After 30 years of working in the restaurant business, Gilbert Ruiz wanted to try something new. And so, along with his wife Lourdes, he set out to follow his passion.
“Boxing has always been my passion,” said Gilbert. “I was a competitor when I was a kid; I trained my sons, both of whom were champion boxers. My sister and two of my brothers were champion boxers. And I saw this industry growing in Fresno, and finally I said to myself, ‘We need a facility that fighters can come to from early morning to late at night.’”
The Lourdes set out to create a centrally-located training facility that would serve as more than just a boxing gym. They hoped that their new business, Heartbeat Boxing, would grow to become the lynchpin of the Fresno boxing community – a place where community happenings, tournaments, and other events could take place.
But before Heartbeat Boxing could step into the ring, the Ruizes needed some training-montage style assistance navigating the world of small business.
Knocking Out the Obstacles That Face Small Business Owners
“In the beginning, we got lost in a lot of areas,” said Lourdes. “When you’re gonna start a business, you don’t necessarily know how much money you’re going to need, or even how to come to clarity on those kinds of things. And when we started our search, we thought someone like Access Plus Capital might not even take the time to meet us.”
But when the Ruizes did meet with our team at Access Plus, they quickly learned that we’re willing to put in the time to train up any qualifying small business owner.
“They really took the time to give us great service and go the extra mile with us,” said Lourdes. “Those who are in the beginnings of starting a new business need to know that that kind of help is out there.”
The Ruizes sought funding for their business’s lease, equipment, construction expenses, and operating capital. They also leaned on the Access Plus Capital team’s knowledge of what it takes to start a small business. With our help, the Ruizes launched Heartbeat Boxing in the fall of 2015 – and the business’s pulse has remained strong ever since.
“At times, it seems like it’s a dream more than anything else,” said Loures. “You just feel the freedom of being able to be yourself and actually live off of that.”
“It’s such an exciting thing, to be making money out of something that you love to do. And you know, sometimes it doesn’t even seem like work,” said Gilbert. “Follow your dream, and you never know – you might catch it. I caught mine.”