REAP Women’s Business Center: Highlights of the Past Year

The REAP Women’s Business Center entered its first year of sustainability funding in Oct. 2006. Through three-quarters of the year, REAP Business Specialists have provided:

• 1,457 hours of business counseling to 235 clients

• 76 training opportunities, attended by 1,288 participants

• 45 start-up businesses have received assistance

Other activities include:

• Business succession planning meetings in Ainsworth, Valentine, O’Neill, Elyria, and Nelson, with several more planned for the coming year.

• Collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Extension in providing eCommerce classes. Several were held in Spanish in the Northeast part of the state.

• An email list of REAP members and supporters to ensure timely information to our members. If you haven’t provided us a current email address and wish to be included, please send an email to Peggy Mahaney, peggym@cfra.org and request to be added to the list.

• Participation in the Women and Company® Microenterprise Boost Program sponsored by the Citigroup Foundation and Women and Company®. Five low-to-moderate income women owned businesses were awarded $2000 each to enhance their businesses.

• A $2,900 grant from The WealthSpring Fund, an affiliate of the Nebraska Community Foundation funded through the Cooper Foundation. The grant will be used to develop a bookkeeping curriculum – one of the most requested training topics for REAP members.