Small businesses in Bexar County added jobs after the pandemic. Launch SA, a city-backed effort to support small businesses, is working to stimulate that growth.
The most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that jobs created by small businesses in Bexar County reached a 40-year high in 2022.
Launch SA director Matthew Espinoza sat down with guest host Cory Ames on July 18 for the bigcitysmalltown podcast to talk about the small business scene in San Antonio and the organization’s efforts to support its growth.
Espinoza sprang into the business world after getting a degree in entrepreneurship from University of Texas at San Antonio and interning with Launch SA almost 10 years ago. He took the director position after Launch SA relaunched with a new contract from local business incubator Geekdom.
On the podcast, he said the support and attention he received when he was starting out built his idea of what Launch SA should be now: a one-stop shop for small business owners.
Whether more established small businesses are overcoming a particular challenge or a new business owner is just starting out, Espinoza said Launch SA provides a combination of one-on-one assistance and network of experts.
“Since Launch SA’s inception, the goal was to be a one-stop-shop and that means providing people with whatever route they’re looking for,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza said Launch SA was aiming to become a hub for the small business ecosystem. Whether that was connecting small business owners to ideas or funding, the goal is to have answers for the difficult problems small businesses may face.
Small business owners can face multilayered challenges, Espinoza said. It can be a hard job, especially when addressing problems outside a person’s area of expertise.
“Oftentimes, there’s not one specific piece of the business, there’s a couple things you have to address and sometimes that can get overwhelming,” Espinoza said.
Launch SA works with people to break down those problems into manageable parts. Then, Espinoza added, business owners can use Launch SA to connect with other resources.
People are welcome to attend weekly talks and events where banks, investors, business development organizations and other small business owners present their ideas and needs.
Those events have been lauded by attendees and provide a way for people to get in the door and start to learn from each other. It’s been a key feature of Launch SA’s relaunch and the organization’s efforts to reach business owners after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small business owners up-level each other,” Espinoza said, encouraging collaboration.
The interview also touched on the state of small businesses. Ames asked about the effects of construction and what Espinoza was hearing from small business owners.
Espinoza said many entrepreneurs are interested in getting more investment to grow or start their businesses. Technology and artificial intelligence, and how to use them, are also coming into play.
“That’s a current theme more with AI technology, how small businesses are interacting with technology. There always seems to be that next thing that shakes or makes small business owners have to adapt,” Espinoza said.
He added that Launch SA tries to use feedback and observations from its work to build new programs and create new solutions for small businesses.
“What we’re doing is understanding the trends and themes of why people are reaching out to us right now,” Espinoza said. “From there, is there an opportunity to create a program or service or share that program with the city.”
Right now, he added, Launch SA is building cohort-based programs, where business owners can join a class of their peers and work toward starting or growing their businesses.
Ames and Espinoza touched on consumers’ role in the economy and the importance of buying local.
“Obviously it’s heard a ton, but support local, support small businesses,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza encouraged interested community members to reach out online or come in and ask questions in person.
“I always encourage people, come to the Central Library,” he said. “Come by for an event, come in for a walk-in, we’re happy to chat with you.”
