SBA loans explained by the SBA's Houston Deputy District Director. You borrow from an approved bank, credit union, or lender, not the SBA, and the SBA guarantees 75% to 90% of the loan.

In Episode 46 of the SCORE Houston Podcast SBA Series, host PV Bala talks with Winston Labbé, Deputy District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Houston District Office. A Houston native and U.S. Army veteran, Winston spent more than 25 years in commercial lending, including senior roles at JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Amegy Bank, PrimeWay Federal Credit Union, and Unity National Bank of Texas, where he served as Chief Lending Officer. He has evaluated small business loan applications from both sides of the desk.

Winston walks through the main SBA loan programs in plain language: the 7(a) loan (up to $5 million for working capital, equipment, inventory, and owner-occupied real estate), the 504 loan for owner-occupied real estate and major equipment, and microloans of up to $50,000 through community development financial institutions (CDFIs). He also covers the Working Capital Pilot revolving line of credit, the new MARC loan (Manufacturers' Access to Revolving Credit) for small manufacturers, and current guarantee fee relief for manufacturing and food supply chain loans.

For anyone preparing a small business loan application, Winston explains what lenders actually review: three years of business and personal tax returns, a personal financial statement, bank statements, a specific loan amount, and, for startups, a business plan with monthly cash flow projections for year one. He discusses why credit score minimums vary by lender, how the SBA guarantee offsets limited collateral, the 10% minimum equity injection for startups and business acquisitions, why startup lenders look for a secondary source of income, and how a seller note on full standby can count toward the down payment when buying a business.

The episode closes with guidance on finding an SBA-approved lender in Houston, choosing between a national bank, community bank, or credit union, and the first steps to take before applying.

Chapters

00:00 How SBA loans really work

02:23 SBA loan programs: 7(a), 504, microloan, Working Capital Pilot

06:58 What lenders look for: business plan and cash flow projections

11:16 Credit score, collateral, and equity requirements

14:18 Startup financing, CDFIs, and finding an SBA lender

20:33 MARC loan, fee relief, and buying a business with an SBA loan

Resources

Free SCORE Houston mentoring: https://www.score.org/houston | 713-487-6565

SBA Houston District Office: https://www.sba.gov/district/houston

SBA Lender Match: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/lender-match

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The SCORE Houston Podcast features practical conversations with small business owners, SCORE mentors, and SBA leaders. SCORE Houston, a nonprofit SBA resource partner, offers free, confidential one-on-one business mentoring.

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

How to grow a pharmacy business from one location to four, from the pharmacist who built it. Dr. Bessem Oben opened Gold Star Pharmacy in College Station, Texas in 2013, six miles from the Walmart pharmacy she once managed.

In Episode 45 of Small Business Success Stories, SCORE Houston mentor Dr. Jeffrey Ricken talks with Dr. Oben, a board-certified geriatric pharmacist who co-founded Gold Star Pharmacy with her husband, AJ Oben. Gold Star serves senior patients across long-term care, hospice, and home healthcare settings. The SBA Houston District named the company's founders Minority Business Owner of the Year.

The business idea came from a personal experience. After a C-section in 2008, Dr. Oben was left alone with a newborn while her husband went to the pharmacy for her post-surgery prescriptions. That moment led to an independent pharmacy built around free home delivery, a service the large chains did not offer. CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart began referring their delivery requests to Gold Star.

Dr. Oben explains how the company set itself apart further with the Gold Star Pack, a color-coded, multi-dose packaging system that helps seniors on multiple prescriptions take the right medication at the right time. Rising demand led to an early investment in pharmacy automation. She also covers how the delivery model carried the business through COVID-19, how profit sharing and a family-first culture support employee retention, and how a partnership with the Texas A&M School of Pharmacy strengthens the hiring pipeline.

