Business Navigator (Full-Time)

Colorado Enterprise Fund; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision, dental and life

Hybrid work stipend

403(b) retirement plan with employer a

Paid holidays and vacation

Parental leave

Job summary

Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) is a nonprofit lender supporting Colorado's small businesses, especially diverse and veteran-owned ventures. The Business Navigator role focuses on pre- and post-loan coaching, credit analysis, and entrepreneurial guidance.

The position blends on-site collaboration in Denver with remote work options; travel to the Denver metro area is expected at least one day weekly. A bachelor’s degree and strong communication are required.

Qualifications

• Five years’ experience as a small business owner or equivalent.
• Three years’ experience coaching small businesses.
• Bachelor’s degree related to business or equivalent.
• Advanced business communication skills to teach financial literacy.
• Solid understanding of credit analysis fundamentals.
• Comprehensive understanding of small business operations and financial docs.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Loan: conduct financial analysis for small business owners.
• Pre-Loan: assess credit worthiness and guide to loan-readiness.
• Post-Loan: contact portfolio clients and provide follow-up support.
• Post-Loan: offer consulting in sales, marketing, people management, and finance.
• Workshop Development: plan and run webinars/events for Colorado’s business owners.
• Technical: document consultations in CRM and MS Office; track progress.
• Meetings: conduct online or in-person client meetings as needed.

Skills

Small business ownership

Entrepreneurial coaching

Bachelor's degree

Business communication

Credit analysis

Small business operations

Cultural intelligence

MS Office

CRM systems

Education

Bachelor's degree related to business

Tools

CRM Systems

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Are you passionate about supporting Colorado's small business and entrepreneurial community?

Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) is a nonprofit business lending organization dedicated to the success of small businesses in Colorado. We provide access to capital for Colorado small businesses that are unable to access traditional financing. Our primary focus includes business owners who may be low-to-moderate income, minorities, women, or veterans. We’re committed to creating meaningful impact in Colorado’s communities by providing equitable and affordable business financing for entrepreneurs who cannot access bank loans or other financial resources.

Why This Role Matters

At CEF, we see our community impact through job creation, wealth building for disadvantaged populations, and the growth and success of the businesses we fund. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), we offer loans, grants, and free business coaching to entrepreneurs to help them succeed.

Colorado small business owners and entrepreneurs seek assistance from our organization in moving towards the major step of asking for financial loans that they have not been able to find from traditional resources such as banks.

Everything we do, from how we guide borrowers end to end through the loan lifecycle to how we show up for each other as a team in our everyday work, is guided by seven guiding principles. The Guiding Principles are not abstract values; they are the specific standards by which we hire, grow, and evaluate our team. Our Guiding Principles shape every step of our process, not just the final interview.

• Collaborative: We achieve more together than alone.
• Continuous Improvement: We are always learning and getting better.
• People-Centric: We put people-borrowers and colleagues at the center of everything.
• Simplify & Remove Barriers: We make it easier for people to access what they need.
• Open & Direct Communication: We say what we mean and mean what we say.
• Flexibility/Agility: We adapt quickly and stay effective when things change.
• Impact Driven: We measure success by the difference we make.

Mission-Driven Team, Real Community Impact

The team, led by the Director of Business Navigation, provides coaching, tools, and resources for entrepreneurs to help them position their businesses for success, before and after the loan. This coaching includes assisting clients in the Denver Metro region face-to-face with setting up financial documents such as cashflow or profit and loss statements, building their workforce, reviewing operations for increased profitability, and devising marketing strategies for a variety of business sectors. Business Navigators are provided with tools and templates to use with clients and are also encouraged to bring their unique set of skills and resources to their work.

The Business Navigator role requires strong borrower-facing communication, technical acumen, and genuine commitment to our mission.

CEF offers a hybrid work environment with a blend of in-person connection and opportunities to be remote. Employees must be Colorado-based and can expect to travel to our Denver a minimum of one day per week to maintain on-site cross-functional collaboration with peers and leaders.

At Colorado Enterprise Fund, we believe in a skills-first approach to recruitment and employment. This means focusing on what you can do and how you can grow, rather than traditional metrics alone. We are committed to adhering to anti-exclusion practices, removing barriers to access, and enhancing opportunities for all individuals based on merit and potential.

Pre-Loan

• As requested by loan officers, conducting comprehensive financial analysis for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Utilize credit analysis skills to make preliminary decisions about the credit worthiness of loan inquiries.
• Identify unmet business needs and guide owners through steps to achieve loan-readiness.

Post-Loan

• Proactively contact assigned portfolio clients, as assigned, to quickly assess business health and offer assistance with improvements. Follow up with support sessions as needed.
• Exercise independent judgment by offering business consulting advice to CEF borrowers including but not limited to the following areas: best practice in sales, marketing, people management, and financial management that impacts overall business growth.
• Identify financial risks and needs for process improvement through a detailed review of small business owners’ profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and business practices.
• Coach on accounting reporting and accounting system support in systems such as QuickBooks.
• Conduct meetings with clients online or in person, based on their needs.

Workshop Development & Community Outreach

• Plan, develop, and execute webinars, events, and workshops designed for Colorado’s small business owners.
• Execute specific job program requirements associated with specific grants or initiatives to support targeted communities.
• Design and implement innovative practices to expand borrower engagement within the local community.

Technical Acumen

• Proficiency in using business software applications, including but not limited to Microsoft Office Suite, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems to document customer consultations and interactions.
• Navigate customer records across our internal CRM system modules and manage contact/leads stages to allow internal stakeholders to review progress towards setting departmental goals.
• Experience working with spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets), including creating formulas and formatting for readability, and supporting others in using them.
• Manage and track borrower consultation tasks weekly, ensuring timely follow-up, reminders, and completion.

What You Bring

• Minimum of five years’ experience as a small business owner, or other relevant entrepreneurial experience.
• Minimum of three years’ experience as a small business coach.
• Bachelor’s degree related to business, or equivalent work experience.
• Advanced level business communication skills to teach financial literacy, relaying financial concepts and strategies in an understandable manner to clients with varying levels of experience.
• Strong understanding of the fundamentals of credit analysis, to make preliminary decisions about the credit worthiness of loan inquiries.
• Comprehensive understanding of small business operations, best practices and potential challenges and hazards affecting entrepreneurs. Solid working knowledge of small business financial documentation and accounting practices.
• Cultural emotional intelligence that allows you to respectfully work across a broad range of cultures, backgrounds, personalities, and working styles.
• Proficiency in using business software applications, including but not limited to Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems to document customer consultations and interactions.

As an established CDFI, we offer the following benefits:

• Health, vision, dental and life insurance, paid parental leave, as well as 100% employer-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• CEF also offers a monthly hybrid work stipend, and a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match up to 5% of an employee’s contribution.
• Our paid time off policies include ten (10) paid holidays per year, fifteen (15) days paid vacation to start, with an increase in year two, along with paid health and wellness time.