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A decade ago, Roberto Mendez was broke, his real estate business wiped out by a devastating recession and his wife sidelined by a debilitating stroke. Today he runs a thriving family business built on his favorite snack food: popcorn.<\/p>\nA decade ago, Roberto Mendez was broke, his real estate business wiped out by a devastating recession and his wife sidelined by a debilitating stroke. Today he runs a thriving family business built on his favorite snack food: popcorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen years ago, life was hell,\u201d said the owner of Albuquerque-based Cornivore. \u201cWe were trying to survive, so we would make a couple of hundred bucks here and there\u201d selling homemade gourmet concoctions created in a kettle corn popper to friends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n
Cornivore was a bootstrapped business, started with Mendez\u2019s limited resources, as no one would lend to him at the time. First, he found a niche market\u2014people willing to pay several dollars for a bag of fresh popcorn coated with natural flavors. Then he expanded his clientele beyond friends and family, experimenting with wholesaling and concession sales before landing a ready-made sales force in the fundraising market.<\/p>\n
As his company continued to grow, Mendez found the WESST Enterprise Center, a business incubator started by the New Mexico nonprofit. \u201cA couple of people mentioned it to me, but I thought it was for women only. They said, \u201cYou can work there. They have this amazing coworking space with everything you need to get a business started.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true that WESST started 30 years ago \u201cby women for women,\u201d according to its website. But success has enabled it to provide consulting, training and lending to anyone aspiring to start a business.<\/p>\n
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Mendez, a disabled Navy veteran, was eligible to use the Veterans Suite at the Enterprise Center and was impressed by all the resources that came with it. He also took advantage of classes and networking opportunities. \u201cMost people like me don\u2019t need money,\u201d he said. \u201cThey need resources.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coworking spaces like those at the WESST Enterprise Center increase opportunities for emerging or expanding businesses like Cornivore<\/a>. \u201cI made connections at WESST that we never would have been able to make anywhere else,\u201d he said. \u201cThey helped with everything, for a minimal amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n And WESST isn\u2019t the only place to find coworking spaces in New Mexico. Many libraries host publicly accessible workspaces, and more\u2014especially in rural areas\u2014could join the trend by reaching out to local entrepreneurs and libraries with coworking experience, including Loma Colorado Library in Rio Rancho.<\/p>\n New Mexico also has privately sponsored spaces, including FatPipe, which boasts 24\/7 access to \u201cthe community of a coworking space, with the privacy of an office.\u201d Launched in Albuquerque five years ago, the membership-based organization expanded to Rio Rancho and Raton within the past couple of years.<\/p>\n The Grow It website<\/a>, sponsored by the New Mexico Municipal League, is a good place to find coworking spaces. Aspiring entrepreneurs should click on their municipality in the index and then use the yellow category box to select \u201ccoworking.\u201d<\/p>\n Coworking spaces offer networking opportunities, but the benefits of working alongside others are multiplied when workshops and access to experts are also available.<\/p>\n For information about WESST\u2019s coworking spaces, workshops and mentoring programs at six New Mexico locations, visit https:\/\/www.wesst.org\/<\/a>. To learn more about its 30th-anniversary events, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n Finance New Mexico article 616 by Sandy Nelson.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A decade ago, Roberto Mendez was broke, his real estate business wiped out by a devastating recession and his wife sidelined by a debilitating stroke. Today he runs a thriving family business built on his favorite snack food: popcorn. \u201cTen … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/financenewmexico.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Veterans-Suite-at-WESST-300x137.jpg\")
His growing prosperity means Mendez now can share the wealth: Last year he returned $60,000 to the community while still growing 100 percent.<\/p>\n