Your Guiding Light

In July, America's SBDC Iowa launched the Inclusivity Challenge to empower entrepreneurs and small businesses to improve their communities through building companies that provide jobs, local services and benefits, and create wealth all across the state of Iowa. This initiative builds upon existing SBDC efforts to help minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs establish a clear path to empowerment and continued economic and community prosperity.

Chi em Eats

Owners Franky and Saleena Valencia opened a Made To Crave — a Mexican grill restaurant serving the community of Prestonsburg, Kentucky

With the help of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Nicholls State University, Barbara and Rene Claudet were able to get the assistance needed to renovate a historical family home, create a beautiful Bed and Breakfast, settings for photographer’s shoots, and provide it as a venue for small events. The LSBDC helped the Claudets secure capital, start the business, create the business plan and create two full-time jobs. Barbara and Renet Claudet said the SBDC staff at Nicholls University was extremely helpful in assisting “us to navigate the process of starting a small business.” “The creation of a thorough business plan was a vital step in analyzing all the aspects of the venture prior to implementation,” Claudet said.

Karen Rasmussen and Manny Peña, owners of Taco Trio, a Mexican Restaurant, are a community staple. When they outgrew their first location, a perfect opportunity to expand presented itself. They worked closely with the SBDC to develop financial projections for the new space and understand a complicated debt & equity structure with many moving parts. Their projections were critical to the lenders’ loan approval decisions. Ultimately, they launched a brand-new restaurant space and a boutique inn.