Mother-Daughter Duo Who are Both CNM Grads Receive Prestigious Award from U.S. Small Business Administration

Earlier this month, Erika Estrada-Quezada and Norma Estrada, a mother daughter duo who are both graduates from CNM, were awarded the New Mexico Family-Owned Small Business of the Year award by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Erika and Norma run four daycare locations around Albuquerque and serve over 200 children each day.

For Erika and Norma, winning this award was a testament to their hard work and dedication to the children around Albuquerque.

“Winning the SBA award is an honor and privilege,” Erika says. “We’ve been working so hard and focusing on the business, and to win this is a huge accomplishment.”

Each year the SBA recognizes businesses from across the nation who exemplify entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. Awardees are selected through a competitive nomination process that considers growth, community impact, and contributions to the local economy.

For Erika and her mom, the award is a long time coming and the result of many years of hard work. That’s because their idea for a childcare company started way back in 2017. At the time, Erika Estrada-Quezada was a new mother to twin girls and needed to transition from her career as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Her mom, Norma Estrada, was already running a successful home daycare so they decided to join forces and expand the business.

Norma had taken bilingual Early Childhood Multicultural Education classes in the Child Development program at CNM, so Erika decided to enroll as well. Both completed the certificate and blazed ahead toward a business by working with Crianza, an Early Childhood Business Accelerator program run through CNM’s Small Business Development Center.

Working with Crianza, Erika and Norma received help developing a mission and business plan, obtained the necessary licensing and regulations, and secured funding, all for free. These services were instrumental in Erika and Norma’s journey to becoming business owners, and they are grateful for the guidance and support they received along the way.

“The Small Business Development Center, the Crianza program, and our SBDC advisor Liliana Reyes were tremendously helpful to us because we had no idea where to start,” Erika says. “They essentially gave us a handbook of what we needed to do to open our business, and I know the process would have been more difficult without their support.”

After all that hard work, the duo went on to open their first childcare location and named it. Twins Childcare. The childcare center was a smash hit and led to the success they have today.

Erika and Norma say they’re thrilled to receive the award, but also excited that the community they’ve built is being recognized.

“This is not only an honor for us, but an honor for the community and families we serve,” Norma says. “We have received such good feedback and have had families share how happy they are to have their children at our centers. It’s just rewarding all around.”

Looking ahead, Erika and Norma are excited to continue to grow the business and serve their community. They also would encourage other small business owners to remain confident in themselves and their vision.

“We’ve learned that even if today was bad, tomorrow is a new day and we can learn from our mistakes,” Erika says. “Our biggest advice is to ask for help when you need it and always remember that tomorrow is a new day.”