Small Business Recovery Loan – One Month Left to Apply

The application window for the Small Business Recovery Loan Fund program is about to close. Authorized by the State of New Mexico and available through the New Mexico Finance Authority, the Small Business Recovery Loan program offers loans of up to $150,000 to businesses that were negatively impacted by the pandemic. Applications must be submitted by early- to mid-December in order for a loan to close by the program’s deadline of December 31, 2022.

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The Loan Fund Fuels Adobe Tradition

Albuquerque Joinery is a small design-build company that specializes in new home construction using traditional adobe building techniques and fine carpentry.

Kenny DeLapp and Esther Fredrickson launched the business in February 2020 after building their own adobe home in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Built under an owner-builder permit, their 1,600 square foot home is a showcase of modern construction and traditional materials with brick floors, exposed vigas, adobe mud plaster walls, and site-built solid wood doors.

DeLapp, who is skilled in masonry and fine carpentry, learned traditional building techniques while working with his uncle Win, a long-time adobe builder known for custom furniture, cabinets, and museum exhibits.

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Short-Term 0% Interest Loan For Contractors

The nonprofit lender DreamSpring has introduced a new loan product to help contractors move projects ahead despite rising costs. The Fast Forward loan, which provides short-term financing for 1-3 months at 0% interest, is specifically for contractors, service providers, project-based businesses, and construction industry businesses. Funds can be used for working capital to complete projects or get new initiatives off the ground.

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New Program Offers Loans to Cannabis Businesses

Until cannabis is legalized by the U.S. federal government, cannabis businesses have limited banking and loan options. But access to capital in New Mexico has improved since legislators authorized the New Mexico Finance Authority to offer microloans of up to $250,000 to small businesses engaged in the sale or production of cannabis.

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Community Advantage Loan Helps Arborists Scale to Meet Demand

Eric’s Tree Care is deeply rooted in a love for all things nature. The Albuquerque-based landscaping and arborist service has been in business since 1997. And as its reputation has grown over the years, so has the range of services and scale of jobs its team of tight-knit arborists can tackle.

When Eric’s Tree Care needed a larger loan to support the next chapter in the business’ development, they turned to DreamSpring for capital through the Community Advantage program. A loan from DreamSpring ensured Eric’s Tree Care had the tools they needed to succeed and the capacity to keep scaling to meet customer demand.

Today, the Eric’s Tree Care team provides complete care from root to tree-top. They specialize in tree management advice; careful pruning and root work; removal and stump grinding; and planting services. They’re also skilled in adding structural supports to trees — a technical feat where cabling or customized bracing is used to increase safety and extend the lifespan of a tree for years to come. Estimates are always free.

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Microloan Program Fills Lending Gap

The U.S. Small Business Administration partners with nonprofit lenders to help businesses access small infusions of cash for working capital and expenses related to inventory, supplies, equipment, furniture, and fixtures. The SBA Microloan Program aims to help small businesses that are unable to access capital from traditional sources. The average loan size is $13,000.

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Loan Gives New Life to Las Cruces Cafe

Melissa & Jaime Salazar

Melissa Salazar was a manager at a Las Cruces McDonald’s when she and her father, Jaime Salazar, an executive chef at the Holiday Inn, took over La Nueva Casita Café, a Mexican restaurant in the Historic Mesquite District in 2005.

“My brother was driving through the neighborhood and saw the building was for rent. My dad grew up two blocks from here,” said Melissa, describing downtown Las Cruces and the original township. “We applied to be occupants and the owner said there were several people who inquired about it but he thought that my dad would be the right one to carry on what his mother started.”

La Nueva Casita was created in 1957 along the Camino Real, the same route that brought conquistadors from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Historians note that the path was also likely used by Indigenous people for travel years prior. Many who remain in the neighborhood are descendants of the original settlers who created Las Cruces, with some of the homes dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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