¡AVANZANDO JUNTAS! ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM FOR LATINA WOMEN
We inspire, empower and educate Latina women 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 Latina women 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 Latina women to establish their businesses, obtain financial resources, and acquire new tools to move forward.
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:
- Business Accelerator: ACCIONA
- Business Ecosystem: Access to capital and education through the Georgia business ecosystem
Where to start?
To register for the course: Planifica tu Negocio, you MUST take two introductory 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.
The Avanzando Juntas program has impacted over 10,000 women since 2014
Avanzando Juntas Components
1. Introductory 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. ACCIONA Business Center Accelerator
ACCIONA 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 |
LATINA ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM IMPACT IN NUMBERS
Our services have impacted
Entrepeneurs
Latina Empowerment Conference
Approved
Grants
Financial
Orientations
50 Companies
Generate
more revenue (each year)
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 introductory 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 Introductory 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.
ACCIONA is a Business Acceleration Center and collaborative space designed to help emerging Latina-owned businesses that have graduated from the ¡Avanzando Juntas! program. The Business Center is located at the Association’s headquarters in Atlanta. It includes office rentals and collaborative workspaces, mentorship, workshops, and other resources to take your business and your brand to the next level.
The new selection process will begin on August 1, 2023
Get closer to the end of your journey towards your dreams with ACCIONA. Click here to register or learn more about the program.
Microloans
The LAA provides program participants the tools and mentorship to ensure they have the capital they need to drive the success of their business forward. Since 2015, LAA has provided direct financial assistance in the form of microloans to over 40 entrepreneurs in the amount $103,619. Most notably, the LAA has a flawless repayment record, with no defaults. Currently, the LAA has 28 active microloans.
In 2022, the LAA began an SBA CNPP partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). This partnership has allowed the LAA to provide an additional $104,500 in small business relief to 12 clients. In total LAA has provided $208.119 in small business relief to 52 clients. For more information, please contact Gerardo Lopez at GLopez@thelaa.org
We offer loans between $500 and $5,000 at low interest rates so you can start or grow your business. The business must be properly registered under Georgia laws. To apply for Microloans contact MCucalon@thelaa.org.
In addition, through the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) in collaboration with the SBA and IRC, we offer mentorship to help you gain access to loans, grants, and subsidies so that you can move forward with your business. For more information, please contact Gerardo Lopez at GLopez@thelaa.org
CNPP Benefits:
- Guidance, workshops, trainings, conferences and networking sessions for businesses in Spanish.
- Individual advice to gain access to capital through microcredits and local and national grants specialized in small businesses.
- Education and technical assistance to increase knowledge and participation in SBA and IRC programs
Requirements to Join the CNPP
Business owner over 18 years old Resident of Georgia Active business registered for a year or more. Business Taxes for at least one year or more Updated and complete business plan (including the corresponding cash flow) Basic or intermediate level in English Women preferably graduated from the business course of the ¡Avanzando Juntas! program and/or from the ACCIONA Business Incubator.
Reach your dreams with CNPP. Register now and take your business to the next level. Let’s move forward together!
Proud Printing Partner
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
