Composition:  9 members appointed by the Mayor and City Council

Created:  By motion on July 6, 2010

Mission Statement:  To create a comprehensive incentive package for prospective new businesses and also discuss economic development.

Liaison:  Arnold Lozano (956) 791-7397

Appointees: All appointee appointment dates expire either at the end of the Mayor or City Council Member's term, or until replaced within their term. 

Committee Meeting Videos

Meeting Dates: Second Tuesday of Every Month at 12:00p.m. at City Hall, 1110 Houston Street, unless amended. 

Getting Started: The City of Laredo's New Business Guide is here!

 To learn more about getting started with your new business, please follow the links below. 

City of Laredo Small Business Resource Guide

City of Laredo New Business Application Checklist

For additional information, please contact Amanda Pruneda at apruneda2@ci.laredo.tx.us or 956-791-7459

Laredo College

Laredo College offers diverse career and technical training programs to meet industry standards by providing expert guidance and hands-on practice to master valuable workplace skills. They also offer specialized training for a new career or to update skills for current jobs.

Workforce Development Center

Through the Workforce Development Center, employers and students can use available resources and tools to fulfill the demands of the expanding economy.   The Center is dedicated to creating professional leaders in our community by offering services such as soft skill development, workplace readiness, job opportunities, internships, and much more.  We collaborate with local businesses and make use of training grants, internships, and job listings to assist them in upskilling and sustaining their employees.

West End Washington St.

Yeary Library, Room 201

workforcedevctr@laredo.edu

956-794-4610

Workforce Solutions for South Texas

Workforce Solutions for South Texas is a local organization focused on increasing our community’s economic development by providing resources for employers and employees. Their goals include building the area workforce and training individuals to be successfully employed.

Workforce Solutions for South Texas offers a broad range of programs and services to support the citizens and businesses of Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata Counties. They provide assistance to job seekers, as well as employer-focused objectives.

1406 Jacaman Road, Suite A

Laredo, Texas 78041

956-794-6500

LiftFund

LiftFund is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Corporation (CDC) that supports small business owners with limited access to capital through small business loans and technical support for their dreams of entrepreneurship. LiftFund supports thousands of small businesses through microloans, small business loans, and other resources such as providing direct capital to clients through SBA microloans, SBA Community Advantage, SBA 504 Loans, and EDA Loans. 

LiftFund has been serving small businesses in Laredo since 2005. To date, they have provided more than 1,320 loans in the amount of $19.2 million and helped small businesses create 485 new jobs and retain 4,317 more. This has resulted in an economic impact of approximately $269 million in the Laredo community.

902 E. Calton Road
Laredo, Texas 78041

1-888-215-2373

MileOne

MileOne is an International Business Assistance Center. They help Entrepreneurs and Investors establish and maintain a successful business venture in Laredo. The mixed-use business Incubator & Accelerator is designed to help entrepreneurs succeed and grow. They also offer Co-Working spaces and help foreign and domestic investors gain access to the Laredo market.

Since 2017, MileOne has serviced and assisted over 6500 entrepreneurs, 300 members, created over 325 new jobs, and helped launch over 100 businesses. 

1312 Houston Street

Downtown Laredo, Texas 78040

956-413-8855

TAMIU Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

The TAMIU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community and help them start and grow. The SBDC supports the growth and development of the tri-county (Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata) economy by assisting in job creation, economic diversification, and business expansion.

The SBDC offers professional, no-cost confidential one-on-one advising to business owners looking to start or expand their business. The center provides management advising in a variety of areas including accounting, financing and loan packaging, capital acquisition, business planning, marketing, human resources, economic development, strategic planning, and financial analysis.

The TAMIU SBDC is a proud member of the Texas South-West SBDC Network, is funded in part through the State of Texas and a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio, and accredited nationally by America’s SBDC.

Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, Room 321

5201 University Boulevard, Laredo, TX 78041

956-326-2827

sbdc@tamiu.edu