Association of Women's Business Centers

'Women entrepreneurship shows no signs of slowing down. We need to make sure the right policies and practices are in place to secure their continued success.' - Dina Segal, Chief Legal Officer, Gusto Thank you for sharing our mission of increasing funding for the Women's Business Center (#WBC) network in your op-ed with Fast Company! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eYuUs4ji

We beat the opposition and budget cuts by working as a coalition!

We're proud to partner with TikTok Shop and announce 🚀 SOAR Together - our very first women-owned business accelerator program. 'This collaboration brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure our women entrepreneurs have the tools and support they need to succeed.' - Corinne Goble, CEO of AWBC We look forward to seeing the incredible growth and innovation that will come from this program and are committed to continuing our support for women entrepreneurs everywhere. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eh2sh54g

We’ve got magenta on our minds today.

We want you to be aware that SBA has released 4 new separate funding announcements below for Women's Business Centers! Grant Opportunities include: - U.S. Virgin Islands Initial Phase - WBC Initial Phase - Procurement Assistance - Childcare Small Business Grant See public information below on the details regarding these funding announcements along with dates for information sessions or visit Grants.gov. ---- WBC Initial Phase Grants The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to provide grant funding for non-profit organizations to establish Women Business Centers (WBCs) that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs within the United States and its territories. Closing Date: July 15, 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: SB-OEDWB-24-006 ---- WBC Initial Phase Grant for U.S. Virgin Islands The purpose of this NOFO is to provide funding for one (1) private, non-profit organization that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs for the Territory of the Virgin Islands. Closing Date: July 15, 2024 SBA will host a pre-application information session on June 26 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. https://lnkd.in/gqt4ZChE Passcode: 491494 ---- WBC Application Readiness and Procurement Assistance The purpose of this NOFO announced by SBA is to provide grant funding for organizations to establish Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) to assist women entrepreneurs with application readiness for certification in the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Programs, procurement assistance, and entrepreneurial development. Closing Date: August 7, 2024 SBA will host a pre-application information session on June 24 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. https://lnkd.in/eiQG_Urk Passcode: 769136 ---- WBC Supporting Childcare Small Businesses Grant The purpose of this NOFO announced by SBA is to invite proposals for funding from private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women owned childcare small businesses, as well as to women owned childcare businesses and entrepreneurs in socially and economically disadvantaged in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs. There will be one or more awards issued in the United States and its territories. Closing Date: August 7, 2024 SBA will host a pre-application information session on June 25 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. https://lnkd.in/ep9myKU7 Passcode: 300301

AWBC wants to share awareness that SBA has released two new separate funding announcements below for Women's Business Centers who have a focus on government contracting and childcare services. We understand there are 2 more grant announcements coming: one will be the traditional #WBC grant opportunity and another for the US Virgin Islands. We expect to see those in the next week and will share once they are posted in Grants.gov. ---- See public information below on the details regarding these funding announcements along with dates for information sessions. WBC Application Readiness and Procurement Assistance The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announced by SBA is to provide grant funding for organizations to establish Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) to assist women entrepreneurs with application readiness for certification in the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Programs, procurement assistance, and entrepreneurial development. This FOA provides opportunities for three distinct WBC projects. - WBC Project 1 will focus on training, coaching, and technical assistance related to eligibility and certification for the WOSB and EDWOSB Programs. - WBC Project 2 will focus on providing targeted training for women entrepreneurs to ensure Federal contract procurement readiness. - WBC Project 3 is an opportunity for Applicants to design individual projects related to the growth and entrepreneurial development of women in the Federal government marketplace. Closing Date: August 7, 2024 SBA will host a pre-application information session on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. All interested Applicants are encouraged to attend. https://lnkd.in/eiQG_Urk Passcode: 769136 ---- WBC Supporting Childcare Small Businesses Grant The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announced by SBA is to invite proposals for funding from private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women owned childcare small businesses, as well as to women owned childcare businesses and entrepreneurs in socially and economically disadvantaged in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs. There will be one or more awards issued in the United States and its territories. Closing Date: August 7, 2024 SBA will host a pre-application information session on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT. All interested Applicants are encouraged to attend. https://lnkd.in/ep9myKU7 Passcode: 300301

