Accion News: Colorado

Find what you need to grow your small business at Accion – from customized loans and training to a community of support. Below are stories of how we've invested in small businesses in your community and across America.

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Hannah Ulbrich, Owener of Copper Door Coffee in Denver, CO

“Copper Door Coffee Roasters LLC. (Copper Door) is the only 100% woman owned coffee roasting cafe in Denver.  I, Hannah Ulbrich, have owned the company since August, 2013.  It started as a wholesale roasting company out of a garage, and I have grown it into a full café and roasting room.” -Hannah Ulbrich 

Keep reading

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Germaine Seufert, Owner of Consultants for Children in Denver, CO

Germaine Seufert started Consultants for Children after working as a child service provider and realizing the lack of services available to children with autism. Today her business Consultants for Children provides primarily behavioral services to children with autism in Denver, CO. 

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Ryan Fisher, owner of Commonwealth Coffee Roasters in Denver, CO at the Fast Track kickoff reception in Chicago.

“We are a small coffee roasting company that wholesales coffee to cafes across the US. We offer training and service to our clients. I am constantly juggling keeping our books, inventory, etc in order while producing the coffee that clients order weekly.” - Ryan Fisher 

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Join our team!

Bilingual Loan Officer I (Denver, CO)

Accion is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that increases access to business credit, makes loans, and provides training, which enable emerging entrepreneurs to realize their dreams and be catalysts for positive economic and social change.

Loan officers serve as Accion ambassadors in the community, cultivating relationships, building referral networks and a community of support for the clients we serve. They develop and maintain a pipeline of loan new loan applicants, structure and close loans based on monthly goals and care for current clients. They support Accion’s strong relationship culture through on-going customer contact, quality customer service, and superior product knowledge. They lead clients through all stages of the lending process from origination to loan closing. They develop referral relationships with community partners such as banks, local chambers and small business development centers and perform educational outreach.

The Loan Officer I role is especially focused on business development outreach, visiting businesses on a regular basis to build relationships and to understand/serve credit needs.

In-state travel is required.

Loan officers must have a passion for helping people, a gift for building relationships, be excellent at business development outreach and have equally excellent execution skills for closing loans and providing outstanding customer service. .

All team members embody Accion’s brand of warm, exceptional customer service, seek excellence in all they do and demonstrate the highest degree of integrity and professionalism. They are natural leaders with a strong sense of personal responsibility, accountability and outstanding problem-solving skills. They are goal and results-oriented and well-organized.

Minimum Requirements English/Spanish fluency preferred; one to three years of professional experience and a bachelor’s degree are required.

Accion offers an excellent total compensation package, including competitive base salary, the opportunity for exciting incentive pay, and an attractive benefits package

Please send a cover letter and resume to Betsy Starr at [email protected] and to [email protected]. Please visit our website www.accionnm.org to learn more about our mission and organization.

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ACCION OPERATIONS TEAM HITS THE TOWN

Our fabulous operations team (minus Greg and Tony) hit the town for a team lunch today, and made a stop by Accion client, Routes Rentals & Tours, Inc., for the perfect photo op. The operations team includes (from left): Yolanda, Gayle, Nikki, Lacey, Analisa, and Yvonne. 

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Breaking the Business Mold

Three Innovators Set Popular Business Myths to Rest

By Alison Oatman

New research has recently highlighted the decline of American entrepreneurship despite the upward trends within the state of economy. Researchers have expressed concerns over slowed business creation being outpaced by business closures. There are a number of alarming consequences, largely fewer jobs and a greater slice of the U.S. economy dependent on long-standing firms. Over the last 35 years, new firm creation has shrunk, with companies under five years old hovering under ten percent of the entrepreneurial pie. The Kauffman Foundation points to the recession as hindering entrepreneurial potential.

