Ortiz Boots and Imports

As a young man Jorge Ortiz wore western wear clothing similar to the boots and hats he now sells in his business, Ortiz Boots and Imports. He grew up in a small town in Michoacán, México called San Antonio. His father worked in strawberry farming and Mr. Ortiz was very familiar with the farming business and culture of Michoacán. He came to the Watsonville area in 1985 and worked in the strawberry fields, as he had done in his home town. But Mr. Ortiz knew he wanted to do something different. He decided to look into starting his own business and sell what he really likes, traditional Mexican western wear.

When Mr. Ortiz first decided to open his own business he had no idea how to go about doing it. At the time he was working as a supervisor with a lettuce farming company. “One day I saw the ‘For Lease’ sign at the Plaza Vigil and I asked people about it,” Mr. Ortiz said, “that’s when I first learned about El Pájaro CDC.” Mr. Ortiz filled out the application for opening his business at the Plaza Vigil, found out how to get business permits and licenses, opened Ortiz Boots and Imports and filled his store with western wear merchandise. “At first I thought it would be easy to start a business, then I realized how difficult it was,” Mr. Ortiz said. “When I started I was surprised at how much it cost to fill the store with merchandise.” Mr. Ortiz and his wife continued to work in other jobs during the first years of owning Ortiz Boots and Imports.

Although Mr. Ortiz did not know very much about opening a business when he started, he has learned a lot since that time. “All the workshops that I have taken from El Pájaro CDC have helped me to learn how to manage my business, especially in financial management.” Recently, Mr. Ortiz attended the NX level training offered by El Pájaro CDC. “I learned how to bring people into the business, that I need to do more planning, especially planning on managing my money, I learned about accounting and financial management.” Mr. Ortiz says that his business is doing well now. He stressed the importance of working hard to promote the business. “It is not only what we can learn,” Mr. Ortiz said, “success depends on how we work in the business.”

Mr. Ortiz entrepreneurial skills have not been limited to his retail business. He has opened a catering service called Rosio’s Catering which caters food at events and he has recently been working as Realtor. Mr. Ortiz has been very glad to have the opportunity to own a business in the Plaza Vigil Incubator. “As a business owner I learn from my customers, and they sometimes ask me for advice,” he said, “I really appreciate these years owning Ortiz Boots and Imports, it has given me a great chance to build relationships and connect with the community.”