March is officially Women’s History Month and this is a good time to celebrate and acknowledge innovative women who are paving the way. Considering it was just 100 years ago that women gained the right to vote, the fact that women today are creating their own businesses and defining the trajectory of 21st Century business culture is a sign of progress. According to the “2018 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report†published by American Express, women entrepreneurship is on the rise, with the number of women-owned businesses having increased by nearly 3,000% since 1972. Between 2017 and 2018 women were starting 1,821 businesses a day in the United States alone.
Being an entrepreneur empowers women to create a work environment tailored to their individual values and standards. It takes tenacity and courage to take on an entrepreneurial enterprise for anyone. So it’s important that we support women’s participation. Here at the West Center, where we host the Women’s Business Center, we support women in business through low-cost workshops and free individual advising in Mendocino and Lake Counties.
Here are a few other ways to support women-owned businesses:
Shop
Find women-owned businesses that offer goods or services that you need. In today’s culture money is more than just a means to an end. It’s also a powerful way to give social support to the businesses you believe in. Where we spend our money matters. As a society, we are learning the value of shopping locally because, ultimately, that is how we support our community and our planetary resources. By patronizing women-owned businesses, you are saying yes to women entrepreneurs and your community at the same time.
Promote
Perhaps you know of a woman-owned business that you can share with your social network. By spreading the word about this business either on social media or by word of mouth, you have the opportunity to share what is special and unique about this particular business. Visit one of the social media networks of women-owned businesses you know about and like their page or share a post about them. It takes very little time and can make a positive impact on the business.
Mentor
If you run a business or have experience in a particular industry, you could be a mentor to a woman entrepreneur. By sharing your business experience with a woman who is starting her own business or has an established business, you can help her succeed in the industry. As a mentor, you can: offer feedback, advice, or refer them to others in your network who could be the step she needs to take her business to the next level.
Mendopreneurs Empowerment Night
Mendocino Women’s Business Center, hosted by West Business Development Center, was created to support the outstanding women-owned businesses in Mendocino County, who are doing extraordinary work. Each month the Mendocino Women’s Business Center features one of the inspiring women-owned organizations with Mendopreneurs Empowerment Night.
Mendopreneurs Empowerment Night is an informal networking event that features a speaker or host who highlights their women-owned business and gives them the opportunity to share their personal journey. Attendees meet other entrepreneurs and small business owners in Mendocino County and learn more about the exciting work that is taking place. For the month of February Violet Ortigosa and her partner, Manny Jimenez, were the featured hosts, highlighting their business: Moxie Cleansers. For March’s Mendopreneurs Empowerment Night the women-owned business host will be The Red House, owned by Lia Morsell and Scarlett Trillia. The Red House is a convenient and comfortable co-working space for North Coast professionals to work, network, and incubate their entrepreneurial potential.
Join us for our next Mendopreneurs Empowerment Night, which will be a fun evening of networking and storytelling as we learn more about how and why Lia Morsell and Scarlett Trillia started The Red House. Everyone is welcomed to this free event, so come to enjoy local food and beverages while socializing with like-minded and driven local entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Are you a woman-owned business?
Please join us for our monthly networking events where you can meet other women entrepreneurs and share best practices, knowledge and make friends.
Free Business Advising at West Business Development Center
If you are a business of one or a company of 100 employees, at any stage from startup to established, WestBDC offers free business advising — on whatever topic you might be stuck on. If it’s finding the right loan to expand, staffing your business with the right people or even just wading through new minimum wage requirements, we have experts ready to help you right now.
Click here to sign up for free advising. We’ll schedule a free, thirty-minute call and then we’ll assign you the free expert advisor you need.
See how these successful businesses set up, grew and expanded with West Business Development Center Free Advising services:
Frosted: Cupcakes & Goodies, Fort Bragg
Peace and Plenty Farms, Kelseyville
Smithwood Mercantile, Mendocino
To see more Client success stories check out our Client Stories or our YouTube channel.
Learn more about West BDC’s upcoming Workshops here:
Business Basics: Turn Your Ideas Into Action – Ukiah
Instructor: Rachel Clark
Tuesday, March 17 from 1:00 PM 3:00 PM
West Business Development Center
185 E Church St.
Ukiah, CA
Ins & Outs of Buying a Business- Ukiah
Instructor: Mike Balstad
Tuesday, March 24 from 10:00 AM 12:00 PM
West Business Development Center
185 E Church St.
Ukiah, CA
Trademark Basics: What Every Small Business Should Know Now, Not Later – Ukiah
Instructor: Jason Lott
Thursday, March 26 from 6:00 PM 8:00 PM
West Business Development Center
185 E Church St.
Ukiah, CA
Trademark Basics: What Every Small Business Should Know Now, Not Later – Fort Bragg
Instructor: Jason Lott
Friday, March 27 from 9:00 AM 11:00 AM
West Business Development Center
345 N Franklin St.
Fort Bragg, CA
Ins & Outs of Buying a Business- Fort Bragg
Instructor: Mike Balstad
Monday, March 30 from 10:00 AM 12:00 PM
West Business Development Center
345 N Franklin St.
Fort Bragg, CA

Foundations of Finance – Fort Bragg
Instructor: Rachel Clark
Monday, March 30 from 10:00 AM 12:00 PM
West Business Development Center
345 N Franklin St.
Fort Bragg, CA
