Jumping off the Ladder

Felix had been working for a national vending service company when a transition in management lead the company in a direction and environment that he didn’t agree with. “I was climbing the corporate ladder, then I realized the ladder wasn’t leaning against the right building.”

“I had been working for someone else for so long and it’s time to work for myself.” In 2015, with two decades of experience in the service industry, Felix decided to start his own coffee service company. Breaktime Coffee Services provides coffee products and equipment to offices that range from 10 to 3,000 employees.

An Open Door

As his number of clients increased, Felix knew he needed financial support to increase his inventory of both products and equipment, enabling him to keep up with customer demand. He received his first loan from Ascendus in 2016, and after receiving numerous rejections, the relief was immense. “When all the banks closed their doors, Ascendus was there.” By the time Felix received his second Accion loan in 2019, he had nearly doubled his client portfolio from when he had applied for his previous loan. “Accion helped me tremendously. I used the loans to purchase more equipment and inventory, which helped me grow my business and secure more accounts.”

As Felix’s business continues to grow, his only regret is that he didn’t start his business sooner.  “My mother is getting older and my daughter is going to college – having my own business enables me to support them in many ways.” Felix is enjoying the opportunities he now has from being his own boss, those that in a previous time, had once seemed so out of reach. “I have the freedom to provide a service to my client, to make decisions and to run my own life.”