Decoding Business with BBB

Trinity Lace Wigs is a 2020 BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics WINNER in the 1-10 Employee Category!

Stephanie Anderson calls her salon her "ministry". Stephanie creates custom wigs for men and women who find themselves vulnerable to hair loss through cancer, alopecia or other conditions. Her business teaches us how to create a true bond between client and provider. 

Stephanie also explains her special assistance to the U.S. Military, advice for female, minority startups and her unique way of giving back. 

We are proud to offer our two-part interview with longstanding BBB Accredited member, Generations FCU. Businesses have heard all about PPP loans but what exactly are the benefits of applying- and what exactly is needed? Mark Johnston, VP of Commercial Services will break down the process, including loan forgiveness.

And what else can consumers and businesses do to steer clear of financial fraud and ID Theft? Jessica Hernandez, VP of Operation has some practical solutions to help listeners become bulletproof when it comes to scams. 

How many people can say they have worked at an organization for 50 years? Dean Taylor, our current Community Engagement manager has held every title from assistant to President of BBB San Antonio at one time. Dean, who followed her late husband Leo into our organization, explains why businesses more than ever need a trusted voice like BBB. This year, Dean will sign off on 50 years of South Texas memories, businesses served, consumers helped and plenty of vivacious stories from Better Business Bureau in this engaging episode! 

Chances are you used a payments processing service twice this week and didn't realize it. When much of the world turned to online sales and e-commerce to shop securely, many businesses turned to payment processors like United Solutions of Laredo, Texas. Our guest Luis Gutierrez talks about starting out early in the payments processing industry and how he capitalized on the emerging digital industry.

What's more important than a comfortable night's sleep? Not much! Since 1920, San Antonio-based Cantwell Mattress focused on superb cotton, expert craftsmanship and an entrepreneurial spirit. 

We sit down with Curtis Cantwell, a fourth-generation business operator who gives the remarkable story of Cantwell Mattress with roots in Corpus Christi, Sugar Land, Brady, Harlingen and finally San Antonio. If your business goal is as personal as a good night's sleep, you'll enjoy how they have kept Texans dreaming!

Great customer service is the hallmark of any small business. For West Texas-based LK Specialties and owner Lance Wolfe, it's everything. From startup to today, Lance has faced tough oilfield competition head-on, coupled with COVID-19 and delivered his roll-off disposal containers with everything the big operators didn't.

We break down what exactly drives LK Specialties and how we found the opportunity for his business.

LK Specialties LLC
(432) 853-0549

Most of us spend little to no time looking at the one thing protecting our heads: Our Roofs! We had a chance to dissect the family business of CEN-TEX ROOF SYSTEMS in Waco, Texas and uncover the driving factors for a trustworthy roofer.

Our guest is Tony Lenoir, President of Cen-Tex Roof Systems who took on his own personal battle with COVID-19 and continues super-serving his community through hard lessons learned. Plenty of great, digestible material if you are in the roofing industry! 

We are taking a few minutes from our normal dialogue to put the spotlight on our most reported scam to BBB: Pet Scams. These scams have not only re-emerged due to COVID-19 but now in the Holiday season, they have exploded five-fold. 

It starts innocently with an online search for a breed or pet you like. But you might be enticed by a struggling pet owner or a breeder with a lovely picture who needs to sell their pet. 80% of sponsored pet ads may be fake! In this episode, we will give red flags and tips to help consumers avoid the infamous pet scammer.

COVID has no doubt transformed the way we consume and patronize restaurants. One company based in San Antonio literally found their special niche in helping businesses take their products "on the road". Cruising Kitchens, the brainchild of CEO Cameron Davies, takes a concept and custom-fabricates a mobile food truck experience, in hopes of energizing sales and respecting the social distance aspect of safety.

In this episode, we speak with newly named COO Marcos Resendez on how they operate their business model and help well-respected brands create a mobile experience from concept to end user.

Cruising Kitchens is also a reality TV show with new episodes features Thursdays at 5:30pm CST on MotorTrend TV. Just renewed for a second season, Cruising Kitchens is more than a simple build and reveal show and weaves in BBB-aligned values such as Honesty, Trust and Ethics.

2020 was shaping up to be a big year for the box office and the movie industry. When COVID hit, local theaters which depended on big releases were left with nothing to show, literally. We sat down with Tim Handren, CEO of San Antonio-based Santikos movie theaters to get his take on how tough the pandemic is treating movie theaters and what they are doing to stop the bleeding. 

