WESST staff is committed to supporting New Mexico small business owners.

Our History

WESST is a statewide small business development and training organization committed to growing New Mexico’s economy by cultivating entrepreneurship. Founded 1988 as a 501(c)3 non profit by two PNM executives, Joellyn Murphy and Carol Radosevich, and an initial Executive Director, Jessica Glicken, WESST has nurtured the entrepreneurial dreams of thousands of New Mexicans by providing training,technical assistance and access to capital.

In 1994, WESST expanded from its single location in Albuquerque to its current statewide structure. Today, our small business development and training network includes Enterprise Centers in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Farmington, New Mexico. Each of WESST’s six Enterprise Centers are funded in part by the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership through its Women’s Business Center program.

Our Clients

Over a period that spans two decades, WESST has assisted a diverse roster of clients at every stage of business. Historically, we have focused on transforming people’s lives and creating a pathway out of poverty by helping low-income women and minorities achieve financial self-sufficiency through sustained self-employment. As one of the most successful Women’s Business Centers in the United States, WESST is distinguished in New Mexico as the only organization offering long-term, comprehensive training, technical assistance and loans specifically targeted to low-income women and minorities.

  • More than 75% of our clients are women
  • Approximately 70% of our clients are classified by federal guidelines as low or very low income
  • Over 60% of our clients are members of an ethnic minority

While economically-disadvantaged women and minorities continue to represent a large share of our client base, WESST provides services to any New Mexico resident interested in launching a new business or improving the performance of an existing one. Our clients have come to us from all walks of life for help with businesses of all types— retail, professional services, arts and crafts, restaurants and catering, construction, manufacturing, and bio-technology, to name a few. At every stage of planning or expanding a business, WESST is here to educate, encourage and inspire you to succeed.

Our Impact

WESST is driven by a mandate to develop opportunities for small businesses that help create new jobs and build a strong business climate in the communities we serve. We have been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally as a leading advocate for small business development with a long-term reputation for innovative program development and comprehensive service delivery.

Small business loans, and training and consulting programs to educate entrepreneurs can change communities. Reflective of our economic impact in New Mexico since our inception, WESST has:

  • Provided business training, technical assistance and financial education
    to nearly 30,000 individuals
  • Facilitated the start-up and growth of 2,035 small businesses in New Mexico
  • Helped create of more than 3,200 jobs
  • Provided more than $4.5 million in loans
  • Facilitated the investment of more than $100 million in client sales revenue into
    New Mexico’s economy in the last five years alone

A study conducted by the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) in 2011 shows WESST economic impact in the greater Albuquerque area was significant -- despite a major recession.

In 2011, WESST contracted with the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) to perform a quantitative analysis of our economic impact in the greater Albuquerque area. The results represent an estimate of new employment generated as a direct result of assistance provided by WESST.

The findings, shown in the chart on the right, surprised even us given that the results occurred in the midst of major local and national recession. WESST plans to have MRCOG perform an expanded economic impact study in 2012 to show our statewide economic impact.

With the opening of the WESST Enterprise Center small business incubator in April of 2009, WESST is now positioned to move to a new level of performance and growth in the coming years. Further development of our information technology systems and online business training programs will enable us to deliver our unique programs and services to foster entrepreneurship and innovation beyond New Mexico.