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Select a client from the list below to go straight to their story.
Othon Garces Garces Metal Specialties San Antonio, TX Tracy Constant Kids Love 2 Cook Fort Worth, TX Leticia Plummer Maxwello Dental Spa and Wellness Houston, TX Ted Terrazas TerraHealth, Inc., San Antonio, TX Catherine Duross The Motorcycle School San Antonio, TX Alejandro Perez San Antonio Cab San Antonio Jesus Cantu Border Metal Works Pharr, TX |   Orthon Garces Garces Metal Specialties San Antonio Client since 1994 |
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Norma and
Marly Payan Marly’s Fashions El Paso, TX Anthony Smith Healing Air, Inc. Houston, TX Elisha Scott Educator Expo Dallas, TX Guadalupe Perez Navajo Cafe El Paso, TX |  Tracy Constant Kids Love 2 Cook Fort Worth Client since 2008 | Making memories with kids cooking classesIdeas come from everywhere. Tracy Constant’s idea for a new business came from her daughter, who was about to turn 4 years old and wanted a “cooking party” for her birthday. She remembered how much she had loved to cook with her mother and grandmother when she was a child. She thought, “Why not?” The birthday party with a menu the youngsters could prepare, chef’s hats, personalized aprons, led to requests for other parties and took Tracy, an accountant by profession, on her “amazing journey.” She acquired a location in Lake Worth, north of Fort Worth, painted the building in bright colors and made the perfect place for “making memories.” With fast foods and busy schedules, Constant thinks children are missing out, but now they can learn to cook at birthday parties and workshops at Constant’s business called Kids Love 2 Cook, and finds she is able to make on big impact on youngsters with special needs and has them for field trips to learn to cook. One opportunity has led to the next. Now Constant speaks to women’s groups, has had a children’s cooking show on a local television station and is writing a cookbook for kids. But it wasn’t always easy – when she was getting started, a bank she approached for a small loan told her the loan wasn’t large enough for them to work with her. A friend suggested she go to ACCION Texas. “It went from there,” she said. Though it’s tougher in today’s economic climate, she continues – making memories for youngsters in the Fort Worth area. BACK TO TOP |
 Leticia Plummer Maxwello Dental Spa and Wellness Houston Client since 2004 | Boosting confidence, one smile at a timeLeticia Plummer’s career followed in the footsteps of her father, a Houston dentist, and she added a sense of community service and a creative view of the world that has taken her in new directions. ACCION Texas helped turn her ideas into reality. After dental school in Dallas, she returned to Houston to practice with her father. ACCION Texas entered the picture in 2004 when she wanted to open her own practice only to find she was new “on paper” and didn’t have the requisite history, such as tax returns, a line of credit, and a credit score, to justify a bank loan. “ACCION kind of saved me,” she said. She borrowed $50,000 to have money in the bank and not to have to worry about her cash flow, she said. Today, she has 2,800 active patients at her location in Pearland. But that’s only part of her life. As an advisory board member for the Texas School of Business, she learned that many out-of-work people, especially welfare-to-work moms, had lost teeth or had poor teeth because they had never had dental care – and they were often turned down for jobs. So Plummer gives workshops through her nonprofit, Career Smiles, emphasizing the importance of first impressions and of dental hygiene and aesthetics and has been providing cosmetic dentistry to men and women in vocational training. Focusing on the front teeth that show when the person smiles, she has done 65 cases providing veneers, crowns and removing distracting gold work. She’s using her gifts to help create new careers, one smile at a time. BACK TO TOP |
 Ted Terrazas TerraHealth, Inc., San Antonio Client since 2001 |
