AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The WT Enterprise Center and the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee are getting ready to host their final workshop in the three-part “Start A New Business” series for experienced entrepreneurs and start-up business owners.

According to the WT Enterprise Center, the workshop series will conclude with “Financing Your Business,” which will feature a panel of specialists who can provide financing options for entrepreneurs. The workshop will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on June 6 at the WT Enterprise Center.

The Enterprise Center added experts will present suggestions on how to find and apply for capital funding as an entrepreneur and offer advice to aid other business owners, both in the discussion and in a Q&A.

“We will actually have seven different lenders there and they do everything from micro loans that might be a couple of thousand dollars all the way to sba backed loans that could be millions of dollars, but they’ll have the chance to meet those lenders, find out what it takes to get financed, what kind of credit score do you need, what kind of equity do you need and kind of shop those loans and find out what might be the best fit for them,” said Gina Woodward, regional director of America’s SBDC at WTAMU.

Woodward said the types of topics that they are teaching in these workshops are the foundations of business.

“You need to know how to finance the business, how do I start it, how do I file my dba, my assumed name certificate, without that foundation, we think it’s difficult to start and successfully run a business,” said Woodward.

She added they want people in Amarillo to be successful, especially people in the Barrio.

“Because it’s been historically underserved, they have very few businesses in the neighborhood which means the residents are actually having to leave the neighborhood to get services and products that they need, so we are trying to bring everything together in one place to really serve that neighborhood,” said Woodward.

Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee President Teresa Kenedy said they want the residents in the Barrio to have a livable wage.

“In order to do that some of them want to do that through starting a new business, while others want to look for a job… We also want our families to make enough money to buy a home. 49 percent of our families own through homes, which means 51 percent rent, and by having a livable wage they will be able to pay all of their bills, save some money for a house and eventually buy one,” said Kenedy.

Kenedy added that there are currently 216 businesses in the Barrio and nine of those have come in the last year.

She said throughout the classes people have expressed interest in starting a wide array of different businesses including things involving fitness, food, and non-profits.

Kenedy added they’re currently planning the 2024 classes, in which they will add an additional class on marketing and change the location to AmTech and she said the students at AmTech will conduct the marketing class.