Bilingual Business Navigator (Full-Time)

Are you passionate about helping small business owners access capital and succeed beyond the loan?

Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) is a nonprofit business lending organization dedicated to the success of small businesses in Colorado. We provide access to capital for Colorado small businesses that are unable to access traditional financing. Our primary focus areas are business owners who may be low to moderate income, minority, women, or veterans. We're committed to creating meaningful impact in Colorado's communities by providing equitable and affordable business financing for entrepreneurs who cannot access bank loans or other financial resources.

Why This Role Matters

At CEF, we see our community impact through job creation, wealth building for disadvantaged populations, and the growth and success of the businesses we fund. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), we offer loans, grants, and free business coaching to entrepreneurs to help them succeed.

Colorado small business owners and entrepreneurs seek assistance from our organization in moving towards the major step of asking for financial loans that they have not been able to find from traditional resources such as banks.

The Team

The team, led by the Director of Business Navigation, provides coaching, tools, and resources to entrepreneurs to help them position their businesses for success, before and after the loan. This coaching may include assisting clients in the Denver Metro region face-to-face with setting up financial documents such as cashflow or profit and loss statements, building their workforce, reviewing operations for increased profitability, and devising marketing strategies for a variety of business sectors. Business Navigators are provided with tools and templates to use with clients and are also encouraged to bring their unique set of skills and resources to their work.

CEF offers a flexible, hybrid work environment blending remote work with opportunities to connect in person. This role can expect to travel into our Denver office weekly during the initial training period and then 3-5 times per month for meetings and other business specific trainings.

At Colorado Enterprise Fund, we believe in a skills-first approach to recruitment and employment. This means focusing on what you can do and how you can grow, rather than traditional metrics alone. We are committed to adhering to anti-exclusion practices, removing barriers to access, and enhancing opportunities for all individuals based on merit and potential.

On a given day, your work will include:

Pre-Loan

• As requested by loan officers, conducting comprehensive financial analysis for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Aptitude to learn the fundamentals of credit analysis, to make preliminary decisions about the credit worthiness of loan inquiries.
• Ability to uncover business needs not immediately perceived by the business owner.
• Guide small business owners with step-by-step instruction to prepare
• themselves financially and operationally to apply for and obtain small business loans.

Post-Loan

• Proactively contact selected customers daily, as assigned, to quickly assess business health and offer assistance with improvements. Follow up with support sessions as needed.
• Assess borrowers' progress towards business maturity using the tools provided.
• Exercise independent judgment by offering business consulting advice to CEF borrowers including but not limited to the following areas: best practice in sales, marketing, people management, and financial management that impacts overall business growth.
• Identify financial risks through a detailed review of small business owners' profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and business practices.
• Coach on accounting reporting and accounting system support in systems such as QuickBooks.
• Stay up to date on tax regulations and legal concepts to detect possible issues and refer borrowers to appropriate tax and legal professionals as needed.
• Convert business needs expressed into action plans, in priority order, to address the next best steps intended to accelerate the progress of the business.
• Build strong, long-term relationships with assigned CEF clients.
• Conduct meetings with clients online or in person, based on their needs.

What You Bring

• Spanish fluency, spoken and written, is required given the communities that CEF is serving.
• Minimum of five years' experience as a small business owner, or other relevant entrepreneurial experience.
• Minimum of three years' experience as small business coach.
• Bachelor's degree related to business, or equivalent work experience.
• A powerful sense of ownership, accountability, and critical thinking skills directed towards CEF's mission of serving a diverse population of Colorado business owners.
• Flexibility and agility to work with a broad range of cultures, backgrounds, personalities, and working styles.

As an established CDFI, we offer the following benefits:

• Health, vision, dental and life insurance, paid parental leave, as well as short-term and long-term disability coverage. CEF also offers a monthly hybrid work stipend, and a 403b retirement plan with employer match up to 5% of an employee's contribution. Our paid time off policies include ten (10) paid holidays per year, paid vacation, and paid health and wellness time.

If this role excites you, apply online today! The application takes under 20 minutes to complete and requires a current resume. Your time is valuable, so know that we commit to reviewing every qualified application that comes through.

Compensation details: 0 Yearly Salary

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