Selene Frohmberg, Owner of Selene’s Fly Shop in downtown Gardiner is a famed fly tyer known as 'Selene of Maine' who has directed her efforts to serving the fly-fishing communities needs through retail and volunteer efforts. Selene’s experience with her CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.) Women’s Business Center (WBC) advisor led to her business to success. “Unlike my past sole proprietor endeavors, I sought advice and funding that helped me put together a more refined business plan than my previous plans. My current plan was made with the help of CEI and has longer term goals and a vision with numbers and finances that "add" up. The approachability of the #WBC from the very first moments made the rest of the process doable. The suggestions made by my advisor were all made so tactfully and friendly that I didn't realize I was getting advice." - Selene Frohmberg Get connected to a Women's Business Center near you! https://lnkd.in/dFDymad Happy #NationalSmallBusinessWeek! #SuccessStory #AWBC #WBC #NSBW #SmallBusiness U.S. Small Business Administration

LaDarby Landry-Williams is the owner of Germ Slayers Cleaning & Maintenance Solutions, a Louisiana-based firm providing surgery-level sanitation for workplaces across the Gulf Coast. She became a client of the Urban League Of Louisiana’s (ULLA) Women’s Business Center in 2023 and in just one-year has taken advantage of a number of the Center’s training classes and business advising services. Since becoming a client of ULLA, her revenue has increased by over 1000% and she has hired more than 26 contract workers to support new projects. In November of 2023, Landry-Williams was selected to participate in ULLA’s 2023 Women in Business Challenge: Scale Up!. This annual #pitchcompetition features four finalists who pitch their plans to grow and scale for a chance to win $10,000. During the event, an esteemed panel of judges is tasked with determining the winner based on effectiveness of the pitch presentation, scalability of the business model, and proposed use of award funds. In 2023, LaDarby Landry-Williams emerged as the winner of the competition securing $10,000 to grow her business! 🎉 Find support and resources from a #WBC near you: https://lnkd.in/dFDymad Happy #NationalSmallBusinessWeek! #AWBC #SuccessStory #WBC #NSBW #SmallBusiness U.S. Small Business Administration

In 2020, when the pandemic struck, Mirna Guardiola had to put her career as an Uber driver on hold. This circumstance led her to embark on a new venture—an online store called MujerBrave which specializes in selling leather bags adorned with embroidery skillfully crafted by Mexican artisans. Mirna attended classes and received one-on-one counseling from the San Diego Women's Business Center (WBC) to enhance her marketing skills. "Thanks to the San Diego Women’s Business Center for their invaluable support, 1-on-1 counseling, and the informative classes, I was able to boost my sales significantly." - Mirna Guardiola. The support she received from the #WomensBusinessCenter assisted her with a marketing strategy to increase sales by $11,000 annually. This strategy involved growing her social media following, implementing promo codes, and creating engaging content. Find support and resources from a #WBC near you: https://lnkd.in/dFDymad Happy #NationalSmallBusinessWeek! #AWBC #SuccessStory #WBC #NSBW #SmallBusiness U.S. Small Business Administration

This week we're highlighting success stories from #WomensBusinessCenters across the country! WBCs provide free, to low-cost business counseling and training and focus on women who want to start, grow, and expand their small business. "Thanks to the invaluable training and guidance provided by The Greenwood Women's Business Center, I've been able to lay a solid foundation for my business. With their support, I've navigated the complexities of establishing my LLC, securing necessary permits, and conducting market research. As a result, I've been able to expand my product line of custom-made items, particularly chain necklaces for women, men, and families. Becoming a regular vendor at The Original Black Wall Street Merchant Marketplace has been a testament to the growth and success I've achieved with their help.” - Hope Brown, CEO of Hope Treasures Chest, LLC Locate a Women's Business Center near you! https://lnkd.in/dFDymad Happy #NationalSmallBusinessWeek! #SuccessStory #AWBC #WBC #NSBW #SmallBusiness U.S. Small Business Administration