Bronx Times (2/21/08)

BRONX TIMES (2/21/08) WOMEN, MINORITIES RECEIVE BUSINESS BOOST

By Patrick Rocchio Thursday, February 21, 2008

Women and minorities in the Bronx will no longer have to go it alone when it comes to small-business opportunities. The Women�s Business Resource Center has them covered.

The WBRC, located at 866 B Hunts Point Avenue, provides business counselors for women to help them develop a business plan, register a business, identify loan opportunities, manage business financing, and to assist with marketing and sales.

Furthermore, the WBRC has computer-training programs, provides mentoring, and offers many seminars and workshops, including the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, which is sponsored by the Empire State Development Corporation.

The Entrepreneurial Assistance program offers a rigorous 60-hour curriculum that takes two-months to complete. When the program is over, the participants have a graduation ceremony, and they are presented with a certificate of completion and a one-year business plan. Students learn the knowledge and skills necessary to open and run a small business for the first year.

�One of the main obstacles to for women who want to start a new business is to obtain financing,� said Neomi Beltraz, WBRC program director. �Many of our clients need to create a reasonable credit report.�

To that effect, the WBRC has partnered with Accion New York, a lending institution that helps individuals establish credit for the first time or repair credit. Accion offers loans for up to $50,000 to start a small business.

One small business that the WBRC has helped is The Nevermore Store, located in a sublet space at 933 Southern Boulevard. Raven Cardona founded the Nevermore Store late last year. It has become the first store catering to heavy metal music enthusiasts in the Hunts Point area. Started with a grant, Cardona is now thinking of expanding her business to an entire storefront.