Who We Are:

Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) is a nonprofit business lending organization dedicated to the success of small businesses in Colorado. We target our financing resources to underserved communities – primarily Black, Latino, women, and veteran owned businesses, especially those located in low to moderate income areas. 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 and other financial resources.

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.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are looking for a full-time employee in our Business Navigation Services group. This employee is responsible for providing effective business coaching (also called “technical assistance”) both pre and post loan to CEF clients, as part of our Business Navigators (BN) team.

The BN team provides coaching, tools, and resources to entrepreneurs to help them position their businesses for success. This coaching may include assisting clients in the Denver Metro area 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 in support of the community.

Pre-loan

• Supporting CEF loan prospects, including scoring progress against standards towards loan readiness, delivering associated education and coaching on business plans, cash projections, and the like
• As requested, supporting loan officers by providing services to applicants who have not met initial loan requirements

Post-loan

• Assessing borrowers’ progress towards business maturity using tools provided
• Providing business advice to CEF borrowers, including but not limited to the following: best practices in sales, marketing, people management, and financial management
• Assisting clients making decisions from indications in financial documents such as profit and loss statements and balance sheets
• Providing accounting reporting and accounting system support in systems such as QuickBooks
• Building strong, long-term relationships with assigned CEF clients
• Meeting clients online or in person, based on their needs

General

• Supporting partner organizations by providing workshops for their small business owners
• Maintaining data so that senior leadership can review progress towards goals set by the department and company
• Daily/weekly collaboration with other Business Navigators staff and management virtually and in-person
• Create, design and implement innovative practices that can support borrowers even more effectively
• Perform other duties as assigned

Education/Experience

• Minimum of five years of experience as a small business owner, small business coach, or other relevant entrepreneurial experience
• Bachelor's degree related to business or accounting, or equivalent work experience, is required
• Experience working in a commercial lending institution is a plus

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Spanish fluency, both spoken and written, is required given the communities that CEF is serving
• A strong 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 broad range of cultures, personalities and working styles
• Respectful and responsive demeanor while working within the diverse communities that CEF serves
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, including an ability to engage in consistent, detailed documentation of work performed
• Deep knowledge of small business best practices and potential challenges and hazards faced by entrepreneurs
• Ability to listen empathetically and constructively to business needs expressed by small business owners and staff
• Aptitude to uncover business needs not immediately perceived by the business owner
• Capability to convert business needs expressed into action plans, in priority order to address the best next steps intended to accelerate the progress of the business
• Professional history of working with people from diverse backgrounds, including BIPOC and immigrant communities
• Proficiency in using business software applications including but not limited to Microsoft Office Suite, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
• Proficiency in small business financial documentation and accounting practices
• Strongly self-motivated and able to follow through in completing high-quality, detailed work with minimal supervision
• Capacity to prioritize multiple responsibilities to meet internal and external deadlines

Workspace/Physical Requirements

• CEF will provide tools and resources to use with clients. Candidate maintain reliable internet and cell phone service during working hours. All candidates will need to spend several hours per day looking at a computer screen.
• Ability to provide reliable transportation in an insured vehicle to client sites in Colorado as required. Mileage to client sites is reimbursed.