New Chicanos Por La Causa Women’s Business Center helping entrepreneurs grow during pandemic

A new women’s business center in Phoenix is offering a range of services to help entrepreneurs grow and expand during the pandemic. 

The new Chicanos Por La Causa (CLPC) Women’s Business Center (WBC) in Phoenix offers services to anyone who wants to start or grow a business, even those who are just thinking about it. They offer a variety of services including training, technical assistance and access to low interest loans. 

It is one of 20 new women’s centers across the U.S just launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In addition, the SBA  launched a new free e-learning platform, Ascent, for anyone to use to help advance their company’s profitability. 

Most are located in underserved and rural neighborhoods, and they have resources to assist business owners to remain resilient during the pandemic, including Latina and Black business owners who have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 shutdowns and disruptions.  

New Women’s Business Center hosted by Prestamos 

The new Phoenix WBC in Phoenix is being hosted by Prestamos, a division of the nonprofit CPLC. Prestamos provides a variety of lending programs to help grow small businesses and “impactful” economic development projects. 

“This pandemic has disproportionately impacted women through workforce reductions and caregiving responsibilities, and I am thrilled to partner with the SBA to support and empower those women looking for a new path through entrepreneurship,” said Amber Cordoba, director of Business Education and Consulting Services for Prestamos.

Mentoring, training, low interest loans, and much more 

Arizona now has two WBCs including the YWCA Southern Arizona Women’s Business Center in Tucson. The two Arizona centers are part of a national network of 136 WBCs that offer:

• Individualized coaching
• Workshops
• Microlending
• Networking
• Technical assistance
• Resources

Entrepreneurs who work with coaches can receive help with:

• Financial management
• Operations
• Accounting
• Marketing
• Human resources
• Website and digital strategies

Free e-learning platform for women entrepreneurs

The SBA also launched Ascent, a first-of-its-kind free digital platform geared to help women entrepreneurs grow and expand. Ascent has content such as tips on preparing and recovering from disasters, strategic marketing and business financial strategy development. 

The online platform is a joint initiative between the White House, the SBA, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Designed to support women entrepreneurs looking to remain resilient in their operations, Ascent is packed with content and resources from each agency and backed by academic research. 

Largest expansion of women’s services in 30 years

The launch of Ascent and the opening of 20 new business centers this year is the SBA’s largest single expansion of resources specifically tailored for women in more than 30 years.

Women business owners represent an important sector in the nation’s economic framework, according to the SBA. Today, women entrepreneurs own or co-own nearly 13 million businesses, close to half of all companies in the nation. They employ 9.4 million workers, generate $1.9 trillion in revenue and represent all industries. 

For more information about the Phoenix center, go to: Chicanos Por La Causa Women’s Business Center

For more information about the Tucson center, go to: YWCA Southern Arizona Women’s Business Center

To learn more about SBA’s programs and services for women entrepreneurs, visit online at www.sba.gov/women, and to find other WBC locations and SBA resources, visit www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance.