In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) would like to highlight a successful Latinx and VA-verified business. ALTA Quality Builders, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), is owned by Moises Montanez, an Army Veteran.
“ALTA stands for Americanos Latinos, Trascendiendo Alturas, which in English translates to Hispanic Americans transcending new heights.” There is power in a name; Montanez prides himself on conducting his business in a way that elevates not only his business but his Puerto Rican heritage.
Montanez acknowledges that starting a business is no easy feat. “Anybody can do business out of the back of the truck, but I wanted to do business the right way.” He spent countless hours studying restrictions, building codes, procedures, and obtaining the necessary certifications and education. He encourages other prospective business owners to learn about how businesses operate and research and select a firm that you would like to model your company after. “The first thing that I did was I envisioned my business 10 years down the road and how that business would look. Then I researched other businesses that were in a position where I wanted to be, and I noticed their infrastructure; this helped me lay out my own organizational chart.”
If you want to start a business but don’t know where to start, there are countless resources available. “There are a lot of free resources out there that help small businesses, but there are also piranhas out there that try to charge you for things that are free,” he warns.
Montanez recommended the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) as excellent resources, as well as VA’s OSDBU. “They can steer you to the resources that you need, especially as a Veteran business owner.”
When asked about ALTA’s legacy as a Hispanic Veteran-Owned business, Montanez states, “We always look forward. We have three core values in our business: integrity, commitment to my customers, and the quality of the work. When I think about my legacy, I would hope that my company would continue in these values.” He also encourages Hispanic Veteran entrepreneurs to “be proud of your heritage. Represent yourself well… it’s a flourishing and hard-working community.”
Are you a Veteran interested in starting your own business?
If you’re interested in becoming a verified Veteran-owned small business, VA OSDBU can help. There are a number of resources VA provides for Veteran entrepreneurs, including webinars, learning sessions and publications.
- VA Specific Resources (link: https://www.va.gov/osdbu/outreach/soc/resources-to-do-business-with-va.asp)
- Learning Sessions (link: https://www.va.gov/osdbu/outreach/soc/learning-sessions.asp )
- Other Federal Agency Resources (link: https://www.va.gov/osdbu/outreach/soc/resources-to-do-business-with-other-federal-agencies.asp)
Victoria Sedlak is a technical writer for VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) communications team.
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