Andino Mini Market
Santa Fe, NM Gina Auz needed assistance with a start-up business and learned about WESST from the City of Santa Fe Economic Department. She has always considered herself an entrepreneur, but because she is a mother of five who also worked full time, she wasn’t able to dedicate the time she initially wanted or needed to follow her dream. This changed when she was encouraged to reach out to WESST. When she was told about WESST, Gina learned we had bilingual staff who would be
Alma's Restaurant
Artesia, NM Before coming to WESST, Alma Martinez was already the owner of multiple businesses in Artesia. Her journey has not been easy, but it has been gratifying. She was a young widow raising two young children when she began working as a restaurant server in Artesia. Her strong leadership did not go unnoticed, and she climbed the ranks, becoming assistant manager. The restaurant unfortunately closed as the owners choose to pursue different opportunities, leaving Alma une
De La Rose Flowers
Hobbs, NM In 2023, Marisol Chaves Salcido was working as a server at a restaurant in Jal, New Mexico, spending her evenings and weekends on floral designs. Despite having no formal training, Marisol, a self-taught floral artist, developed her skills working alongside her mother. It was clear she had a unique talent for creating beautiful and heartfelt floral arrangements. Her former employer suggested she meet with WESST, and she soon began discussing her dreams of starting
EMTeas
Cuba, NM Ben Yeargin, a former wildland firefighter and current EMT, had been thinking about EMTeas for a few months before reaching out to WESST. His wife is a small business owner and has "been singing WESST's praises for years." Ben had also recently attended a workshop for Cuba-area business owners hosted by a WESST team member. When he became more serious about his idea of starting EMTeas, he reached out for assistance. Ben didn’t know exactly where to start, but he had
Charmed
Kirtland, NM Hailey embarked on her entrepreneurial journey at a young age, focused on crafting and selling exquisite stone and crystal jewelry, alongside other distinctive handmade items. Constrained by health challenges, she found herself unable to thrive in a conventional education environment, but she was resolved to dedicating her time to creating artisan products. The opportunity for Hailey to manage her own business has provided her with a valuable outlet, allowing her
La Ruta de Anotjitos Mix
Albuquerque, NM Patricia learned about WESST through word of mouth and visited our WESST Enterprise Center in June 2024. During that initial visit, she learned about our services and originally had been planning to operate a fresh fruit cocktail cart. Patricia eventually scrapped that idea due to stricter health inspection requirements that the cart could not meet, but came back to WESST in November 2024 to explore the possibility of securing a loan to purchase a food truck.
The Movement Temple LLC
Albuquerque, NM Founded in March of 2021, The Movement Temple is a Pilates and Gyrotonic studio that began in the North Valley of Albuquerque, NM. With the focus of “movement as medicine,” Amanda Tay, owner and founder, aims to spread the joy of proficiency of movement by equipping clients with the knowledge of greater kinesthetic awareness in every step of their daily routine. From injury rehabilitation to high-intensity training, sessions are tailored to assist clients in o
Accent Flowers
Roswell, NM Suzie Fresquez has never shied away from hard work! Suzie originally was hired to do a job at a floral shop; however, as she worked to gain experience, she honed her skills and realized she had a real talent and a passion for floral design and the floral business. Suzie worked for the business owners for four years. Recognizing she was more than just an employee, and it was her true calling, the owners offered their business to Suzie when it was their time to move