Saint John Program Supports Enterprising Women Who Want to Build Businesses
The Saint John Community Loan Fund is looking for women who want to take their idea or passion and turn it into a viable business.
The Enterprising Women program, run through the Community Loan Fund, provides free entrepreneurial training to people who want to start businesses but need help and support. Taking place from September through December, participants will learn the ins and outs of starting a business in a supportive environment of other women. Applications for this year’s cohort are due September 3.
The program got its start in 2009 when the Community Loan Fund received a grant from the Canadian Women’s Foundation that was to be used specifically to help women achieve greater self-reliance through entrepreneurship.
We want to reduce poverty in the region of Saint John,” says Christina Allain, economic development officer with the Saint John Community Loan Fund. “It was a natural fit for us … We built the program so all the business basics are covered.”
The program covers all the ins and outs of starting a business. Women will meet twice a week for three-hour classes to learn how to conduct market research, create financials, build a business model, and create a business plan. They will also learn skills such as conflict resolution, goal-setting and more. Mentorship also plays a key role in the program and participants will meet and learn from successful business owners as well as from each other.
The program is free, but only women who already have a business idea will be considered. Preference is also given to women who are unemployed or underemployed.
We know everywhere in the world and in Saint John, there’s a lot of talented women. Either they’re really good at painting or they’re really good at making jewellery or they have a certain skill set … but they don’t know how to get the business skills or how to brand themselves,” says Allain. “You already have your business idea, you just don’t have the business skills and that’s where we come in.”
Previous graduates of the program include Alisha Anderson of Dioné Cosmetics and Pamela Wheaton of Heartbreak Boutique in Saint John.
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Christina MacLennan, owner and operator of Nails by Christina, graduated from the program last year. After working at salons owned by others, she decided she wanted to take her 20-years worth of experience and work for herself. She says without the Enterprising Women program, she wouldn’t have known all she needed to know.
I would probably be really clueless. I don’t if I would have been able to fully understand what it’s about,” say MacLennan. “Luckily I managed a salon, so I knew a little about what not to do and what to do when it comes to supplies and how to budget and stuff, but I didn’t know the ins and outs. I didn’t know the finances part.”
Allain says seeing the participants go execute their business plans and contributing to the local economy is one of the proudest moments of her job.
“We just want to see the local economy do well and people taking charge. Also, having more economic opportunities, reducing poverty,” she says. “To see someone go from unemployed … then they create their own job, they’re taking control. Then we’ve seen these people then hire people. Not only did they themselves create their own job, they’re creating other jobs in the economy.”