KTKA

A program targeted at helping new businesses get off the ground is looking for help from members of the business community. Sonia De La Torre Aponte has watched her business grow steadily over the past two years.

Aponte is the owner of the Fiesta Boutique. She makes items for special occasions like weddings and parties.

"When I first started, I was doing items for just Hispanics, but it's grown beyond that," says Aponte.

Her shop is just one of several located in the business incubator Hi Crest Mini-mart. It was created specifically for fledgling businesses. It's part of the Chamber of Commerce's First Step Fastrack Program. "The incubator is just what the name says. It helps them get off the ground."

The program is funded through the county's half cent sales tax and utilizes members of the business community to mentor fast track students and graduates. Sylvia Ballinger is a bookkeeping mentor.

"You can see where they started and see the progress they've made," says Ballinger.

Cheri Phillips owns her own photography studio and is one of Sylvia's protogees. "I wear all hats as a business owner and the bookkeeping is the hardest for me. I depend heavily on what she is teaching me," says Phillips.

Program coordinators expect to have 200 new graduates this year and will need at least 25 new mentors to keep up with the increasing demand to help people like Aponte make their businesses thrive.

"Had they not helped me, I would still be thinking about opening my business," says Aponte. There's a price for this advice. The program pays mentors $25 an hour for their expertise.