Por NCI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLBWA.SanDiego
“I grew up working the fields, homeless, most of our lives… if we had known about some of these resources, my dad wouldn’t have had to die of cancer that he got from the field,” Josie Flores-Clark, the president of the National Latina Business Women Association San Diego (NLBWA), told North County Informador.
She says when people meet her, they see her as a business leader. But when they hear her story, it “gives them the inspiration, the motivation not to quit, to move forward. You can do it,” she said.
“One of the biggest qualifications is having the passion, because that’s the only thing that’s going to keep you moving and going forward,” said Josie.
Tips for Latina businesswomen
- Money is not the most important resource. The most important resource is the right information. You can find money with the right information.
- You don’t need to know it all. Find the experts.
- Be prepared to apply for SBA small business loans or a line of credit. If you feel intimidated about applying for a loan or structuring a business plan, there is help available.
- Make informal businesses into formal, legal business entities.
- Do not mix personal and business accounts.
Passion for boosting Latina businesswomen is what NLBWA is all about. Of all new businesses created, 40% are Latina small businesses, Josie said. She explained how Latinas can boost their business savvy and build their network. The NLBWA of San Diego offers access to a network of successful Latina entrepreneurs and businesswomen who can provide mentorship and connections. We offer “mentorship programs, leadership training workshops, and business development opportunities that help women gain the skills and confidence that they need to excel in their careers and a achieve their goals,” Josie told us.
Latinas Helping Latinas
The NLBWA focuses on all aspects that help Latinas find success, including self-healing through social gatherings, yoga, and meditation. “We share our resources. We share our experiences. We lift each other up,” Josie said.
It partners with seven other Latina organizations to provide Latina businesswomen with all the support they need.
One of the members of the NLBWA, Adriana Brunner, told us that she joined the organization and became a board member because she sees it as a sisterhood. “It’s a point of connection,” she said. “Everyone talks about accessing capital,” said Adriana, but the NLBWA “partners with organizations that access capital to provide workshops and training.”
Josie talked about different kinds of help the NLBWA offers women. “They don’t know that there’s help out there. They just think, this is my business, and I have to survive on my own,” she said.
But that’s not true, she said. The organization has helped Latina businessowners and taught women how to be resourceful, partnering with other organizations such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and the Women’s Center of San Diego and Imperial Valley, which have provided joint support in workshops covering how to open an account, how to get a loan, and more.
“We are the local point of disseminating all these resources, so they don’t have to go to knock on 20 doors,” Adriana added. “Our board is very diverse as far as the industries represented.”
Personal Touch
The two Latinas explained that the NLBWA provides one of 12 board members, all of whom work passionately as volunteers, to talk to Latina businesswomen one-on-one, with a humanistic approach.
All these volunteer board members are extremely passionate about helping others, Josie explained, because “We’ve been there.”
Adriana agrees. “As Latinas and Latinos, we are always scared to ask for help. And it’s okay to ask…I found so many mentors, including Josie.”
She believes Latinas can reach whatever goal they set. “Latinas are creative. Hard workers. Disciplined, talented, intelligent. It’s just the imposter syndrome that we put up on ourselves.” The NLBWA has been her “sisterhood…All those women who empower me,” she said.
Josie told us the key lies in sharing resources and wisdom. “A lot of the small businesses that we helped we did not charge them for membership because we saw they were in need.…And they’re succeeding. And now they mentor others as well.”
She said when she first told her story about being homeless and working in the fields as a child, she was embarrassed. But then she realized that others could see “that I was human, just like them, and going through what they went through as well…Sharing our experiences, our resources, is very powerful.”
Adriana saidthe NLBWA provides the support many Latinas can’t get elsewhere. They tell you, “I love your business idea…Yes, you can do it.”