In light of this recent spotlight on dwindling entrepreneurship rates, there is a need to lay several business myths to rest and spur forward a new generation of entrepreneurs. The following article profiles three different business trailblazers.  Each entrepreneur responded to a call to action, held a rare insight, and was unmoved by a popular myth about starting a business.

An American woman travels to Zimbabwe and discovers a “fruitful” way to improve a local economy. A small-town doctor comes up with a novel method to enhance the quality of care she offers. An inventor zeros in on affordable ways to clean up the agricultural industry. The results of such entrepreneurs and innovation include the creation of jobs, improvements within the community, and greater financial well-being.  Here are their stories, and what they did to disprove common myths about energizing a business.

Myth #1: One Person Can’t Make a Difference

The baobab fruit looks like a giant green potato stuffed with powdery white pulp grows on the gnarly baobab tree. This singular tree grows in the most drought-prone areas of Africa, such as Zimbabwe. Despite being labeled “the breadbasket of Africa,” Zimbabwe receives so little rainfall that farmers can’t grow conventional crops and don’t own much livestock. With 70 percent of Zimbabweans living in poverty on less than a dollar a day, you might think that they would turn to the nutrition-packed baobab fruit for survival. Yet there’s a stigma attached to eating the fruit. Many people consider it a food of last resort, and children are often the only ones who consume it.

In 2010, Sara Andrews traveled to Zimbabwe to work with TechnoServe, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build businesses in impoverished areas throughout the world. The Zimbabweans’ vigorous entrepreneurial spirit, along with a 90 percent literacy rate, appealed to her immediately. Andrews knew she wanted to help cultivate the region’s economic growth in a way that also supported the environment.

She soon recognized the baobab fruit as a nutritional bombshell. The overlooked commodity has more antioxidants than popular “superfoods” such as acai or goji berries, according to tests published in Nutrition Journal. What’s more, the fruit is a great source of dietary fiber, has 14 amino acids, and a host of other essential vitamins. Andrews realized that the process of harvesting the fruit would involve labor and time, but the fruit could be harvested from existing trees. With this relatively low financial investment, families could purchase seeds from the proceeds.  

Knowing the potential market for healthful baobob products, Andrews launched a company in Denver, called Bumbleroot, to sell the baobab fruit as a drink mix in the United States. The fruit, which is already in powdered form underneath its skin, is combined with coconut and other natural flavorings and sweeteners. The mix is made to dissolve in a glass or bottle of water so that consumers can avoid plastic packaging. “We worked to make it as natural as possible,” Andrews says. The result? A tasty organic, dairy- and gluten-free drink mix that comes in four flavors: pineapple, vanilla bean, lemongrass and blueberry.

A portion of the profits from Bumbleroot goes back into the communities where the fruit is harvested for food, water and education projects—proof that the ingenuity of just one person can indeed make a difference. Despite the longstanding taboo in Zimbabwe against eating it, the baobab fruit has taken on “newfound value in their communities as harvesters find new ways to use it,” Andrews says.    

Myth #2: New Ways of Doing Things Are Always Best

Robin Dickinson, a doctor, mother of two, currently living in Englewood, Colorado, felt there was something fundamentally wrong with our healthcare system. She wondered, “Whatever happened to doctors who made house calls and spent as much time as necessary with each patient?“  

Dickinson and her husband, who is also a doctor, yearned to make things less complicated: “We feel blessed to live in a community where we can walk or bike almost everywhere, keep chickens, and know our neighbors.” Her solution? Community Supported Family Medicine. This small practice is an “ideal form of medicine where we provide a different quality of care.”

In the U.S., about 30 percent of health-care costs go to administration according to Businessweek. Dickinson’s idea was to cut those costs by having her patients pay a small monthly fee, thus making medicine more affordable. She charges $30 a month per person for the first two members of the household and $15 a month for each additional member. In addition, there is a $60 one-time administrative fee per household to join. Membership in the center allows patients to come in and see Dickinson whenever they need to instead of worrying about the cost of a particular appointment.

