Living the American Dream
Jeannette Coronado, CEO of JIRACOR, started her business in 2011 along with her husband primarily to provide online training for a certification program. Ms. Coronado is an immigrant from El Salvador and used her background in teaching coupled with her husband, Richard’s technical background. Ms. Coronado wanted to grow her business and live the “American dream.” Ms. Coronado was interested in growing through government contracting. She took some courses in fabrication and assembly to comfortably be able to offer more products and services.
As the company ventured into government contracting, Ms. Coronado ran into some challenges including documenting past performance, securing a line of credit on contracts, and networking within the government sector. She felt she was at a competitive disadvantage among other firms that perhaps had more connections within the government contracting sphere. She worked as the program manager, business development representative, and even the janitor within her own business to make it work. She didn’t have the time or resources to grow her business.
Ms. Coronado started working with Ed Ramos, Senior Area Manager in Orlando to learn about the 8(a) Business Development Program. She attended workshops, learned to network with agencies, and learned about the resources available to her. She felt Ramos was a valuable resource for her and her company. Since she started working with SBA, she has been able to become a certified 8(a) company in the North Florida portfolio. She continues to work with her assigned representative, Carmen Gonzalez and with Ramos to grow the company.
The company has been in business for 10-years and has grown considerably in the government contracting arena. JIRACOR currently has 16 employees and is planning on rapidly increasing the headcount, as they partner with other prime contractors. Ms. Coronado stated “getting into the 8(a) Busines Development program has changed the trajectory of my business.”
Today, the firm has dedicated personnel to help with continued growth and development. The company has recently been able to purchase their own office building space through the assistance of an SBA 504 Loan guarantee. The firm has also utilized EIDL and PPP funds during the pandemic. In October 2020, then SBA Administrator, Jovita Carranza visited the firm to highlight their continued success during the pandemic.