COLORADO SPRINGS — On Tuesday, the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber held a luncheon discussing some of the topics locally-owned Hispanic businesses are facing in our area. One Board Member and small business owner, Ramon Alvarez, says that running his company is one of the hardest things he's had to do.
"There's no finish line for the obstacles that small business owners have to face," said Alvarez.
Alvarez dedicates much of his support of other Hispanic business owners and the Colorado Springs community in general to his immigrant status.
"I was a farm worker at the beginning of my life up until 18 years old. Lots of people helped me and my family access resources so everywhere I move throughout the west coast of South America. I made it a point and it's my passion to pay that forward."
Alvarez has been working with the Hispanic Chamber to offer other local business owners resources and classes they might need. They offer classes on bookkeeping marketing, focusing your mission, developing a business plan, and learning how to apply for various grants and loans.
"Perhaps they didn't develop those relationships with their banker, or other people all of us seem to know, but for Hispanic business owners, they weren't ready to access resources yet, so I'm proud of how the Hispanic chamber has connected them to the right resources," said Alvarez.
Alvarez says that the chamber is also working to increase awareness of its members within the community, branching
out to solidify its success in Colorado Springs.
"We're here for those small business owners to help them, but also for those companies who want to do business with the Hispanic community," said Alvarez.
To view any of the resources or information in this story in English or Spanish, you can visit the Chamber's website here.
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