One of the obstacles most commonly reported by entrepreneurs — particularly first-time business owners — is the difficulty of obtaining a business loan. Many start with their local bank, but if their borrower profile doesn’t match the bank’s, they stop with the first ‘no.” Getting a business loan doesn’t need to be difficult if a potential borrower knows where to look. And lender terms and requirements are not rocket science. The nonprofit lender and business development organization WESST is aware of how intimidating it can be to ask for a loan. That’s why it is offering a workshop to introduce business owners to its lending program.
Continue readingTag Archives: WESST
Business Growth Summit Features Access to Capital
The nonprofit lender and business development organization WESST, which offers consulting services and resources to small-business owners, will be on hand at the Business Growth Summit on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Albuquerque to discuss how entrepreneurs can access capital for their startup or established company.
Continue readingRelationships Matter More than Credit Score
Nonprofit lenders understand there are legitimate reasons and unforeseen circumstances that can cause credit scores to drop below what most traditional banks deem the minimum for granting a business loan. Nonprofit lenders such as WESST emphasize character and relationships more than they do credit scores. WESST will explain what this means during a webinar on May 21, 2026. The webinar is conducted monthly to introduce business owners to the WESST lending program.
Continue readingExplore Marketing Tools
Learn marketing strategy and explore marketing tools such as branding, websites, and e-commerce at a once-per-month workshop series offered in Santa Fe by the business development organization WESST. The series aims to give small business owners practical tools to increase visibility, attract customers, and support business growth. The series runs throughout 2026, with the upcoming April 29 session exploring ways customers find businesses.
Continue readingResource Fair Has Answers for Small Businesses
SCORE is hosting a small-business resource fair to help entrepreneurs and business owners access free and low-cost resources and make connections that can help them grow their companies or ideas. The free event runs from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the Sid Cutter building at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque.
Continue readingIs it a Hobby or Business?
It’s tax time, and the Internal Revenue Service wants to know if your income and expenses are related to a business or if your activities are a hobby that is done for pleasure. When determining if activities are a hobby or a business, tax filers can check the boxes, but no single factor is decisive. The final arbiter is the IRS, which considers multiple factors to determine if someone is operating a business whose income will be taxed or expenses deducted.
Continue readingResources for Manufacturers
Resources, inspiration, and advice are on tap during Manufacturing Day activities in October. Manufacturing Day is an annual, month-long celebration that kicks off the first Friday of October. This year’s New Mexico kick-off event is a virtual panel discussion that offers the first-hand experiences of Four Corners area manufacturers on Friday, October 3, 2025.
Continue readingWhat are the 5 Cs of Credit?
Owners looking for a loan for their small business should be familiar with the 5 Cs of Credit. Character, capital, collateral, capacity, and conditions determine if a traditional lender will offer a loan to a business owner. New and aspiring business owners can learn about the 5 Cs of Credit on Thursday, October 2, 2025, in a workshop hosted by the nonprofit lender WESST.
Continue readingWESST Doubles Down to Help Businesses
The nonprofit organization WESST is strategically restructuring to serve businesses and startups throughout New Mexico well into the future. Much like the advice WESST consultants give business owners facing changes in the marketplace, WESST is responding to a volatile nonprofit-funding environment.
Continue readingBusiness Plan is Guide to Success
A business plan is a document that spells out a company’s expected course of action for a specified period, usually including a detailed listing and analysis of risks, uncertainties, and opportunities. For the small business, it should examine the proposed products, market, industry, management policies, marketing policies, production requirements, and financial needs.
Continue reading