Helping small firms to manage their finances
Supplier Diversity
Possible Missions
Meet Paula Mendoza, Founder of Possible Missions
By Luana Ferreira
When Paula Mendoza founded Possible Missions, a Texas-based company, it began as a Project management firm with just $100. Under her watch, the company transitioned into a procurement solutions firm achieving over $90 million in revenue.
Mendoza started her career in the late 1990s and has consistently advocated for Latino and small businesses. "When I didn't feel like I was doing enough with corporate America or that they were not as sincere as I was about small business, I thought to myself, 'I can do this on my own.' So that's what I did," she explains.
Initially, Possible Missions helped small businesses with consulting. "I say they can build you a 20-story building, but when it came to payroll taxes and to invoicing the customer, that's where their infrastructure wasn’t strong," says Mendoza.
The company rapidly created a reputation and attracted clients such as the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council. Mendoza knew she could not compete with global companies, so she created strategies to stand out. One of the most important steps was to become a certified minority company on federal, state, and local levels, which has opened many doors.
"It's a part of your company's marketing, so understanding how important certifications are was the key. It is a little difficult sometimes for small businesses to get certified. But once you do one, two or three certifications, a lot of the paperwork is the same," explains Mendoza.
In 2013, Possible Missions embraced a new challenge and became an official product distributor for Fisher Scientific and later for Medline and Ecolab. According to Mendoza, they’re now in over 30 campuses around Texas and provide product and services in over 10 states.
The entrepreneur isn't afraid of challenges. When Mendoza started her career, she worked closely with the construction industry, which is a male-dominated field. "It was a challenge as a Latina woman in the construction industry to say the least, ʽI'm not going to tell you how to do your business. I will help you run it more efficiently with a solid infrastructure.’”
Mendoza isn't easily intimidated. Initially, she struggled to sell her business because prospects would often expect to meet a man. "I am very proud of what we do. And I know the ins and outs of every piece of my business. So I can get in there, sell it and deliver."
The entrepreneur highlights the advantages of hiring a small business, as they tend to be more flexible. As major corporations have more complex processes, her company has ways to work quickly. "We're a lot hungrier and can provide that expertise and value that some may think we don't," says Mendoza.
Possible Missions is ready to diversify its business even more. They've just purchased a building that will serve as warehousing. Mendoza decided to go in that direction as her clients needed space to store the products they bought from her company.
"I want to look into manufacturing. I want to look at what we can manufacture, what is needed that we can do in Texas to manufacture and have something built here in Texas for our customers." Mendoza wants to continue demonstrating that Hispanic business owners excel at their missions.
*Photo credit: Courtesy of Paula Mendoza
*Editors pick: One of the most important steps was to become a certified minority company on federal, state, and local levels, which has opened many doors.