NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A North Las Vegas woman, once a stay-at-home mom, is turning her tamale business dreams into a reality thanks to a local credit-building program.
“I’m a mom of nine, 10 with one on the way,” said Joy Craney. “I used to be a stay-at-home mom, and then I started my journey as the tamale lady.”
A year ago, Craney decided to open a tamale shop, starting by selling tamales from her car. Eventually, she was able to secure a storefront in North Las Vegas for her restaurant, Downtown Louisiana Tamale Shop.
“After starting from my trunk, I was able to secure a storefront,” Craney said.
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Though her dream became a reality, Craney still had much to learn about running a business. That’s when she learned about a new program designed for small business owners in North Las Vegas.
Nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa teamed up with the City of North Las Vegas to offer a free Credit Building Program, aimed at helping local entrepreneurs overcome financial challenges.
“This is a business loan program designed for business owners in North Las Vegas who have impacted credit,” said Ray Freeman, a business advisor with the program.
Freeman started working with Craney a month ago, providing one-on-one business coaching.
“I help this wonderful person make financial choices and decisions that really help her business go where it’s trying to go,” Freeman said.
As for Craney’s future, she plans to implement changes at her shop, Downtown Louisiana Tamale Shop, as she continues to grow her business.
For more details on the program, visit prestamoscdfi.org.