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 Catherine Duross The Motorcycle School San Antonio Client since 2006 | Perseverance makes motorcycling dream come trueThere’s a poster hanging on Cathy Duross’ wall that says, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” The road to success was long and rocky for her, as she struggled in her dream to open a motorcycling school. Bank after bank had no interest in helping her with financing until she came to ACCION Texas in 2006. A year later, The Motorcycle School was in business, and growing. “Before I came to ACCION, I had enough to pay the rent and open the doors but no money to buy anything else.” she remembered. With the funds from her ACCION Texas loan, she was able to double the number of motorcycles in her inventory. “That made my business grow a whole lot faster,” she said. She credits her company’s success and popularity to ACCION Texas, and referrals from motorcycle dealers and her former students, and remembers with a smile the 20,000 business cards she handed out in those early days after she got her loan. Today, positive word of mouth keeps the phone and the course schedule at The Motorcycle School busy – a dream that came true because of sheer perseverance. She reiterates her wonder that ACCION Texas opened the door to her, an opportunity that enabled her to triple her business in the following 16 months. Looking forward, she’s revved up about the future. “I get paid to teach people to ride motorcycles. How cool is that?” she laughed. “Kids tell me I have a cool job, and I always just tell them I had to go through many hoops before I got it. It takes a lot of courage and hard work to open up a new business.” BACK TO TOP |
 Alejandro Perez San Antonio Cab San Antonio Client since 1999 | A loan from ACCION Texas helps start a cab companyAlejandro Perez and six of his cab driver friends started San Antonio Cab, a co-op, in 1999 by securing a $500 loan from ACCION Texas. The company is now a successful, well-established business and the original seven founders are still working together. They are like many of ACCION Texas’ clients who love what they do. “I like my freedom. I am everywhere,” said Perez. “Today I had breakfast in Kerrville, last week in San Marcos. I am like the wind. San Antonio has so much to offer, I get to share this with people from all over the world. I am so fortunate.” Pointing to his cab, he said, “I put 180,000 miles on that cab in three years.” The shiny, champagne-colored van is spotless. A robust, sincere man who speaks earnestly of his work, Perez was born in Los Angeles and moved to San Antonio in 1991. He started out driving a cab, and in 1999, decided to start his own business. He secured a loan from ACCION Texas and invested his first $500 in the amount required to compete for the permits to be an independent driver. He has worked hard to make the business a success. “ACCION Texas has been a big part of my business,” he added. “They got me on my feet and helped get me through the rough times.” Recently, he secured another loan from ACCION Texas, and is already planning his next expansion – with another cab. BACK TO TOP |
 Jesus Cantu Border Metal Works Rio Grande Valley Client since 2002 | Entrepreneur returns to the Valley to start his |
 Norma and Marly Payan Marly’s Fashions El Paso Client since 2003 | Fashion dreams in El Paso become a realityNorma and Marly Payan, a mother-daughter team from El Paso, have been designing and making custom dresses for women along the west Texas border from their downtown store – Marly’s Fashions – for many years now. Norma Payan alone has been sewing, designing, and selling her outfits for more than 30 years. In the early days, when she operated out of her home and while her daughter was away at college, Norma Payan worked to build the business in preparation for the day when Marly would join her. When she needed money to expand her line, a client referred Norma to ACCION Texas. When the much-needed financial assistance came through, and Marly returned from college with a level of enthusiasm that was hard to match, the two decided to bite the bullet and become business partners, opening a store in downtown El Paso, where the higher activity level and increased number of drop-ins would ensure a broader list of clients. With the new locale, improved bookkeeping, returning clients, and a growing list of new customers, their business went from good to much better. Designing and making dresses is Norma’s forte, but today Marly’s Fashion has taken on even more. The store will even arrange everything for a wedding, from the dress and decorations to invitations and handmade bouquets. With the help of ACCION Texas, Norma Payan was able to fulfill her dream of creating a successful business with her daughter. Talking about her business and her dreams for the future, her face radiates pride and satisfaction. “When you put love into your work,” she says, “everything comes out beautiful." BACK TO TOP |
