The Idaho Women's Business Center aims to serve all women, cultures and communities, in achieving their professional and entrepreneurial goals.
Idaho News 6 spoke to one small business owner who says the center is helping her do just that - empowering her bottom line during turbulent past few months.
COMMITTED TOBRINGING YOU ANDYOUR FAMILY THECRITICALINFORMATION YOUNEED... SO WE CANALL BOUNCE BACKFROM THESEUNCERTAIN TIMES...TOGETHER.IT'S WHAT DRIVESOUR "REBOUNDIDAHO" COVERAGE.TONIGHT-- WEHIGHLIGHT AFANTASTICRESOURCE.THE IDAHO WOMEN'SBUSINESS CENTERAIMS TO SERVE ALLWOMEN...CULTURES... ANDCOMMUNITIES.
INACHIEVING THEIRPROFESSIONAL ANDENTREPRENEURIALGOALS.I SPOKE TO ONESMALL BUSINESSOWNER.
WHO SAYSTHE CENTER ISHELPING HER DOJUST THATEMPOWERING HERBOTTOM LINE DURINGA TURBULENT PASTFEW MONTHS.THE S-B-A SAYS ONLY16 PERCENT OF P-P-PLOANS IN IDAHOWENT TO FEMALE-OWNED BUSINESSES."WHEN YOU'RENEWER AND YOU'RENOT REPRESENTEDBY THE MAJORITY,EVERYTHING ISHARDER.
AND SO IT'SA BARRIER TOACCESS."MELISSA QUILANTANIS PART OF THAT 18PERCENT.
SHE SAYSAT FIRST - HOWEVER- SHE FELT QUITEINTIMIDATED BY THES-B-A LOANS."WITH MY PPP LOAN,I WAS LIKE NAW, I'MNOT GONNA DOTHAT, I DON'T THINK IQUALIFY - YOU LOOKAT THE LOANAPPLICATION ITSELFAND YOU'RE JUSTLIKE - YA, I DON'T -UGH, FORGET IT - IDON'T WANT TO DOALL OF THATINFORMATION."SHE SAYS IT WAS HERMENTOR AT IDAHOWOMEN'S BUSINESSCENTER WHOADVISED HEROTHERWISE, SAYING:"FILL IT OUT, YOUNEED TO DO THIS,SO."HELPING HERANTICIPATEPOTENTIAL LOSSES.AND PREPARE FORTHEM FINANCIALLY."AND THEY'RE LIKENO - YOU FIT IN THISCATEGORY, YOU AREMISSING OUT ON,YOU'RE SHUT DOWN,THERE'S NO PROMS,YA KNOW THERE'SNO DANCE RECITALS,GRADUATIONS AREDIFFERENT,FUNERALS AREN'THAPPENING.""THIS IS WHERE WECOME IN." "IF THEYDIDN'T QUALIFY FORTHE PPP THEN WE'LLLET THEM KNOWABOUT THEEMERGENCY INJURYDISASTER LOAN."BUT MELISSA ENDEDUP RECEIVING THEP-P-P."THEY ARE REALLYON YOUR SIDE, ANDTHEY AREGENUINELYCONCERNED.
YAKNOW, IS THEREANYTHING I CAN DOFOR YA DO YOU HAVEANY OTHERQUESTIONS."IT'S THIS SAME KINDOF GUIDANCE THATIW-B-C REPS SAYTHEY HOPE TO BRINGACROSS IDAHO."WE HAVE ACONCENTRATEDEFFORT TO PROVIDEINFORMATIONRELATED TORESOURCES THATARE AVAILABLE FORTHOSE COMPANIESTHAT HAVE BEENAFFECTED BYVID-19."INCLUDINGNETWORKINGOPPORTUNITIES ANDFREE TO LOW COSTVIRTUAL WEBINARSFOR EXAMPLE."WHICH WILLPROVIDE EDUCATION,TRAINING, ANDBUSINESS ADVISINGTO SMALL BUSINESSOWNERS THAT HAVEAN EXPERIENCEVARIETY OFSTRUGGLES."MELISSA SAYSBUSINESS AT HERFLOWER SHOP.
ISSTARTING TO PICK UPA LITTLE BIT NOW -"YA KNOWFUNERALS ARESTARTING TO GETBACK TO NORMAL."AND WITH I-W-B-C ONHER SIDE - SHE'SSAYS SHE FEELSEMPOWERED TOSIMPLY TAKE THINGSAS THEY COME."YOU JUST GO WITHIT .
YOU KINDA JUSTGO, OKAY, SO WEWEREN'T BUSYTODAY?
WE'LL SEE