Tulsa Tech’s Accounting Benefits Local Business
BUSINESS SMARTS: Tulsa Tech accounting students Mayra Lancaster and her son Phillip founded J&P Provisional Services, a tax and document service company that caters to Hispanic clients, over 20 years ago.
When Mayra Lancaster dreamed of creating a small tax service and accounting business 20 years ago, she really had no idea what the future might hold for her, or her newly created company. As a young, Hispanic woman without a formal education, who spoke English as a second language, and who had never owned or managed a business, it was fair to say that the figures on the spreadsheet were not exactly in her favor.
More than once, these numerous challenges caused the young entrepreneur and current Tulsa Tech accounting student to pause and reconsider her aspirations.
“I was afraid and I would tell myself that I must be crazy to think that I could do this type of work,” she explains. “My English wasn’t perfect, I wasn’t a , but yet I still had a dream to start my own company.”
Lancaster’s determination and decision to focus on her assets, rather than her liabilities, eventually gave her the confidence to attempt her dream. Previous work experience in small legal offices, her ability to work quickly and correctly with numbers, and her faith, all contributed to becoming a small business owner.
“I have to be very honest,” Lancaster confides. “I really did a lot of praying during those days.”
It was not long before things began to fall into place. Since 1992, J&P Provisional Services, located at 5459 S. Mingo in Tulsa, has specialized in providing tax and legal document services to area’s growing Hispanic community.
“Currently about 70 percent of our clients are Hispanic,” she says. “We offer many types of services, tax preparation, immigration forms, translation of legal documents, divorce papers and other documents. These types of forms may be confusing to almost anyone, and the differences in language and culture often add to this confusion.”
Lancaster’s business has grown steadily over the past two decades, so why did she make the decision to return to school?
“I had taken a class at Tulsa Tech early in the 1990s and really enjoyed it,” she explains. “Since we plan on offering a wider range of services at J&P, like payroll and advanced bookkeeping, I enrolled in the two-year accounting program to prepare for my Oklahoma State Full-Charge Bookkeeping credentials.”
However, there’s more to this story. Lancaster’s son, Phillip, a graduate of Broken Arrow High School, has recently enrolled in the first-year accounting program at Tulsa Tech and looks forward to contributing to the business he’s watched his mother build from the ground up.
“After being out of high school for a few years, working in electrical and construction, it occurred to me that I’m really good with numbers,” Phillip says. “I enjoy this type of work and think I can contribute a lot to the company as our clients grow beyond the Hispanic community.”
Listening to Phillip it becomes clear, “De tal palo tal astilla.” Or as some might say, “The acorn didn’t fall far from the tree.”
Tulsa Tech is extremely proud of both Mayra and Phillip Lancaster and the contributions they make to Tulsa’s growing and diverse community.
If you’re currently looking for exciting classes for high school and adult students, quality business and industry training, or a number of technology careers, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call 918-828-5200 or visit us online at tulsatech.edu.
Updated 12-09-2011
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