Page 6 - BusinessWest Macrh 6, 2023

“We saw an opportunity
to provide something
that wasn’t really available anywhere in the city. We came together, took a chance and said, ‘let’s try this.”
Jason Vásquez, owner of Nas Small Repairs, which specializes in small con- struction projects and repairs to homes and businesses, needs one to take his venture, and his career, to the next level. And he’s using his $1,000 mini-grant to buy the code and regulations books and other materials to help him attain that license.
“I want to enable my small business to grow, and in the future, I’d like to have a program for young people and women to learn about construction and maybe move into the field,” he explained. “And to do that, I need this license and the right personnel behind me.”
Vasquez’s use of his mini-grant is exemplary of the many ways they are being put to use and how important they are to small businesses who need them to gain some momentum with whatever might be written into their business plan.
And the names on the businesses
that have received such grants in the most recent round show just how varied these business plans are. That list includes Faded Barber Lounge, Thomas’ Cleaning, 50-50 Food Truck, Agudelo Apiary, Burgos & Son Trucking LLC, and Top-Flight Nutrition.
It also includes Juguitos Healthy Grab & Go, a name that tells you all you need to know (or almost all you need to know), and a venture inspired by personal need.
As Arroyo tells the story, he and his sister, Elizabeth, were both looking to shed some weight and “take back their health,” as he put it, starting with their respective diets.
“It was difficult because I was a videographer, and I was
Gilberto Amador finds it rewarding to coach small-business owners to greater success.
Staff Photo
The venture started off at 112 State St., a small location that was hindered further by a lack of parking, Pedro said,
on the road all the time — I didn’t have the time to make prepared meals, and would eat out a lot,” he went on, add- ing that he and Elizabeth set out to address their own needs, and those of countless others, by creating a busi- ness focused on smoothies, juices, soups, sandwiches, and other healthy offerings that, as the sign says, people can grab and go.
We’re here for local business.
Tomorrow is already on its way, and our job is to set you up for success. As a local bank, we know what it takes to run a business around here. With personalized guidance and a suite of business products — free checking, online and mobile banking, cash management services and lending — we’re committed to helping your business grow and prosper.
Learn more at bankESB.com or call 855.527.4111
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6 MARCH 6, 2023
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