Line of Credit Boosts Security Entrepreneur

Like many entrepreneurs, Adrian Chavez, Sr. did not intend to start a security business.

Chavez created Lobo Protective Services in 2017 after working as a security guard to earn income while studying political science at university and paying for his wedding. It was working that job that he was approached by someone who noticed his work ethic and integrity.

“This woman said, ‘I never met someone like you in the industry. If you open your own company, I will hire you for my next project,’” Chavez recounted.

Chavez wasn’t well versed in the security field at the time, but he would hear that there weren’t many reputable or state-licensed security companies.

After that conversation and a discussion with his wife, Chavez decided to take the entrepreneurial leap. “It’s not rocket science. It’s doing good, doing what you say, and saying what you mean,” Chavez said.

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Loan for Entrepreneurs Ready to Launch

The Ready, Set, Grow! loan from the nonprofit lender DreamSpring offers financial footing for entrepreneurs ready to make their side business their main priority. The loan allows entrepreneurs to take the leap and turn their business dreams into reality.  It offers flexible and affordable capital from the nonprofit organization known for funding and support for new businesses.

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LiftLearn Promotes Businesses Growth

The nonprofit small business lender LiftFund is now offering self-paced online classes to enhance knowledge about business finance, marketing, HR, and management. Participants in the LiftLearn program walk away with certificates of completion and the know-how necessary to grow their businesses. The LiftLearn program is based on the premise that smart decision-making requires the right tools.

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TEAM Fund Offers Zero-Interest Loans

The Regional Development Corporation’s TEAM Fund will begin accepting applications from businesses in Northern New Mexico on February 18, 2025. RDC’s Technology & Manufacturing (TEAM) Fund awards up to $20,000 in no-interest loans to technology and manufacturing companies on track to add jobs, grow revenues, and attract additional funding or investment.

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Loan Enables Contract Fulfillment for REI

Jonathan Ballesteros is the inventor, founder, and CEO of Geyser Systems, a manufacturer of portable water systems. When the company obtained a large contract with REI Co-op, Ballesteros turned to the small-business lender B:Side Fund for a loan to expand production.

Geyser Systems designs and manufactures products that address real-world problems faced by 2.3 billion people: water-scarcity and sanitation. Their flagship product is a hot, portable shower that uses less than one gallon of water and is ready to use in as little as five minutes. 

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Nonprofits in Need: Borrowing Can Be Tool for Financial Stability

The Loan Fund at St. Elizabeth Shelter
The Loan Fund at St. Elizabeth Shelter

A nonprofit isn’t in business to enrich its shareholders, but it still needs revenues and incurs operating expenses while pursuing its community service mission. It, too, can experience cash flow problems or require considerable cash to fund a capital project or expanded services.

When that happens, the nonprofit faces many of the same choices a for-profit business does, though it draws from different funding sources.

While a for-profit business can offer investors a chance to share in the company’s fortunes by buying stocks, for example, a nonprofit relies on stakeholders who are motivated by public interest rather than self-interest.

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