Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maribel Martinez, Founder of Maribel Martinez Consulting, LLC., located in Miami, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Maribel Martinez Consulting is a minority woman-owned small business with over 25 years of blended experience in K-12 education, professional development, technology integration, nonprofit management, business development, and digital inclusion. We connect people to digital spaces through digital equity planning and implementation, educational professional development and tech integration, and digital skills curricula and training. Our clients include nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and the private sector.

Tell us about yourself

Entrepreneurship is my third career, behind education and nonprofit management. Throughout my education career, most of my students came from asset-limited households. When the internet began playing a more important role in curricula and instruction, the common response from administrators then was to tell a student without internet access to come to school early or stay late to finish their assignments. Fast-forward two decades, and we are finally coming to terms with digital inequity in the U.S. After ascending to educational professional development roles in Miami and eventually consulting in New York and other states, I co-launched the first all-digital teaching platform in New York City schools and also worked with their board of education on technology integration, professional development for teachers, and change management with principals. It was then that I began working with nonprofits that were distributing refurbished desktop computers to needy middle school students. I returned to South Florida energized by and began my second career in nonprofit management, while consulting with schools on technology.

Over the past eight years, I have worked on digital inclusion nationally - creating access to opportunities through affordable broadband, computing devices, and digital skills training for people of all ages. I became an early pioneer of what is now known as digital navigation, and I have managed small and large-scale public-private partnerships to close the digital divide that have touched hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. I have also developed computer and tablet training curricula for people of all ages that has been adopted in 30 cities and counting. Throughout my career, my focus has been to meet people where they are, not where others believe they should be. Helping teachers, students, working-age adults, and seniors to understand what is possible through technology and innovation is something I love, especially when they are living through challenging circumstances.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Returning clients - it's rewarding and validating to see our work resonate but, more importantly, that it accomplishes and even exceeds expectations and goals. Since most of what we do is directly aimed at asset-limited people, success is critical.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Prioritization and time management. When I learned about ikigai - what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs - it helped me prioritize opportunities as they presented themselves. Just because I'm good at something doesn't mean I should be doing it. I constantly ask myself if an opportunity will meet my goals and my vision.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

First, it's important to understand your strengths and your weaknesses. Then, analyze the landscape to have an unbiased understanding of what you intend to offer and what is or is not already being done to meet the need. This will help new businesses understand their opportunities and their threats.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.maribelmartinezconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMartConsult
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maribelmartinezconsulting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MMartConsult
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribel-martinez-1aa10721/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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