Nine graduate from Shelter’s Women in Business program

The Shelter’s Women in Business program is proud to announce that nine participants received certificates of completion during a recent graduation ceremony.

The workshop was held over the course of three Saturdays, April 2-23, followed by a graduation party. Each participant  received a bag of small office supplies to assist her with her business tasks at home. Their completion certificate will allow them to register for the advanced Business Women class, presented by Goodwill Industries.

Over the course of the three-day workshop, participants learned the principles of how to start a business as well as additional sessions on developing and maintaining a successful business. This year’s class began with 12 participants, nine of whom earned certificates. Of the nine who completed the course, two went on to register for the advanced classes and one of them received a $500 grant from Goodwill to use toward her online business.

The classes are designed to help women grow their businesses once they hit the ground. After completion of the classes, the Shelter’s Economic Justice advocate continues to work with them, assisting with grant applications to cover license and insurance fees,  website construction,  supplies and more.

According to Shelter Economic Justice Advocate Joanes St. Surin, three program graduates have established and are growing their own businesses, including a local food truck, online lingerie business, and an eyebrow microblading service. The goal of the program is to continue to educate participants to establish and track goals and to provide them with the tools and coping skills needed to succeed in business and contribute to society.