 Anthony Smith Healing Air, Inc. Houston Client since 2002 | A ‘chance to succeed’ loan was essential for Healing AirAnthony Smith of Houston gives all the credit to ACCION Texas for helping him to grow his business – Healing Air, Inc. – a medical supply company that sells and rents beds and other medical equipment to individuals, hospitals and nursing homes on a contractual basis. Anthony had a great idea and incredible sales skills. But the downside was his poor credit. He had little cash when he came to ACCION for a loan, referred by a bank that was unable to work with him. Since 2002, Anthony has used loans from ACCION Texas to grow his business. “I think ACCION Texas is a prerequisite for small business owners, and I just don’t see how you can get started without their help,” he said. He describes a recent ACCION Texas loan of $35,000 as a vital stepping stone to transform Healing Air into the million-dollar corporation it is today. Healing Air now employs six people, some of whom needed a second chance themselves – and Smith was happy to give it. One of Healing Air’s employees had recently been released from prison when he started working for the company. After three years of hard work, this worker was taken off probation, having proved his employer’s belief in second chances, the same chance to succeed that ACCION Texas had provided for Anthony Smith. These days, Smith is definitely “bankable” and doing business with the bank that initially referred him to ACCION Texas. But he still keeps ACCION Texas loan officer Shirley Brooks updated about his business. BACK TO TOP |
 Elisha Scott Educator Expo Dallas Client since 2005 | Educator Expo realizes a retail dreamAs a child, Elisha Scott dreamed of working a cash register – probably a clear indicator of her future career as a retail business owner. Today, Elisha Scott is the owner of Educator Expo, a Dallas-based teaching supplies store. It was in the years after earning her business degree, when she taught for five years at the elementary school level, that she found her opportunity. Working as a teacher, Scott observed that the Dallas area was in need of a store that would provide quality instructional materials to educators. She started out as a purely web-based venture, and through her connections easily tapped into the local educational community. As time went on, she began to see that a store front would add significantly to her offerings and strengthen her relationships with her growing clientele. As she searched for additional financing to make her ideas reality, she heard about ACCION Texas. “My loan with ACCION Texas allowed me to move forward,” she said, and in October 2005, she opened Educator Expo, stocking and selling education materials and offering unique lessons to educators. As the name suggests, the store is an expo – offering everything from arts and crafts sessions to storytelling hour for children. Elisha Scott attributes her success to having great patience and to her faith. She also has a broad support team behind her in her husband, family, church members, and community. She is a firm believer in “going beyond what people expect” as the basis for excellent customer service. With drive, motivation and support – and a little financial assistance – Elisha has achieved her lifelong dream. BACK TO TOP |
 Guadalupe Perez Navajo Cafe El Paso Client since 2004 | Owning her own restaurant is a dream for El PasoanSeveral years ago, Guadalupe Perez’s longtime dream became reality – she and her business partner opened the Navajo Café. Walking into the cozy El Paso restaurant, customers are greeted with images of Native American art and the savory smell of homemade Mexican food. From the front, customers have a full view of the kitchen. On a typical night, Guadalupe bustles around, cooking and giving each dish she prepares her personal attention. It’s easy to see why she often says, “I feel so proud, happy, and satisfied” with the success of her business. But it wasn’t always this way. Two years after their grand opening, her business partner began to feel stressed and overworked with the long hours and the ceaseless demands that go along with owning a business, particularly one in the hospitality industry. Guadalupe Perez was faced with the prospect of either trying to sell the business or finding a way to buy out her partner. Her customers had become her friends, and business was prospering. So given the chance to become sole proprietor, she wanted to take it. She began her search for financing and ultimately came in contact with ACCION Texas and was thrilled to work with Elvira Valles, the El Paso loan officer for ACCION Texas. “Everything was like a dream,” she recalled. “I guess that’s how everyone starts a business.” She believes that opening a business is worth it every step of the way. “There’s a lot of sacrifice, a lot of demand on your time, but once it bears fruit, you know it was worth every second,” adding, “¡Si se hizo, si se logró!” – We did it! We made it! BACK TO TOP |
