The nonprofit business development organization WESST has been named the New Mexico Microlender of the Year 2025 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Known best for its workshops and business consulting, WESST has a loan fund that offers microloans to qualifying businesses that work with its consultants.
Continue readingTag Archives: small business loans
Historic Childcare Center to Double Capacity
Christina Kent Early Childhood Center (CKECC), Albuquerque’s oldest continuously operating childcare center, is set to significantly expand its services through the purchase and renovation of a new building, thanks to a community-centered partnership with Homewise. The expansion will allow CKECC to double its capacity, offering critical early education to even more families in the Barelas neighborhood and across Albuquerque.
Established in 1919, CKECC has served the Albuquerque community for over a century, providing high-quality childcare and early childhood education to low-income families. The center, accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), currently serves 62 children in three classrooms and is committed to ensuring accessible education through a sliding scale tuition model that considers both income and family size. Through its participation in the NM PreK program, CKECC also offers free tuition for 3- to 5-year-olds.
Learn to Use QuickBooks to Manage Business Finances
April is Financial Literacy Month, and for business owners, that means getting business finances in order. The business development organization WESST is offering a workshop in Santa Fe from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on April 22, 2025, to teach business owners how to use the QuickBooks financial and accounting software.
Continue readingBusiness Resource Information from the Pros
The New Mexico Small Business Development Center in Farmington is teaming with at least twelve other business resource organizations at an in-person event at the San Juan College Quality Center for Business on March 20, 2025. The event aims to connect small businesses with resources that can help them grow.
Continue readingLine 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.
Continue readingLoan 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.
Continue readingLiftLearn Promotes Business 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.
Continue readingMeet With Small-Business Lenders at the Black Business Summit
The nonprofit lender and resource provider WESST is just one of the small-business loan providers that will offer information at the 2025 Black Business Summit on February 28 in Rio Rancho. The event is free, but registration is required due to limited space.
Continue readingTEAM 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.
Continue readingLoan 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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