letting people know what I’m doing and creating an eagerness for my launch; people waiting for me at the door once I release my product.  I started with a trademark attorney, which I vetted online and had amazing reviews. My sister, who has an eye for talent, recommended a website copywriter friend who helped me create a fantastic mission and vision statement.  In conversation, she connected me to a web developer she knows who has worked in media, TV, and entertainment for over a decade. The web developer then connected me with a fantastic photographer to do my assets, who then recommended an excellent videographer. All of these people now make up my team. I take my time to ensure that my delivery is of excellent quality because I’ve learned consumers invest in you as much as you do. 

Tap into your community.  I was fortunate enough to find out about Communitas Ventures on a News12 commercial.  I was a part of not one, but two cohorts.  The first time I showed up and thought I was ready. I felt so certain that people would be wowed by my ideas. When asked to pitch in 60 seconds, I was quickly humbled. Communitas Ventures was a resource right in my community that helped me perfect my purpose, my mission, my pitch and my What.  I was able to identify my problem and, by the end, explain my solution with ease.  There is nothing more valuable than having the support of your community, reminding you that you can achieve all that is meant for you.

Take your time, this is not a race.  It is important to get out there.  It is important to make sure you don’t loose your customer base. But it is even more important to do it right.  I stand by that.  I know people want to invest as little as possible and test the waters, but I rather know I failed with a quality product and launch than fail because I tried to cut corners. 

Knock on doors.  Like my mom, many will close them in your face, but those that open them are worth so much more.

Floritza Gomez is the founder of Flor's Flavor. Click here to learn more.