Women’s Economic Ventures

Supporting small business

By Leah Etling on Jul 25, 2012 in Giving, People

The decision to start a small start-up business is a challenging one under any circumstances. With peer support and business training, success is far more likely for micro-entrepreneurs.

Women and men in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Santa Maria, Calif., have gained such support with from Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), a non-profit that supports economic empowerment and small business mentoring.  WEV also supplies start-up and expansion loans to viable businesses. Since 1991, the organization has supported more than 1,000 local businesses and trained 4,000 people in business skills.

WEV is one of many local, national and international non-profits supported by Yardi Systems through charitable donations. Community contributions are important to Yardi, and this sentiment is a major part of WEV’s philosophy as well.

“When you’re making choices about where to spend your dollars, there’s a lot of benefits to supporting local entrepreneurs,” noted Marsha Bailey, founder and CEO of WEV. “Not just because they’re local, but because the economic impact is significantly greater when you support a local business.”

The types of businesses started by WEV participants are highly varied. Among them are a successful veterinarian, chocolate shop, deli/restaurant, chiropractors, lawyers, writers, artists, life and speech coaches, and many others. There are retail stores, a children’s swimwear manufacturer, internet-based businesses, many other food-based businesses, and marketing firms.

An entrepreneur who opened two shops with WEV support, Zdena Jiroutova, explained the experience this way: “To bring the best out of people, you have to place them in a safe, nurturing environment. WEV has done that for me by providing services and financing to expand my business at a time when no bank would. Two successful retail locations and seven new good jobs later, Z Folio Gallery is thriving, and having fun in the process.”

WEV also supports the efforts of the creatively termed “mompreneurs,” mothers who are looking for self-sufficient employment that often allows them a flexible schedule conducive to raising kids.

But before applying for a loan or starting any business, the prospective start-up owner goes through a 14 week training course, offered in English and Spanish and in multiple locations in Santa Barbara County, to see if their idea will be viable for a loan and successful long term. Along the way, they get encouragement from experts and their peers.

One indicator of success is the willingness of successful WEV grads to support the organization. By sharing their stories, starting grassroots fundraising campaigns, and referring new participants to WEV’s programs.

“Without the structure, framework and connections that I acquired during my WEV course I wouldn’t have had the strong groundwork and skills to successfully open and grow a business,” said Kate Dunbar, who started a chocolate business. Today, she has four part-time employees.

Yardi Systems encourages you to make a donation to a non-profit of any kind that you believe in this year.