Her top advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to buy an existing business rather than start from scratch. All three of Gold Star's additional locations came through acquisitions, supported by SBA resources and SCORE mentoring.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Small Business Success Stories
01:04 Meet Dr. Bessem Oben, Gold Star Pharmacy Co-Founder
06:30 The Pharmacy Business Idea: A New Parent's Problem
07:25 Free Home Delivery: Competing With CVS, Walgreens and Walmart
11:06 Medication Adherence Innovation: The Gold Star Pack
15:57 Scaling a Small Business From 1 to 4 Locations
17:05 How COVID-19 Affected an Independent Pharmacy
21:04 Employee Retention, Profit Sharing and Company Culture
24:32 Mentorship, Texas A&M School of Pharmacy and SCORE
26:48 Buy an Existing Business, Don't Start From Scratch
30:12 Closing and Free SCORE Houston Mentoring

Links
Gold Star Pharmacy: https://www.goldstarrx.com/

Free SCORE Houston mentoring: www.score.org/houston

Subscribe:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw

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Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@SCOREHouston/shorts

Episode notes: https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com

About the show: The SCORE Houston Podcast shares practical lessons from successful small business owners and volunteer SCORE mentors. SCORE Houston provides free, confidential business mentoring and workshops to Houston entrepreneurs, supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Call 713-487-6565.
Series: Small Business Success Stories | Episode 45

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

Skincare business success from a civil engineering career — Lyndsey Brantley did it without outside investors, starting with a PCOS diagnosis and ending up on Walmart shelves.

She secured over $300,000 through pitch competitions, grants, and non-equity funding — and became the first African American woman to place a natural, alcohol-free unisex shaving solution with Walmart.

In this episode, Lyndsey shares how she built Camellia Alise, LLC — a Leaping Bunny certified natural skincare line, full-service spa, and medical aesthetics training academy in Houston, TX. She covers how a personal health struggle turned into a product, how she kept the business alive during COVID-19 by pivoting to hand sanitizer, and how she went on to open one of the first Black-owned laser institutes in Texas. She was named the SBA Houston District Woman Business Owner of the Year in 2023.

Topics covered: product launch, grant funding for small businesses, pitch competitions, medical aesthetics certification, Black-owned business, Houston entrepreneurship, and building multiple revenue streams under one brand.

0:00 Intro & guest introduction

2:07 Lyndsey welcomed to the show

2:38 PCOS diagnosis and the launch of her skincare line

6:14 Pivoting to hand sanitizer production during COVID-19

7:00 Securing $300K+ in grants and pitch competitions

15:02 Opening one of the first Black-owned laser institutes in Texas

25:47 Her #1 piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

28:54 Closing thoughts and wrap-up

🔗 Learn more about Camellia Alise: https://www.camelliaalise.com/

📅 Book free mentoring with SCORE Houston: www.score.org/houston

📺 Subscribe for new episodes every week

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SCORE Houston Podcast — Small Business Success Stories, Episode 44. Free, confidential mentoring for entrepreneurs at every stage. Call 713-487-6565 or visit us at 8701 South Gessner, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77074.

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

Episodes 22–41 of the SCORE Houston Podcast distilled into one masterclass: what these Houston entrepreneurs actually did to survive early chaos, price with confidence, build closed-loop systems, and create lasting businesses — not just survive, but scale.

Founders featured: Heather Lampert (Clear Hope Counseling), Brittany Vinson (Tomé Catering), Sarah Lieberman (Dandelion Cafe), Baha Elabassi (Texas Crown Towing), Felicia Hill (H5 Strategic Alliances), Samantha Snipes (Read 3D), and more.

Timestamps: 0:00 – The origin story: from a church closet to a business empire 2:26 – Starting small: businesses born in closets and tiny kitchens 5:36 – Naivety as a superpower (and its limits) 9:42 – Why grit alone can't scale a business 11:01 – Building closed-loop systems (Texas Crown Towing) 14:17 – The psychology of pricing (and why underpricing is dangerous) 16:34 – Digital marketing survival tactics 18:21 – The guerrilla research hack every founder should try 19:31 – Why mentorship is the ultimate unfair advantage 21:11 – From an earning mindset to a creating mindset

🔗 Free business mentoring — SCORE Houston: www.score.org/houston

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/score-houstons-podcast/id1845697492

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Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@SCOREHouston/shorts

The SCORE Houston Podcast features real entrepreneurs and SCORE mentors sharing practical, experience-based advice for small business owners. SCORE Houston is an SBA resource partner offering free, confidential mentoring — 150+ volunteer mentors, no cost.

