Resources: A Small Business Owner's Go-To Guide for Advice, Education & Networking
Welcome to another edition of Generation Si! 👋🏾👋🏼👋 So glad to have you with us.
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🌴 An entrepreneurial story from a Latino perspective
Today, I have a profile of a Latino who shows you how he became a small business owner, despite not having any money to start. Get to know Fernando Machado.
WHAT FASCINATED YOU AS A KID MAY LEAD YOU TO YOUR CALLING
“I never would’ve imagined that my career would’ve taken me this way. At all. Like zero.”
Except Fernando Machado gave his elementary school teachers a preview of what was to come.
Of course, now, it’s for good purposes.
When he was a kid, someone told young Fernando that the command prompt would shut down the computer.
So he thought, “It’ll just shut this computer down. And, at the time, it shut down ALL the computers in the library. And I was the only one left there with my computer on. And the teacher was like, you need to come with me.”
Fernando as a kid
Well, here he is today, not getting in trouble.
Machado is actually helping defense contractors not get into trouble.
He helps them with computer-related compliance requirements.
DETERMINATION & DIRECTION MAY BE WORTH MORE THAN DOLLARS WHEN YOU START
Machado started his business with determination, not dollars.
“I had nothing in my bank account.”
But he had skills and, as he puts it, was in the “right place at the right time.”
Fernando Machado, Managing Principal/Chief Information Security Officer
THE TIP JAR (tips provided courtesy of Fernando Machado)
STARTING OUT: “Try to figure out what your niche is going to be. Carve that out for yourself.”
“I highly recommend the Small Business Development Center because of how much information they give you, free of charge, to help with things like a capability statement.”
Note: A capability statement is, essentially a business resume. It tells potential customers the specific skills and services your business can offer them. Generally speaking, it is only one page.
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid-career): “You absolutely have to get your family’s support in this.”
“Make sure that you all talk about all the risks and rewards associated with that and, if you decide to move forward, go ahead and take that leap of faith.”
STARTING OVER: “If you don’t have enough time to go get a Bachelor’s degree in that field, then I’d recommend getting some certifications to help you understand. A lot of these certifications are self-studied.”
“Each of the certifications are geared toward various things. Some of them are focused on how to conduct an audit. Some of them are on how to be an information security manager. And, so, I figured, with these various certifications, you take a little bit of everything. And it helps round you out as a business professional.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: I asked Machado where you can go to get these certifications.
“There is an organization called CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) and they offer various certifications that go from beginner level all the way up to advanced.”
Basic: Machado recommends CompTIA A+ certification
Security of Information Systems: CompTIA Security + certification
BEST ADVICE FROM “LA CASA”/BEST “HOUSE” ADVICE: “My mom used to always tell me, ‘In this country, without education, you’re nobody.’ And, so, I took that to heart.”
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: “What I’ll never do again is go back to a regular day job. The reason why is, I would always hop from job to job, thinking that things were going to be different. But, as the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. And, so, I finally realized, it doesn’t matter how many jobs I switch. Even though I’m making more in salary, the same problems still remain, and I just wasn’t satisfied with that. I wanted to actually make a difference.”
Fernando as a college graduate
BECOME HYPER-AWARE OF NEW INDUSTRY TRENDS
Machado says, “The Small Business Development Center brought it to my attention about this new requirement that was coming down."
The more he read about it, the more he realized, “This is what I’ve been doing my entire life. I’ve been doing this already.”
Machado decided it was the right time to take a chance and open his business, Cybersec Investments.
FREE TECH RESOURCE: PTAC
When he started his business, he took the advice of Orlando PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center), which is affiliated with the SBDC (Small Business Development Center).
GET YOUR “BAIL” TOGETHER
“They helped me understand and set up what is called a BAIL team, which means I needed my banking. I needed my accountant. I needed my insurance provider and my legal team.”
ANOTHER RESOURCE FOR THOSE IN TECH: NDIA
Machado also says he benefited by joining the NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association).
“They host several events throughout the year, sometimes in person. Sometimes, they have webinars. And they have various chapters…”
JOINING A SUBGROUP MAY BE EVEN MORE USEFUL
He says he benefited even more by joining an NDIA-affilated organization, “Women in Defense.”
“I found that they actually have a lot more meetings than the NDIA does. So I try to attend those meetings.”
In the end, even though Fernando Machado never became a police officer, he did protect the peace serving as an Army Specialist. And he is still helping fight off the bad guys in his role helping defense contractors and, especially, law enforcement when they need to investigate a cyberattack.
Army Specialist Fernando Machado
“When they hire us… we would be kind of like their cyber detective.”
Machado tells them, “This is what happened. And then we give them all the information in order for them to make an informed decision on bringing appropriate charges.”
If only his elementary school librarian saw him now.
Fernando, the entrepreneur
INDUSTRY: Defense (Compliance)
BECAME CEO: April 2018
LATINO/HISPANIC CONNECTION: Both parents are Cuban
EDUCATION: University of Phoenix – Bachelor’s degree in Science in Information Technology (concentration in Information Security Systems)
DREAM JOB AS A KID: “When I was a kid the police were always in our neighborhood making sure that we were taken care of and we were kept safe… As a kid, I used to always watch the show, COPS. And, I’m like, ooh, I want to be that guy chasing down the bad guys.”
BIGGEST GOAL YET: “I’m 40 right now. I’d like to retire by the time I’m 50. So that is my goal. When I say retire, to be honest, I probably will retire from doing… the day to day stuff that I’m doing. But there’s just no way that – I don’t have it in me – to just sit around and do nothing. I’ll find something else to do.”
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Budgeting That Works
You know it’s important to budget at home. Learn to come up with a workable budget for your business through this FREE webinar. You’ll find out how to make it not only realistic, but how to evaluate it and then measure the results with the help of CPA Terry Bishop, who will lead the webinar.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
“Small Business Budgeting Made Easy”
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
1:00 p.m. EDT – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/small-business-budgeting-made-easy
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Inclusion in the Workplace
We all need to feel like we’re part of something. That feeling of belonging extends to the workplace. According to this SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) blog, Deloitte reports that 80% of employees who responded to their survey, believe inclusivity is important when selecting an employer. How do you do it? Check out this blog to learn how to foster a collaborative, inclusive environment at work.
https://www.score.org/blog/how-create-inclusive-workplace
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
Some of you may have been a little mischievous in your youth. Maybe you still are.
I’m always interested in what people thought their career path would be vs. what it actually turned out to be.
Sometimes, early signs of mischief are early signs of leadership. I’m certainly not condoning anything criminal or destructive to people or property.
But, in some cases, kids who got in trouble for speaking up learned to channel that, as adults, towards speaking up in business or for social causes.
Fernando Machado’s library shenanigans seemed to help characterize him as a jokester, a label he gave himself. I found it interesting because he came across as more of an introvert in our interview.
But the fact that he remembered the story and his fascination with computers back then helped him decide a career in computers was the way to go.
As mentioned, he attributes a lot of his success to being at “the right place at the right time.” But he clearly has a self-awareness that allowed him to recognize opportunities and seize on them.
Self awareness is a valuable tool to have in terms of guiding you in figuring out which path to take in your career.
Use those clues and attributes to your advantage. They could help you recognize when an opportunity fits with who you are and what fascinates you.
After all, finding things fascinating is what life is all about. Make the most of it!
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Fernando with his family