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Financing for women in
Canadian businesses has always been a long and winding road of paperwork and
phone calls leading nowhere. Until now! With the invention of the Internet and
more government support, Canadian women are now able to find more and more
resources to seek financial aid in starting up their own businesses like a virtual assistant business.
The Canadian government
has recognized this challenge faced by women entrepreneurs and formed a Prime
Minister's Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs. In their Submission to the Prime
Minister's Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs (1993), Women Entrepreneurs of
Canada identifies access to capital for women led and women owned business for
development and growth as the number one issue challenging women entrepreneurs.
After reading this, we
can note that at least women are now gaining acceptance as business
entrepreneurs but how or where do we start looking for funding? This can be a
tedious venture and it is best to understand the financing terminology first.
So if you want to know the difference between grants or no-interest loans, the
first place to start looking is at The Small
Business Consumer Centre.
The SBCC has research
staff with expertise in the government funding opportunities of every province
and region of Canada. Their databases are arranged to
be easily referenced both by area and business type. If any government office
offers funding for your type of venture, they have it listed and referenced so
you can access it easily. There is money available now for qualified new and
existing small businesses.
Our Canadian Government also has a whole area of their
website dedicated to sources of financing.
One very hot financing
opportunity that many women are jumping the bandwagon on right now is the
Self Employment program offered through the Government of Canada.
Their mission is to
provide unemployed EI eligible individuals with financial support, planning
assistance and mentoring while they get their businesses up and running. They
help unemployed get back on their feet again. If you are eligible for
unemployment insurance, you can apply to have the Government pay for you to
start up a new business. To assist individuals to prepare for, obtain and
maintain employment resulting in savings to the Employment Insurance Account.
Other Canadian resources for funding worth mentioning are:
The Business
Gateway website lists many avenues for financing through their website.
A bit of research on
financing for women from any of the websites above will open the doors to
individualized funding for women and other similar initiatives in each
province.
For example in British
Columbia, check out the Women's
Enterprise Society of BC (WESBC) which has assisted thousands of women
throughout British Columbia start and grow successful businesses with financing
services, business counselling and skills training, along with a dedicated
working relationship that you can count on!
Women Entrepreneurs
of Saskatchewan Inc. (W.E.) is a non-profit membership organization that works
with women who are considering a career in business, starting a business, or
operating an existing business.
The Women's Enterprise Centre of Manitoba
also has a resourceful website.
Allan Rock, Minister of
Industry, announced the Government of Canada's intent to create
business centres in Ontario and Quebec that will help women
entrepreneurs start, operate, and grow their own businesses.
Live on the eastern side
of Canada? Check out this government resource for women and
financing.
Many Canadian
organizations are also developing targeted towards women entrepreneurs. The Women's Funding Network and
it's partners provide access to a collective of women and girls' programs at
local, regional, national, and international levels. Supporting the growing
field of women and girls' grantmaking, the Women's Funding Network and its
partners are "changing the face of philanthropy."
So don’t give up,
the financing is out there for Canadian women entrepreneurs, you just have to
hunt for it!
Certified Internet Marketing Specialist
Turning Clicks Into Cash For Her Clients!
Founder of the popular, informative, educational & resourceful Virtual Assistant Networking Association and Author of The Virtual Business Startup System
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