¡Avanzando Juntas! Program in Northwest Georgia
We inspire, empower and educate women entrepreneurs to promote their personal and economic growth.
The program, ¡Avanzando Juntas!, which has offices in the cities of Atlanta and Dalton, Georgia, offers a space where women entrepreneurs can develop their interests, skills, and talents to undertake in the development of micro-businesses or acquire new skills to secure better employment. We support and educate women entrepreneurs to establish their businesses, obtain financial resources, and acquire new tools to move forward.
The LAA’s signature program for Latina entrepreneurs is launching in Northwest Georgia in spring 2021. The LAA is bringing together community organizations in Dalton and its surroundings in order to make business and education resources available to Latinas who want to start their own business.
The program supports entrepreneurs at the various stages of the business life cycle and creates a pathway to success for Latinas.
The LAA’s signature program for Latina entrepreneurs is launching in Northwest Georgia in spring 2021. The LAA is bringing together community organizations in Dalton and its surroundings in order to make business and education resources available to Latinas who want to start their own business.
The program supports entrepreneurs at the various stages of the business life cycle and creates a pathway to success for Latinas.
We are part of the creation and growth of small businesses offering tools and resources that enable women to advance in their businesses:
- Business Incubator:
Where to start?
To register for the course: Planifica tu Negocio, you MUST take two preliminary classes. The classes are: ¿Estás lista para iniciar tu negocio? and Presupuesto y Crédito. These two classes are offered once a month, at various times, for your convenience.
The program has deep Latin roots and was created with funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation in 2014.
Partners
The LAA has partnered with several organizations in Northwest Georgia to ensure that Latinas can tap into existing resources and succeed as business owners. We are grateful for the support of our partners.
The Avanzando Juntas program has impacted over 15,000 women since 2014
Avanzando Juntas Components
1. Preliminary Classes
(Prerequisit for Planifica tu Negocio Course)
Monthly classes where the entrepreneurs learn:
✔️Value Proposition
✔️ Financial Literacy
2. Incubadora
A) Planifica tu Negocio
B) Digitaliza Tu Negocio
“Planifica tu negocio” teaches the fundamentals for a successful business. In”Digitaliza Tu Negocio” you will learn digital solutions to increase online presence and in the business market. At the each course, you will learn:
| ✔️ Business Plan ✔️ Cash Flow & Financial statements and more… |
✔️ Building Social Media Presence ✔️ Online Selling ✔️ Marketing and more… |
3. Business Center Accelerator
will assist with:
| ✔️ Marketing ✔️ Training ✔️ Access to capital ✔️ Networking |
✔️ Upscale your business ✔️ Technical assistance ✔️ One-on-one mentorships |
4. Business Ecosystem
A network of:
| ✔️ Organizations ✔️ Suppliers ✔️ Resources |
✔️ Maximize Business Potential ✔️ Provide New Opportunities ✔️ Community Navigator Pilot Program |
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM IMPACT IN NUMBERS
Our services have impacted
Entrepeneurs
Avanzando Juntas Empowerment Conference
Approved
Grants
Financial
Orientations
50 Companies
Generate
more revenue (each year)
The Program
The core of the ¡Avanzando Juntas! program in northwest Georgia is the LAA’s eight-week course for aspiring Latina entrepreneurs. The course is offered in Spanish. At the end of the 40-hour course, participants present a detailed business plan that includes three-year projections for a business they’d like to open.
In addition to this course, ¡Avanzando Juntas! offers one-on-one expert coaching to develop financial statements; workshops on digital marketing; access of up to $5,000 in microloans for eligible participants; and the annual ¡Avanzando Juntas! Latina Conference that brings together up to 600 Latina entrepreneurs for a day of motivational talks, workshops and sharing of success stories.
LAA program participants will have access to a new incubator and to the Dalton Innovation Accelerator in downtown Dalton. Participants will also work with faculty and student mentors from Dalton State College and have access to a variety of technical courses and certifications offered by the GNTC.
The goal is to create a seamless ecosystem so that these Latina entrepreneurs have the support they need to succeed as their businesses grow. ACE in Northwest Georgia will offer loans of $10,000 and above to qualified applicants.
Dalton resident Josibell Sivira completed the LAA’s entrepreneurship program and now runs a successful insurance business.
Register for Classes this Spring
The LAA’s 40-hour entrepreneurship program will be offered in Dalton starting in April 2020. Before participants can enroll in the program, they must take two mandatory classes: “Presupuesto y crédito” and “¿Estás lista para iniciar tu negocio?” Dates and registration links below.
Mandatory classes
- Presupuesto y crédito
March 16 10am-12pm and 6-8pm
April 13 10am-12pm and 6-8pm
- ¿Estás lista para iniciar tu negocio?
March 18 10am-12pm and 6-8pm
April 15 10am-12pm and 6-8pm
Click HERE for registration
- “Planifica tu negocio” eight-week program
April 21 10am to 12pm and 6pm to 8pm
April 24 10am to 6pm
Upon completing “Planifica tu negocio,” the entrepreneurs will have access to mentoring, classes and the incubator or the accelerator, depending on their needs.
11th Annual Avanzando Juntas Empowerment Conference
Leading with vision has often been the path to prosperity and creating a successful business. Yet, without empowering action, the journey can be challenging and uncertain. From the ¡Avanzando Juntas! program, the 10th Annual Avanzando Juntas Empowerment Conference offers you education, resources, network, and inspiration to set a clear direction and empower you to take meaningful steps toward your dream goals. We look forward to seeing you!
CLICK THE IMAGE TO REGISTER.