How does this work? By using a direct membership model rather than one based on a patient’s insurance coverage, she is able to simplify her practice’s finances and structure.  And, there are just two people in the office: a patient and a physician fully focused on that patient’s needs.  

That patient-physician relationship at the core of Dickinson’s practice ensures good communication. A patient might want lab results or to discuss a recent article. “You can’t bill for that,” Dickinson says. Most of her practice is done electronically, such as answering questions or sending lab results by email. She also spends a lot of time with patients over the phone explaining whatever they are comfortable bringing up—including those nagging little questions that people usually don’t feel brave enough to ask.

Half of U.S. doctor visits last 15 minutes or less, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This makes it “difficult to talk in depth about everything,” according to Dickinson. By contrast, she averages an hour of private time with each of her patients. She takes the opportunity to really delve into their questions and her explanations. She spells out why her patients should exercise or follow specific dietary recommendations. “I explain why I’m recommending what I do,” she says.

Dickinson believes everyone should have access to this kind of care: “My hope would be that someday we’d have a variety of different models, different choices and creativity about choices.”  Her ingenuity proves that old-fashioned ideas can be adapted to today’s needs.        

Myth #3: Better Products Must Be More Expensive

At a conference in 2012, agricultural innovator Calvin Hildebrand of Santa Fe, New Mexico and farmer Kevin Ivey discussed the fact that the price of commercial chemical-based fertilizer had increased by 400 percent in the previous two years. They wondered if it would be possible to replace fertilizer with an abundant, less expensive, resource: algae.

After the conference, Hildebrand enlisted the help of Gary Chavez, an algae lab intern at Santa Fe Community College. Soon after, Chavez discovered a tank half full of algae. And these algae were small—about seven microns—which meant they wouldn’t plug up the pivot that would be needed to spray 34 gallons of the algae on a field at a time.  Hildebrand and Chavez cultivated this powerful strain of indigenous algae, scenedesmus. Next, they tested it on a crop of seed millet and alfalfa and orchard grass on a farm near Moriarty, New Mexico. The results of this testing might well change the course of human (and natural) events.

Not only did the algae prove potent, and double crop growth, but they reduced waste and pollution. That is, the algae regenerated degraded soil and reduced the need for water because the algae hold water, enabling nutrient absorption. The resulting plants were hearty.

An additional experiment showed that algae coated the roots of plants and fed the microorganisms in the soil in a way that breaks down harmful nitrates. According to National Geographic, nitrogen fertilizer is widely overused and has been identified as a major source of pollution, poisoning the air and contaminating lakes.  

The bottom line? Algae are also 70 percent less costly than traditional fertilizer. Hildebrand’s company, Innovative Organic Solutions International, now produces “algae products for soil restoration.” (The algae products cannot be labeled fertilizer, but as “soil amendment.”) Not only do the algae not contain any chemicals; they displace chemicals.  This symbiotic arrangement is a perfect match and proof that a better product doesn’t have to cost more.

These inspired innovators challenge three prevalent business myths, all while finding a unique, innovative solution to a common problem. All of them succeeded with help from Accion, a nonprofit organization in the Western states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, that has been a champion of innovators since its inception in 1994.  

These Accion-funded innovators all skewer oft-repeated myths about starting a business. They’ve found ways to reframe common problems and offer solutions.  And as these three demonstrate, innovation is for all of us to use in our daily lives. Like them, anyone can find opportunities in the world to make a difference. It’s stories like these that offer hope in a time of dwindling business creation, demonstrating these myths should finally be laid to rest.

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Happy Birthday, Yvonne!

Yvonne, our Chief Snacks Officer, resident Canadian, and champion of all things technology and innovation, celebrated her birthday earlier in May. Happy birthday, Yvonne!