In this series of Decoding Business, Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving the Heart of Texas explores each industries' highlights and challenges, as it applies to small business with a Texas angle.

Santikos
https://www.santikos.com
thandren@santikos.com

Many businesses and consumers are asking more of their janitorial partners, including disinfecting and sanitizing for Coronavirus. Many small businesses were prepared and deployed COVID-specific cleaning services. From new technology to EPA-approved products, many businesses like our guest Texas Cleaning Pros adapted and are thriving.  In this space, there is also the threat of unscrupulous bad actors taking advantage of the situation and cleaning on the surface, but not to a COVID-killing degree. 

In this series of Decoding Business, Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving the Heart of Texas explores each industries' highlights and challenges, as it applies to small business with a Texas angle.

Texas Cleaning Pros
https://www.texascleaningpros.com
(210) 394-9523 

Faced with declining on-premise sales and constant re-openings/closures, the craft brewing industry and its many small operators are witnesses to a tough battle during the pandemic. We talk with Bill Sisoian, President of FreeTail Brewing in San Antonio, Texas. Bill explains what his team is doing to keep the taps flowing, and how other craft beer makers can pivot. 

In this series of Decoding Business, Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving the Heart of Texas explores each industries' highlights and challenges, as it applies to small business with a Texas angle. 

In this episode, we sit down with April Ancira, VP of Ancira Enterprises, a chain of auto dealerships in San Antonio and South Texas. As the nation moved through the pandemic, factory shutdowns trickled down to inventory shortages and empty showrooms. Ancira, along with other dealers, navigated through tough summer months with some strategic moves.

In addition, April is candid about what car buyers like and dislike about the purchase experience and service beyond the sale. Learn how this dealer positions itself with employee buy-in, relationship building and a spirit of generosity.

It's called a Party with a Purpose: Fiesta time in San Antonio equals mega fundraisers, major donations and of course plenty of celebrating the history of San Antonio. We sit down with the 2020 Riverwalk Queen Michelle Bononcini to illustrate the spirit of Fiesta and how her role to promote and protect the river play a major part.

Michelle is also a Business Development Representative here at Better Business Bureau; no doubt we will get her take on how she helps businesses promote their goods/services through BBB. This is a fun interview!

We sit down with Cesar Amezcua of CA&CO, a broker/realtor who explains the pulse of San Antonio real estate and how scammers find opportunities in the buying process. 

We also unveil several tactics for business owners to gleam from realtors on how to scale businesses using their best practices. 

In many sectors of the country, the moving industry is down 12 to 19% and BBB records over 13,000 complaints yearly on moving companies. We sit down with Wade Lombard of Austin, Texas based Square Cow MOOvers to get his take on the things they are doing to succeed.

From starting the company in 2008 amidst the recession and mortgage crisis to today with COVID-19, Wade is quick to share how they have grown and why TRUST remains a pillar in their operation. 

We go one-on-one with our fearless leader here at BBB as she reveals the latest movements during COVID-19 related to business recovery. She also discusses the importance of employees taking this time for themselves - especially education. And, we'll get her take on what business can do to strengthen their Fall outlook. 

What are the most heinous ways con artists take advantage of consumers during this pandemic? The answers might surprise you as we reveal the top 5 scams related to COVID-19 reported to BBB Scam Tracker. We will pull in our data analyst and give you tips to steer clear and stay safe!

How are you adapting to the new business 'climate'; especially in the Services Industry (and especially in record heat)? We chat with Chase Anderson of Shafer Services Plus in San Antonio to learn about their innovative giveback campaign designed to keep their business top of mind. We'll also find out his advice for struggling business operators who manage multiple employees. 

As millions turn to search engines or start the interview process in the wake of COVID-19 job losses, con artists are busier than ever. They are setting up fake job postings, gaining personal information and/or creating a headache at your most vulnerable time.

We will dissect the employment scam, how to spot a fake job offer and tips to avoid falling into a job scam. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have been left to decide if keeping the family legacy is still possible. Everyday, fewer businesses who navigated The Great Depression years are struggling to carry the family business, especially across multiple generations or product lines.  

We talk with Sam O'Krent, President/CEO of O'Krent Floors in San Antonio, Texas about what makes O'Krent's successful, especially during an economic downturn. The flooring business is booming amidst the onset of Coronavirus and we'll sit down to ask about the elements of trust, giving back to the community and finding a support network.