Why Northwest Georgia
Northwest Georgia is the perfect platform for growth for the LAA’s entrepreneurship program. Known as the carpet capital of the world, Dalton’s economy is dominated by large multinational companies. Yet small business development that nurtures the local economy is lagging. The LAA’s entrepreneurship program can help fill this void and further ignite the region’s deeply rooted entrepreneurial spirit. Over the past year, the pandemic has adversely affected many community businesses. However, we have seen how some entrepreneurs have swiftly adapted their business model in response to the crisis.
LAA Launched ¡Avanzando Juntas! in 2014
The LAA created its Latina entrepreneurship program in 2015, funded by a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. Nearly 1,500 Latinas in Georgia have taken the LAA’s eight-week entrepreneurship course, and about 3,500 more have benefited from other classes and benefits of the program. The Coca-Cola Foundation is supporting the program’s reach to Northwest Georgia.
Events
Program Staff
Locations
Are you ready to start your business?
Are you ready to make your dreams come true? Are you prepared to transform your business idea into a successful entrepreneurship? If your answer is yes, then it’s time to take the first step towards your future with our course: Planifica tu Negocio.
Before thinking about how to implement your project, you should ask yourself if you are ready to make your business idea successful and understand the value proposition that sets you apart from the competition.
It’s important to learn about how credit scores work in the United States and how to manage your family budget.
To register for the course: Planifica tu Negocio, you must take two preliminary classes:
¿Estás lista para iniciar tu negocio? and Presupuesto y Crédito.
These two classes are offered once a month, at various times, for your convenience.
Register now and take the first step on the path towards your dreams.
Avanzando Juntas
You completed the Preliminary Classes? Now is the time to turn your dreams into reality by transforming your business idea into a dream come true.
By the end of the course, you will have in your hands the navigation map to create your business. You will learn to develop a business plan, cash flow, financial statements, and business registration, as well as the opportunity to network with a group of Latina Entrepreneurs.
This 8-week course is offered in Spanish.
Don’t wait for your dreams to find you. Chase them! This business course is offered four times a year, so save your spot in our next course offering and make the perfect blueprint [Brief creativo] of your dream business.
Register here to continue your journey towards your dreams.
You can choose your schedule to fit your availability. Our classes are on Wednesdays or Saturdays.
Digitaliza Tu Negocio
After Avanzando Juntas, the next step to get closer to achieving your dreams is to take your business to the digital world. Digitaliza Tu Negocio offers digital solutions to increase online presence and market business.
Now that you have your business up and running, you will have many responsibilities. For this reason, Digitaliza Tu Negocio helps you optimize your time by giving you the necessary tools to increase the visibility of your venture to more people with less effort.
In this course you will learn:
- Digital Sales
- “Sell without Selling”
- Creation of a Digital Identity
- Optimization of Social Networks
- Fraud Prevention
- How social networks can boost your business
- Digital Strategy
- Identification of business financing
- Marketing Strategies
- How to communicate with the Customer
- Elements of your brand and the “voice”
Take the next step to grow your business and explode it in the digital world. This course will guide you on how to do it effectively and safely.
Register here and turn the business of your dreams into a digital reality.
In 2017, I completed the Avanzando Juntas program. Then, I spent five years knocking on doors to obtain my IATA certification and formalize my travel agency, Ángeles Viajeros. Thanks to God, I have now been running my agency for four years, and a fundamental foundation for me has been the Avanzando Juntas team, the business ecosystem, and the Latin American Association. Without them, this dream would not have been possible to turn into my business. Ana Franco | CEO, Angeles Viajeros | Winner – Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 10th Annual Latina Women’s Conference
The Digital Tools classes have been a discovery for me and my company, AA MOTORS. There I learned how to expand our online presence and reach a massive audience through e-commerce, digital marketing and social media. Since we implemented what we learned at AA MOTORS, we have seen significant growth in our sales and the comprehensive development of our business. I definitely recommend these classes to any entrepreneur who wants to take their business to the next level in the digital world! Monica Gomez, Digital in Business Graduate
My name is Hermelinda "Betsy" Urbina. Upon starting my own business, I discovered the services offered by LAA and enrolled in the successful ¡Avanzando Juntas! course, where I acquired crucial knowledge for business management, such as creating a business plan and managing cash flow. ¡Avanzando Juntas! and LAA provided me with continuous support. After completing the program, I received a $5,000 microloan from LAA, which I used to open my bakery, Creaciones Mela. Later on, I joined the CNPP program, where I continued to receive training and financial support. Nowadays, my business has thrived significantly. Hermelinda "Betsy" Urbina, Avanzando Juntas Graduate
I acquired key tools and knowledge to develop my business. Thanks to the program, I was able to understand and complete my business and cash flow plan, as well as redesign my logo and restructure my business operations. I accessed capital through a $5,000 microloan and a $1,000 grant from ¡Avanzando Juntas!. Additionally, I received a laptop and joined ACCIONA's Second Cohort in 2023, where I expanded my knowledge in business management. Thanks to ACCIONA, I received training on crucial topics such as certifications, digital marketing, innovation, and sales. Thanks to these resources, my business is operating successfully, generating an annual income of more than $54,000. Ingrid Garcia, ACCIONA Graduate
The course gave me the confidence to say “yes I can; I have the tools; I have the knowledge”, it gave me security, a reinforcement to have a physical office. Avanzando Juntas gave me that push; I learned how to do the business plan, the elevator pitch...I learned everything. It is super important that you pay attention to it. After opening the office, my business doubled its profits, I grew in my community, I am part of the chamber of commerce and other entities so I am able to be closer to the community. Mari Cunningham, Avanzando Juntas - Dalton Graduate
