The Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team, or WESST, was founded with the goals of helping women, people of color, and low-income New Mexicans learn about best business practices, to support new entrepreneurs with financial and business advice, and provide resources within their communities. Farmington’s WESST center in San Juan College’s Quality Center for Business assists local entrepreneurs at every step of their small-business journey. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Ute Mountain Casino Hotel and Service Master Restore
Have you ever wanted to start a business but you just can work on the weekends, or maybe you just want to make enough money to support you and your family? Do you just have an idea for a business or maybe you just need a little financial help to launch something exciting? The Farmington WESST Women's Business Center operated by WESST, knows the power of the word just, and it's here to help you achieve your goals. You're watching the local news network, brought to you by Yuma Casino Hotel and ServiceMaster Restore. I'm Hayley Opsal.
That we're just really, really powerful for these women just because they, you know, they don't see the impact about like how this could be, this is doing so good and that they shouldn't like diminish or dim their light, because they're doing, they're doing something.
The Farmington WESST Women's Business Center is part of the women's economic self-sufficient team based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with locations across New Mexico. WESST is a non-profit organization that provides resources and support, primarily to women and minority entrepreneurs. Resources range from online webinars, to one-on-one consultations with business experts, to technology hubs, to non-credit based loans.
We really kind of work to have a relationship with our clients, so that they're not only the relationship doesn't end when they get the loan, but it actually progresses post of it, so that we're communicating with them, we're making sure that they're set up for success, and then we're always doing check ins with them to see if there's any other barriers that kind of arise in their process of starting their business, even with the funds that are available. So whether they come across of like any new kind of help with marketing strategies, or they need to at some point they're growing at a really great pace, that they need to bring on more people onto the team, such as a CPA, maybe a bookkeeper, maybe extra labor help.
Operating at a San Juan College's Quality Center for Business, The WESST Women's Business Center offers several opportunities for local entrepreneurs to access a wide variety of resources. WESST partners with the regional business incubator for Corners, Economic Development, and the Small Business Development Center, to name a few. Farmington's chapter of WESST is uniquely placed to offers services beyond the city of Farmington itself.
I think the great thing about our services is, is the fact that not only are we kind of we reach three counties of San Juan County, McKinley, and it's Ebola, but what we also do is we end up extending out onto the reservation in Arizona, and then because there's our women's business center or even kind of a business resource center in Southern Colorado, we end up getting a lot of those kind of referrals, and as long as that people who are interested in like some sort of resource for like business support, and the same thing with Southern Utah. So I think we're really kind of great, and where we're positioned, because this, as I've seen in the past here, there's a lot of individuals who need a lot of help.
The WESST Women's Business Center, while it primarily works to serve women in New Mexico, is available as a resource to anyone looking to start a business, or to those who might already have a business but they're looking to expand, or move from online into a physical location. All you need to get started with WESST is to set up an appointment. Then business consultants will help you develop a plan, write down goals, and provide support along the way.
I think the most important thing about these kind of resources that we have is the fact that even though we're a business center, even though our mission is about helping people grow or start their small business, I think it's success for a lot of individuals is honestly deciding whether they even want to pursue a business, and I think that's really kind of important, and that's what our jobs as business consultants, as business centers, you know, people who develop business resources, that's the most important part is because, like, you know, you want individuals to really kind of be successful.
The WESST Women's Business Center is located at San Juan College's Center for Quality Business. To make an appointment, call 505-566-3715 Monday through Friday. To learn more about WESST, visit wesst.org. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Network, I'm Hayley Opsal.
