Interview no. 1495

Yolanda recalls having a wonderful childhood being raised by her mother. While in high school Yolanda joined Vocational Office Education at Jefferson High school. This program helped Yolanda learn basic bookkeeping and accounting as well as provide opportunities for a job while in high school. Yolanda took advantage of the program and learned as much as she could. Yolanda also worked for the Veterans Affairs as an administrative assistant for the pharmacists. Yolanda would go on to work for Petro Shopping Centers, Jack Cardwell, Media Copy and Texas Gas Services in the accounting and bookkeeping aspects of those businesses. Yolanda worked for Texas Gas Services for seven years before leaving to concentrate on a small business she started up. Mirador is 8A certified, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certified, women-owned and minority-owned certified. Yolanda is active in the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Yolanda also works with her brother Joe Diaz who is the owner of MiraTech in El Paso Texas. Mirador and MiraTech often join forces to do team work in the city of El Paso. Yolanda acknowledges that her brother Joe has been a very good mentor. The advice Yolanda would offer entrepreneurs is to know that being a small business owner is not for everyone and to find someone else in the business to mentor you. In addition, Yolanda advices for people to work hard and diversify the business so if opportunities in one area dry up, your business has the ability to work in another area. Also, proper cash flow and making sure that you hire people who will help the business succeed, but it is also very important to take care of those employees