Our strategic partners at the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center (CVWBC) have begun accepting applications for “It’s Your Time: An Entrepreneurial Training Series for Women” (IYT), a program for women entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. The deadline for applications is September 5, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Applications can be downloaded from the CVWBC website at www.cvwbc.org and returned electronically or mailed to the CVWBC office at 77-806 Flora Road, Suite A in Palm Desert.
It’s Your Time is an intense business start-up program. Participants will attend ten free workshops, work individually with a business counselor for at least eight hours, and learn the fundamentals of writing a formal business plan. By participating in the program, aspiring entrepreneurs will learn essential information to start and grow a successful business.
The program is sponsored through a grant from Citi Bank and has been delivered through CVWBC since 2007, creating upwards of 70 businesses in the process. This past year alone, 19 new businesses were created, eight were expanded or improved, and 26 jobs were created.
The program lasts approximately fifteen weeks from orientation to the submission date of the business plan. During that time, participants gain a solid foundation of business fundamentals, as well as forming lasting relationships with members of their cohort, and mentoring relationships with previous IYT participants.
Currently available for viewing on the CVWBC website is a video of one of last year’s graduates speaking about her experiences in the program, her impressions of the program and other participants, and her current success in business. ShareKitchen Client Member Lori Cohen-Sanford of Nourishfoods, is a prime example of what women entrepreneurs are capable of, particularly when they utilize available resources.
For more information about the It’s Your Time program, please visit the CVWBC website at www.cvwbc.org/events or call Kim Scanlan at 760.345.9200. Need commercial kitchen space to grow your small food business? Call 760.459.4259 or visit www.ShareKitchen.org.
