Enterprise for Equity
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Mission Statement
Enterprise for Equity (E4E) has been helping people with low-incomes and others start small businesses in Western Washington since 1999. E4E provides excellent, cost-effective business training programs, technical assistance, access to markets and microloans in interactive, relevant and meaningful ways. E4E brings together the strength of entrepreneurship discipline, integrity and highly effective business development support for artists, ex-felons, farmers, tech innovators, single parents, veterans, etc. These programs enable participants to write a business plan, learn the tools to run a business and test out their ideas before committing valuable emotional, physical, financial, and social resources. Over 180 businesses are now up and running as a result of E4E's work in a rural seven county region. Because of Enterprise for Equity, these entrepreneurs have changed the face of our local economy and have become catalysts for positive change in their towns and communities.
About This Cause
Enterprise for Equity's mission is to ensure that people with limited-incomes in the South Sound region have access to training, technical assistance, support and credit to start and sustain small businesses. These services are provided with the belief that people can and do transform their lives as they bring their strengths, initiative and dreams to their entrepreneurial efforts. Over 40% of the people we serve are rural entrepreneurs. Enterprise for Equity had launched over 220 businesses that are up and running today...including OlyKraut, Nineveh, Flying Cow Creamery, Orbital Holding Systems and many more! We are partnering with Cities, Counties, Tribal communities, non-profit organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Pinchot and others. Throughout the year, Enterprise for Equity provides free Information Sessions to learn about our business development programs; Business Readiness Workshops as a preparatory phase for self-employment and comprehensive Business Training Programs for people ready to go into business. These Business Training Programs offer sessions that help participants explore their target market; understand their competition; establish good record keeping practices; build their financial literacy skills; and write a business plan for their new or existing enterprises. Enterprise for Equity only serves low income people. These new entrepreneurs are often single parents, people of color, people with physical and/or mental disabilities, formerly homeless people, low-wage workers, underemployed and others who want to increase their income through self-employment. Our programs were established with the premise that people with low-incomes have much to contribute, they deserve support, and that it is enormously costly to society as a whole to allow their talents and skills go unrealized. In addition to our business programs we offer free to the public financial education classes (monthly 16 hour (8 X 2 hour sessions) and give $25.00 cash to those who attend all classes on time. Enterprise for Equity also provides Dependable Strengths workshops to help entrepreneurs and other express themselves with clarity, power, integrity and passion. The early stage of our work with entrepreneurs or prospective business owners (through our Business Readiness Workshops) helps them figure out whether: 1) they are ready; 2) there is a market for their product or service; 3) theirs is the right business for them; and, 4) now is the right time for them to launch a business. We also serve people with limited incomes who have been in business for years and have not perhaps ever turned a profit or developed the business systems they need to manage their operations and their finances effectively. Enterprise for Equity offers top-drawer business training and technical assistance support for entrepreneurs, ex-offenders, farmers, people with disabilities, artists, single parents, young and senior adults, and farmers etc. who want to go into business. Our program covers more than just business planning. We build entrepreneurial skills that will be useful to participants over their lifetime. We require participants to write a business plan that reflects their understanding of the market, cash flow projections, operations plan, their competitors/customers/market and more. We offer a safe environment for entrepreneurs to challenge their assumptions and strategize the best possible ways to drive innovation in their business and eventually in their industry. Our Training Director, Lead trainers, Specialists and our Loan Officer, all ensure our entrepreneurs gain an experiential understanding of their strengths, the mechanics of their business, their market and their mission through our business training programs. We want these entrepreneurs to share their experiences with the greater community and to inform policy-makers about what they need. We regularly invite graduate business owners from our training program to speak at legislative hearings, council meetings, service club presentations and conferences. The people we serve are current and future business leaders who are literally changing the face of our local economy.