Life in the "Blue Grass State" of Tennessee turned greener for Raquel after receiving her ACCION USA Green Loan.  Raquel is a true success story, and ACCION USA is happy to have pushed Raquel towards success.

A Hard Worker Wanting to Work More

When Raquel first got started, she had both a full time job and a commercial cleaning business which cleaned newly constructed houses before they went up for sale. She was busy enough to need a friend to work with her.  "I enjoyed my work, but the market had its ups and downs, which I couldn't control. I decided to find steadier business," says Raquel.

"Going Green" to Go After More Business

Eventually Raquel discovered a franchise business which specialized in eco-friendly cleaning services. She thought this type of business could offer both more steady work and help her tap into the growing market of eco-friendly businesses, so she decided to go for it. Raquel was able to purchase the smallest franchise offered with money she had on hand. 

However, expanding her franchise required more money than she had.  Raquel knew she didn't want to use her high-interest rate credit cards to finance the expansion of her business, but wasn't sure where else to get financing.

Expanding with Help from ACCION USA

Fortunately a friend saw ACCION USA featured on the Spanish television channel Univision and suggested Raquel apply.  Raquel went to the ACCION USA Website and applied for a Green Loan online.  Using her ACCION USA loan, Raquel was able to expand into a larger green cleaning franchise in June 2009.

The Future is Bright--and Green!

Today, business so good for Raquel that she quit her full-time job in March 2010,  and she only uses eco-friendly products in her green cleaning business, eliminating harsh chemicals from her clients' workplaces.  The El Salvador native looks forward to being able to expand her franchise even further in the future, and hire additional employees.  When she does, she know that ACCION USA will be there to help!