CLIMBER Loan Fund

Program Details

The Climber Loan Fund provides flexible working capital up to $250,000 to existing businesses across rural Colorado to build back our rural economies.

The Climber Loan Fund is designed to support our rural businesses with 1-99 employees, who have 1 year of positive net income in the previous 5 years . Small businesses in need of working capital, consolidate higher interest debt, make improvements on retail space, purchase inventory, upgrade equipment, and cover payroll and operating expenses.

Climber loan fund

Loan terms:

Loans up to $250,000
Deferred Payments for up to 90 days, upon request

Get Started

Success Stories

Cajas, Durango

Cajas Durango

Identity Pet Nutrition

Pawsh Pet Salon, Bayfield

Three Trucking Businesses, San Luis Valley

Cajas is a Colorado-based Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) business that turns shipping containers into modern affordable dwellings to help people with their need for extra space, including guest houses, backyard offices, studios, and home gyms. After meeting at a workshop and learning about FSWCF, the owner was able to secure funding to help increase Cajas’ presence through marketing.

“With the loan from FSWCF, Cajas was able to hire one employee, renovate our workspace, and invest in a marketing campaign. This all led to Cajas being awarded our largest contract to date, building six shipping container houses for a large company that wanted to provide on-site employee housing. We definitely can’t thank FSWCF enough for the opportunity to grow our business.”
–Kameryn Dean

Growing up in the Roaring Fork Valley, Dusti Budd helped her dad and mom with the original Capitol Deli family restaurant. She continued to work in food service positions while earning a degree focusing on accounting and entrepreneurship. Years later, she jumped at the opportunity to own Capitol Deli, a local restaurant known for its Philly Cheesesteaks and homemade cheesecakes. She opened the doors to the new Rifle location two months before COVID hit and was forced to take on high interest debt to stay afloat. Her loan with FSWCF allowed Dusti to invest back in the business with new updates and marketing.

“The funding we got from FSWCF helped our family business blossom and flourish
the way we had envisioned after surviving the struggles of COVID.”
–Dusti Budd

We want to give your pet the blank canvas of good, simple, delicious food to let their identities shine through. By developing this superior quality value-filled pet food, we believe that luxurious taste should know no boundaries. Every pet deserves access to responsibly and sustainably-sourced products that offer comprehensive health and wellness benefits from the first taste.

“With the loan from FSWCF, Identity Pet Nutrition was able to obtain permanent working capital to purchase inventory. We can’t thank FSWCF enough for the opportunity to grow our business." - Jeremy Petersen

Since purchasing a local grooming business, new owner Ty Olsen rebranded Pawsh Pet Salon and expanded its offerings. With a mission to provide the best dog grooming service in the area, Pawsh Pet Salon now offers full-service grooming as well as daycare, pet food, and supplies.

“FSWCF not only kickstarted the retail section in my shop but also paved the way for substantial enhancements. With the newfound resources, I invested in top-quality shelves and expanded the inventory to include a diverse range of dog essentials. This move not only addressed the community’s pressing need for pet supplies but also proved to be a game-changer for the business…. As a result, I now find myself in a position to allocate funds toward acquiring new equipment and introducing innovative products to further elevate the shop’s offerings.”
–Ty Olsen

First Southwest Community Fund, in partnership with Colorado Startup Loan Fund, was proud to help three startup trucking businesses access the resources they needed to get established. These businesses hold the unique distinction of being second-generation trucking businesses in the San Luis Valley.

“Thank you to FSWCF for being the key to making this dream of being a business owner come true. They opened the doors to make things a lot more accessible for startups and entrepreneurs; again many thanks to the Community Fund for being a blessing to this business.”
–Joel Gonzalez, 4:13 Trucking

“FSWCF has given me the opportunity to make my dream of being an owner operator come true.”
—Jesús Miranda Jr., J Miranda Trucking

“After graduating college, being an owner of my own business has always been a dream of mine. This fund made my dream a reality. I thank FSWCF for making this a reality.”
—Fabian Nadiel Quezada, Fastlane Transportation