Page 7 - BusinessWest December 8, 2021

But that’s another story.
This one is about how Beaudry found the time — and the inclina- tion — during COVID to move ahead and make that dream, called Beau Co. Wine, reality.
The wines she imports can be found, among other places, at the Springfield Wine Exchange, a new storefront in Tower Square owned by Carlo Bonavita, who is part of this movement, if we can call it that, as well. He decided a few years ago to go back into business — the liquor-selling business — for himself and found some additional motivation during the pandemic (more on that later).
Beaudry and Bonavita are far from the only ones to use this crack in time to pause, re-evaluate, and perhaps fulfill an entrepreneurial urge, said Samalid Hogan, executive director
of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s Western Mass. office. But not for much longer, which we’ll get to in a minute.
She told BusinessWest that, as a result of a number of colliding fac-
tors — from people losing their jobs
to individuals losing interest in what they were doing, to remote workers not at all excited about orders to return to the office — there has been a surge in entrepreneurial energy.
“Toward the end of 2020, we started seeing many people who were either laid off or who had left their jobs, for whatever reason, who wanted to start their own businesses.”
“Toward the end of 2020, we started seeing many people who were either laid off or who had left their jobs, for whatever reason, who wanted to start their own businesses,” she explained. “And in 2021, we’re seeing a huge surge in people calling the office looking for help in starting a business. There were so many that we had to create another ‘Basics of Starting a Business’ class; we usually offer one a month, but we had to double up and increase the number of registrations from 30 people to 40 people.”
And now, she is part of this story, although she certainly doesn’t need the “Basics” course.
Indeed, she will be stepping down from her role with the MSBDC later this month to start her own consulting business.
She said that, like others during this time of COVID, she did a lot of thinking about what was important and what she wanted to do with her life. And she decided that now was the time to put
her own name in the door.
Actually, that name will be Greylock
Management Consulting, a nod to the highest mountain in the state, a ven- ture that will be focused on both exist- ing businesses and the agencies pro- viding services to startups, especially minority-owned ventures.
Hogan said she is launching this venture with both eyes open, and full acknowledgement of the fact that con- sulting is often a challenging way to earn a living and a significant depar- ture from a steady job with a steady paycheck. But it’s a gamble she’s ready to take.
Actually, she’s taking two gambles.
In addition to her own business, she has become chief operating officer for the Latino Marketing Agency, launched by Veronica Garcia, who also fits the profile of someone who found time and inspiration during the pandemic to move ahead with an entrepreneurial venture.
A television producer, soap-opera actress, and influencer in the Latino community, she worked for many years at New England Public Media, where she was the host of a popular and award-winning bilingual series named Presencia. In April of this year, when NEPM announced it could no longer produce the show, she left the
station to start to Viviendo Sin Limites (Living Without Limits), with the goal of having it become the go-to resource for mental health and emotional well-being for the Spanish-speaking population. She also started the Latino Marketing Agency, in conjunction with Hogan, to help Hispanic-owned busi- nesses with that critical aspect of their operations.
“I now have the privilege to know many entrepreneurs in this region, and I’ve found that marketing is one of the areas where they need assistance, especially Latino businesses,” she said, adding that, like Hogan, she is confi- dent that her change of course career-
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DECEMBER 8, 2021 7
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