Mauricio Mazzonetto, a 33-year-old Argentine immigrant, is determined not to let "small things" like little knowledge of English or a lack of money stand in his way.

Having been in the United States for barely three years, the former financial adviser has exchanged his crisp, white shirt and dress slacks for jeans and a hammer as he works as a carpenter in construction sites around metro Atlanta.

That, however, merely is to earn enough money to pay the bills while he works on what he really wants to do: build a business.

"Lack of money forces one to be imaginative," he says in Spanish. "We immigrants cannot afford the luxury of doing things the American way. We have to be creative."

Mazzonetto took a look around him and devised a business plan that would require no investment and could be implemented after working hours and on the weekends.

An affable man with an engaging smile and an easy disposition, Mazzonetto analyzed the needs of the more than 65,000-strong Hispanic community in Gwinnett County. He found his niche right under his nose.

He decided that there was a need to be filled in helping fellow Hispanics celebrate special occasions such as Communions, weddings and birthdays. His plan? Play the middle man. He wanted to orchestrate the events, to be the maestro, the man who would make them happen. And he would also be the caterer.

First, he went to see Luis Izaguirre at the Hispanic American Chamber of Economic Development, who helped him incorporate his company and apply for a business license.

"They have to come in with an idea," says Izaguirre, whose job is to help future entrepreneurs, "and we help them shape it."

Izaguirre asked Mazzonetto to draw up a business plan. He asked him to attend seminars given by bankers, lawyers and accountants at the chamber. He also handed him a 22-page manual with the phone numbers and addresses of the various state and federal agencies that the budding entrepreneur needed to contact.

Armed with this knowledge, Mazzonetto set out to build his business.

So how does one become a caterer without a hall, a posse of cooks, waiters and a payroll?

First, he connected with the owners of various event halls who agreed to rent him the places whenever he needed them. He was to provide the rest -- tables, chairs, menus and entertainment for the splintered Hispanic community of varying nationalities, which often have only a language and a religion in common.

Then he enlisted the help of a friend, restaurateur Ricardo Perezza, owner of Gaucho Grill in Norcross, who agreed to provide the use of his kitchen and staff and worked with him on the menus.

Together they designed menus that are rich in taste and color. You want a Mexican fiesta? There is a Mexican menu, mariachi music and décor to match the ambience. Argentine? You'll get an Argentine menu, tango music, gaucho décor.

Mazzonetto also recruited his wife, Laura, who already holds a full-time job as a clerk with a private company, to help out in the business as well.

A friend, Rodrigo Chavez, was roped in and put in charge of the Argentine menu and theme while Chavez's fiancée, Ray, a native of Brazil, was placed in charge of that segment.

Mazzonetto's plan is carefully detailed. He will rent the tables, chairs and equipment. His dream -- small as it is -- is to own his own chairs and tables and a van with which he can transport them.

"These are fixed costs," he says, showing a detailed list and the cost of each item. The company's name -- Mega Fiesta -- is chosen, and so is a logo, a spiffy tuxedo in black and white designed by a Chilean friend. Advertising is the only up-front costs he'd have for the two publications he intends to advertise in -- Estadio and Mundo Hispanico. The cost? $300 a month. This is not going to be easy, but Mazzonetto is confident he can find the money.

He knows sacrifice is part of the game, and he doesn't mind. His eyes are firmly planted on the horizon.

"I am grateful to this country," says the Norcross resident, "for opening its arms and letting me in." He pauses and then adds, "America has given me my dreams back. I'm dreaming again."

And his dream is becoming a reality. The phone has already started to ring at Mega Fiesta.