Small Business Spotlight: Carolina Velasco, Unlimited Welding & Fabrication LLC

BY SULLY PINOS DIRECTOR, BUSINESS SOLUTIONS & INNOVATION

It was the summer of 2019 when Carolina Velasco joined a room full of budding entrepreneurs at Crispus Attucks for the start of the BLOOM Small Business Classes. These classes were offered at no cost to all attendees and eligible graduates of the program would later have the opportunity to apply for a BLOOM grant. Little did we know that this was the start of a long-term connection.

Carolina signed up for the classes on behalf of her and her husband’s new business, Unlimited Welding & Fabrication LLC, a small welding company with big goals. A true family-owned business originating from El Salvador, she and her husband, Wedner Granadeno, share the tasks of the business, from the project management and delivery, to administration and payroll. They are also preparing for the next generation of ownership with their two children. Through the BLOOM classes, not only did the couple find the resources and technical assistance needed to navigate through the administrative side of their business, but they grew empowered to network, form relationships with other businesses, and the reassurance that they could grow the business to meet their goals.

After the classes concluded, and with the support of a BLOOM grant, Carolina and her husband were able to purchase a truck to help them deliver finished products to clients across the Central Pennsylvania and Maryland areas. Since then, the business has relocated to the Dover area, and they are looking to bring on employees to the payroll.

Q: After already completing Bloom courses, what made you register again?

I learned so much from the classes and that helped us to make sure we were established and could continue to operate. So much has changed from the pandemic that I knew that our business could benefit greatly from these classes as a refresher, but also as an opportunity to connect directly with experts on the challenges we might be experiencing now. It’s an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up.

Q: What have you gained from the classes and the support of the YCEA?

YCEA and the team has been a blessing for our family business. Having your support over these years truly keeps us moving forward, and knowing that the support is available in our native language of Spanish is invaluable. We’ve taken the information from the first set of classes and the ones we are in currently to apply them to our business operations as we look to grow. I keep in touch with participants from the last round of classes and we help each other out whenever we can. We gained some great friends along this journey.

Q: What do you recommend for other businesses navigating through the startup phase?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and it is ok to not know the answers or process. The BLOOM Small Business Development classes are a great resource for any business to take and make the same connections that we did for our business. The team will truly help you along the way.

The next round of BLOOM Small Business Classes, “The Alphabet Soup for Starting a Business,” will start on October 7. Information on registering can be found on the YCEAPA.org website, under Workforce Development.

Looking to be involved as a future instructor? Contact Sully Pinos at spinos@yceapa.org to get connected.