Series: Small Business Success Stories | Compilation — Episodes 22–41

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

Federal contracting for small businesses: how to register on SAM.gov, qualify for set-asides, and get certified through SBA — explained by two Business Opportunity Specialists from the SBA Houston District Office.

The federal government awarded $179 billion in prime contracts to small businesses in FY 2025 — nearly 28% of all federal spending. In this episode of the SCORE Houston Podcast's SBA Series, host PV Bala sits down with Ida Benson and Jesus Gomez to turn that opportunity into a practical action plan.

What you'll learn:

— What products and services federal agencies buy from small businesses

— Business readiness: cash flow requirements, market research, and SAM.gov registration

— Set-aside contracts and the 23% small business spending goal

— SBA certifications: HUBZone, Women-Owned (WOSB), Veteran-Owned (VOSB/SDVOSB), and Small Disadvantaged Business (8a)

— How to get your UEI number, complete your SAM registration, and identify NAICS codes

— Building past performance from zero — including subcontracting as an entry strategy

— How Apex Accelerators provide free registration, market research, and proposal support

— Where to research contract opportunities: SAM.gov, USAspending.gov, and Acquisition.gov

0:00 – Intro & Welcome to SCORE Houston SBA Series 0:00

0:51 – Meet the Guests: Ida Benson & Jesus Gomez 0:51

2:45 – The Opportunity: $179B in Federal Contracts 2:45

4:08 – Business Readiness Checklist & Cash Flow 4:08

5:51 – Common Reasons Small Businesses Fail 5:51

8:22 – What Are Set-Aside Contracts? 8:22

13:51 – Local vs National Bidding Advantage 13:51

15:01 – Set-Aside Categories: WOSB, VOSB, HUBZone & More 15:01

17:18 – SAM.gov Registration Explained 17:18

20:14 – NAICS Codes: What They Are & Why They Matter 20:14

23:02 – Finding Opportunities & SAM Notifications 23:02

23:40 – Certifications: HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB Benefits 23:40

26:16 – Building Past Performance From Zero 26:16

29:11 – What Is Apex Accelerators? (Free Help) 29:11

32:38 – Capability Statements Explained 32:38

34:04 – Recap: Key Resources & Advice 34:04

38:29 – Action Plan: How to Get Started Today 38:29

40:29 – Closing & Where to Get Free SCORE Mentoring 40:29

Guests:

Ida Benson — Business Opportunity Specialist, SBA Houston District Office

Jesus Gomez — Business Opportunity Specialist, SBA Houston District Office

Host: PV Bala — Certified SCORE Mentor

Free small business mentoring: www.score.org/houston

🔗 SCORE Houston Podcast —

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/score-houstons-podcast/id1845697492

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Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4ac4d74-acb2-43cc-b5f0-433ad259fccb

Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@SCOREHouston/shorts

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

How Estée Lauder built a global beauty business with zero marketing budget, no business degree, no formal advertising — and what small business owners can learn from her playbook today. Starting from a backyard stable in Queens, New York, she grew a $150 bath oil into a product line generating $150 million a year.

Who was Estée Lauder? Born Josephine Esther Mentzer in 1908, she built The Estée Lauder Companies from a kitchen-formula skincare business into one of the world's largest prestige beauty empires — a publicly traded company with revenues exceeding $10 billion. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest self-made entrepreneurs of the 20th century.

This episode covers her sales psychology, the "gift with purchase" tactic that permanently changed retail, her word-of-mouth networking strategy that scaled a local brand nationally, the London expansion that proved her international instincts, and the Youth Dew reframe that turned a bath oil into a $150M product line.

Part of the Lessons from the Greats series on the SCORE Houston Podcast — practical business lessons drawn from iconic founders, for small business owners building today.

Free business mentoring from SCORE Houston: www.score.org/houston

Subscribe for weekly episodes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Cohesion's Lessons from the Greats 00:42 – The stable where it all started 03:07 – Why passion is the foundation of every business 07:38 – The Florence Morris salon: the power of demonstration 08:47 – Inventing the "gift with purchase" 12:19 – Scaling loyalty into a national brand 15:38 – The London expansion masterclass 16:54 – Youth Dew: reframing perfume into a $150M product 18:42 – Trusting your "louder inner voice" 21:55 – Final thoughts: the future of human connection in business

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.