Mario Jaramillo knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. As owner of The Robot Agency, Inc., a creative firm based in Houston, he offers graphic design and brand strategy services to education, nonprofit, entertainment and tech clients. But it took focusing on himself — by taking free courses available to entrepreneurs through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready — for Jaramillo to realize the impact that Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification could have on his business and his community. Jaramillo was raised in Denver Harbor, a primarily Latino neighborhood of Houston, and returned to build his life there after college. He is determined to give back to his community. “Whatever I do, I’m going to make my neighborhood better,” Jaramillo says. Through the Getting Certified: Paths for Minority/Women-Owned Businesses course and an accompanying Ask the Expert live event on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Jaramillo was inspired to seek MBE certification, which he has succeeded in doing. Jaramillo also received a $10,000 Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant — funding which he partially used on legal services for the MBE certification process. “I just got word that I was approved to be a minority business enterprise for the city of Houston,” Jaramillo says. That certification, he says, helps level the playing field. Access to well-paying contracts will help his business to build skills and capacity, accumulate wealth to reinvest in the community, and create job opportunities, among other direct impacts Jaramillo anticipates. But there are also indirect effects to having a flourishing Latino-owned business in the neighborhood. “You can serve as a role model and inspiration for other creatives from minority backgrounds, demonstrating that success is attainable regardless of one’s starting point,” Jaramillo explains. Seeing Latino-owned businesses secure contracts, thanks to MBE certification, “can encourage more individuals to pursue business ventures, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment,” he adds. The free online courses from Digital Ready also helped Jaramillo learn to effectively track his expenses and save hundreds of dollars a year on unnecessary costs. “I was spending money I didn’t need to,” Jaramillo explains. “I was overpaying on hosting plans, domain names I wasn't using anymore. They were sitting there idle for years.” By reducing expenses, increasing revenue and securing his MBE certification, Jaramillo plans to directly invest back in his local community and keep growing his business. “I believe that our gifts are not ours to keep. They’re for us to share with the world,” he says. “I feel like now I’m more equipped and a better version of myself to go on to the next chapter in entrepreneurship.” Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.

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