Guías del Valle offers advertising alternative for Valley businesses

“Guías del Valle is a unique product that has been accepted by the community. I am very proud of all the work, time, and effort that have gone into this project. Now that I see the finished product, I think it was all worth it,” Myra Dennis notes excitedly.  She is the founder of the home-based business in McAllen.

Guías Del Valle is a guide that consists of advertising spots for local and international businesses around the Rio Grande Valley and the Mexico border and includes a logo map that provides the public with a visual and exact location of the businesses being advertised. Essentially, its unique service provides valuable businesses recognition by the public.

Dennis previously owned a business, fifteen years ago. Interested in owning another, she felt inspired to develop her own business when she saw people passing out advertisements at the U.S. / Mexico International Bridge. “I like selling advertising, but when I saw people distributing advertisements in Spanish, I felt it needed some thing more,” says Dennis.

Dennis never felt discouraged and relates, “Though I encountered several roadblocks along the way, I had help from many people, and I thank them all.  If I were to start over, I would not do anything differently. Every challenge has been used as a training tool. There is an old saying that says, ‘adversity makes you better or bitter.’  I choose better.” 

Her goal is to be “an industry leader, to provide the best service, and have the best product available.” She wants to grow her business steadily and to keep creating maps.  Dennis has become more aware of the need for this type of service in the process of starting her own business and creating her first product.

Dennis’ experience in the advertising industry and her Bachelor’s in Marketing have helped her tremendously in launching her business. Nevertheless, she has learned some new skills and has studied to become a graphic designer in order to develop her product. Her knowledge of Spanish and experience with the Hispanic culture while living in Mexico have also been invaluable.

She says, “The biggest advice I can give is:  don’t let anybody discourage you. If they say

‘You can’t do it’ or ‘it’s too hard,’ stick with it and it will work. If it doesn’t, try again and sooner or later, you’ll get it. Discouragement is the biggest obstacle you have to overcome.”

Guías del Valle is located in McAllen and can be reached at (956) 533-0200. For further information on the services offered by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), please call (956) 292-7535.