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Inventor’s dream toy business becomes a reality

Coming from diverse backgrounds and representing many different industries, the entrepreneurs Accion serves all share a drive to create. For Ernest Leigh, a drive to create joy for others led him to start a custom radiocontrolled toy design business. Ernest came to the U.S. from Nigeria as a young man and made Denver his home. While working for the State of Colorado during the day, he decided to pursue a lifelong goal— starting his own business designing toys. 

To help fuel Dragonfly HC3D Studios, Ernest contacted Accion for a start-up loan. Beyond getting the business credit he needed, Ernest found a community of support. Ernest says, “Building my own business is a dream come true, it’s something I’d wanted to do since I was nine.” Now, while working on Dragonfly HC3D Studios in the evenings, he shares his passion for design with his three young children who love seeing the toys their father drafts on the computer and then builds. Ernest says, “My business is a catalyst to educate my children that it’s not easy to follow your dream, but you have complete fulfillment when you do so. ”

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Make your social media strategy a success!

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Want to learn how to create a strategic social media presence? Make sure you check out our workshop on June 10th led by long-time small business owner, Cecilia Dardanes. Make sure to RSVP early!

Not in Albuquerque? We will be streaming the event! Click here to be directed to the live video stream.

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Bertha Cerda, Beta Crafts

Bertha Cerda, owner of Beta Crafts, sells artisan crafts from her native country of Ecuador. With a loan from Accion, Bertha was able to allow her business to flourish. See more of Bertha’s story here:

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Accionista Zeny!

Pictured above is Chase VP and Accionista Zeny Agullana showing off her fabulous Accion pin! Thanks to JPMorgan Chase for their generous support of Accion and small business. To learn more about Chase and their Mission Main Street program, click here!

Want to show your Accion spirit? Email us your Accionista selfie at [email protected].

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Calling all Colorado entrepreneurs – Mission Main Street, an initiative of Chase, is offering your small business the chance to win one of twenty grants to start or grow. We would love to see as many Accion entrepreneurs in the running as possible - so get your entries in today. Please get in touch with us if you decide to enter so we can help promote your business, too!

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Partnering with Chase to support small business in CO shows remarkable results

Accion launched 2015 by lending $1 million to small businesses during the first quarter in Colorado! Chase was our number one referral partner in the Centennial State, referring 12 different small businesses that were able to receive Accion financing.

We are very grateful to our JPMorgan Chase partners who have enabled us to reach so many entrepreneurs across Colorado seeking access to capital for their small businesses! 

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ACCION TAKES TO THE GREENS

On Friday the Albuquerque based lending team hit the driving range for some team bonding. They look like pros, don’t you think? Next stop: PGA Tour. Learn more about life at Accion here.

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Grow Your Business with Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a business education program that teaches entrepreneurs valuable skills for growing their businesses, the opportunity to access financial capital, powerful networking opportunities and more, at absolutely no cost to participants.

Interested in the program? Click here to learn more!

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MEET OUR NEWEST ACCIONISTA

In 2012, after working for two years as a healthcare management consultant in Chicago, Andre Philipp realized he wanted to do something more impactful with his life. He applied to a development organization called One Acre Fund and was hired to work in Burundi, East Africa, to help smallholder farmers increase their harvests and pull themselves and their communities out of poverty. After his contract was finished, Andre and his wife returned to the United States and decided to make Albuquerque their home. We’re so glad they did because Andre is our newest client services intern in our Albuquerque office. Welcome, Andre! 

Meet the rest of our Accion team here. 

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HELP US #SHARETHEPROFIT

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Economies grow by standing on the shoulders of small businesses – but you probably know that already. What you might not know is that T.V. network CNBC thinks so, too.

We’re honored to announce that CNBC’s reality show, The Profit, which offers struggling small businesses around the United States capital and expertise, has selected Accion to be the recipient of their very first #ShareTheProfit campaign. This means that every time anyone shares campaign posts from @accion_US or @theprofitCNBC, Accion will earn $1, up to $100,000.

Will you help us reach that goal?

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Every Tweet or post counts, so please join us in supporting small businesses and economies everywhere!