Jorge Sosa, JD Transportation
Since moving to the US from his native Argentina Jorge Sosa held various types of jobs: furniture salesman, landscaping, delivery guy, sold cookies at a shopping mall, and warehouse worker. While doing a job search online after he was laid off from the furniture store, he noticed several postings looking for truck drivers, each one more enticing that the other. He didn’t have a commercial driver’s license but he knew where to get one, and after a 3 week course he had a commercial license at hand and his first job as truck driver. After a few years, driving for different companies where he drove the company’s trucks and accepting their sometimes inflexible schedules; the long working days and with most weekends spent on the road was starting to take its toll on him.
Talking to other fellow drivers who owned their own truck, he decided to get on a path to be a truck owner and open his own transportation business. To do this he reached out to a local organization that provides credit counseling who helped him start and grow a healthy credit record and start a savings account. Jose worked with them for over 2 years, patiently following the strategies they gave him and putting money aside for a truck. He was referred by them to ACE Women’s Business Center. Jorge Sosa came to the WBC in January of 2016. Searching for business guidance, and access to capital. He attended multiple 1-on-1 counseling sessions with the center’s Director. He had never done a business plan before and the process was a bit daunting. He was determined and after many reviews he finished it and with the center’s help he put together all the documents needed for the loan application.
While his application was in process, he enlisted to attend the QuickBooks Online Spanish workshop offered by the SBDC Office of Minority Business and ACE Women’s Business Center as part of a series for Hispanic Entrepreneurs. As he was graduating from the QuickBooks class his loan was approved, and within a few days he was the owner of a truck, and the CEO of JD Transportation. He made another appointment with the WBC this time to incorporate his new business as an LLC. Jorge Sosa is very satisfied with the way things are going for him. He is contracted to a company where he gets a steady paycheck and gets to spend home every night and most weekends. He hopes to repay his loan before the time set and get another loan to purchase another truck and manage another driver.
He has other ideas related to transportation that he is eager to share with the WBC staff. About the services he has used at the WBC he said “Women Business Center has been fundamental to my business. Not just their help and information, but their friendly approach made me feel secure in my venture. Starting a new business can be scary, is a risk that sometimes can be overwhelming, when you have someone listening to all the details, and they guide you, that motivates you. I have felt motivated since the first 1 on 1 counseling”. Jorge has a busy schedule but is trying to make time to use the resource he feels will help him grow his business. He has attended a 90-Second Pitch workshop to polish his business pitch and gain ore clients; and is hoping to be selected as a participant in a Pitch Competition event sponsored in part by the Women’s Business Center to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this coming September.