Small Biz eXcellence: A Special Contest For New Start-Ups

Big Businesses Start Small! Local Organizations Team Up With New Contest

Premiering here in the June edition of Biz X magazine — with a second installment to come in October — we introduce to you a special contest with Libro Credit Union (Libro.ca) and the Small

Business & Entrepreneurship Centre

(SBEC; WeBusinessCentre.com) to reward new start-ups in the region.

“Libro’s partnerships with organizations within the business ecosystem in our region are integral to growing prosperity for Windsor Essex,” states Shannon Dyck, Small Business Specialist Coach for Libro Credit Union. “Partnering with SBEC and Biz X on this initiative is an opportunity to further provide wrap around supports for the successful business.”

So what is the process to determine the overall winner?

The SBEC staff selected three finalists from 178 businesses who utilized their consulting services from January to April. Libro then chose their top choice to receive a cash prize of $500 and coaching sessions.

“Finding the right business advisors can make all the difference for a new small business in those first new years,” indicates Dyck. “Libro is happy to provide additional coaching to help build financial resilience, to coach on cash flow management, banking tools and business solutions that can help a new business make smart business decisions.”

SBEC was the perfect organization to involve in this initiative since they have provided thousands of entrepreneurs with the training and support necessary to start and grow successful businesses in Windsor and Essex County since 1992.

Their services include: Small business advice and consultation; business plan support; access to professionals; research assistance; business development workshops; access to micro-financing; mentoring and networking opportunities; and guidance on government requirements and programs

And now we present the first winner, drum roll please . . . Montañeros Coffee Corp!

“We are so happy to have won this award and to have been selected as the best among a group of successful companies,” says Wilmer

INTEREST WOULD MEAN MORE THAN A LOAN RATE.

Your business is your baby. You created and nurtured it, risking everything to make it a win. So yes - loan rates are important. A financial partner who shows genuine interest in your success is also important. Libro business Coaches believe in your company. Through good times and challenges. Making money better for businesses blends compassionate, expert financial coaching and fair rates. Contact a Libro business Coach today.

libro.ca/business

1-800-361-8222

Libro is excited to partner with Biz X Magazine and the Small Business Entrepreneurship Centre on the Small Biz eXcellence contest.

Photographed at the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (SBEC) downtown Windsor for the cheque presentation from left are: Natasha Marar, SBEC Manager, Marketing & Entrepreneurship Programs; Shannon Dyck, Small Business Specialist Coach for Libro Credit Union; Wilmer Hernandez and Caterine Arboleda Munoz, Founders and CEOs of Montañeros Coffee Corp. with Aparna Krishnamoorthy, SBEC Business Advisor. Photo by Rod Denis.

Hernandez, Co-founder of Montañeros with his wife Caterine Arboleda Munoz. “This means we have been doing a great job. As entrepreneurs, it is gratifying to know that all our effort, passion and perseverance to make a difference is seen by organizations as important as this one. We will invest this award in ourselves as founders of this specialty company, in which we have put all our effort that unites the best of two countries, in a cup of our Colombian specialty coffee.”

The couple grew up on farms in Colombia, where they learned the coffee business inside and out from the generations of Montañeros that came before them. From sourcing to crafting, it’s this expertise and tradition that makes their coffee unmistakeably different.

The business recently relocated from Brampton, Ontario to Windsor, so their products are available in the GTA region, but also locally in places such as: Fred’s Farm Fresh International Market, Wolf & Rebel, Windsor Tea Emporium, Dressed by An Olive, and the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market, Customers can also order online from: MontanerosCoffee.com.

“When reviewing the three finalists, the Libro team looked at how each business aligned with our Four Pillars (Employment, Financial Resilience, Local Food Accessibility, and Housing), the impact on our community, scaleability, and who we felt would benefit from coaching and the $500 award,” says Dyck. “The Libro team chose Montañeros to receive the Small Biz Excellence Award. We feel they have the most potential, both for growth and employment opportunities, and we appreciate their focus on sustainability on a global scale, and diversity and inclusion. And finally, Montañeros demonstrated their eagerness to learn in our Libro sponsored Foodpreneur Advantage Scale-Up program through Invest WindsorEssex Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre, providing them with additional business coaching and resources to launch and take their business to the next level.”

Congratulations to Montañeros for receiving this Small Biz eXcellence recognition!