WBC EmPWR Program

Reimagine your business in a post-COVID-19 world.

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The WBC (Women's Business Center) EmPWR (Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining Their Businesses) Program is a special 12-month funding initiative (services available until April 30, 2021) from the U.S. SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWB). This program addresses the needs and opportunities of inclusive business owners post-COVID-19 Pandemic. The focus of the program is to support, inspire, and enable women business owners to reimagine their businesses to not only survive COVID-19 but to thrive and prosper by:

1. inspiring and building their organizational/personal innovative capacity;
2. reimagining their business models;
3. encouraging business resiliency;
4. offering the right tools and resources to advance their business ideas and to create more sustainable and viable ventures for Indiana’s economy.

This Initiative is available to Hoosiers living in any of the 83 counties served in Indiana. Counties ineligible for services are those served by Indiana’s other women’s business center – The Central Indiana Women’s Business Center (Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Putnam, Shelby counties).

Due to generous funding from the U.S. SBA OWBO, there is little to no cost to you to participate in the program. However, some very specialized services have limited funding and limited cohort sizes. These are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you are a Hoosier business builder needing encouragement, support, or targeted services to reimagine your business opportunities or if you need a boost in resetting your business model, WBC EmPWR Program may be right for you. Find out more by applying today for our services.

What do we offer?

The Reimagination Center offers the following business-building services to startups, emerging growth and established ventures located in the 83 county service area within the State of Indiana:

	Coaching Clinic Ask an expert – get answers to your questions and be directed to outside resources through a curated NIIC Community. LEARN MORE
	NIIC Navigator® The NIIC Navigator is a custom toolset in NIIC’s virtual business resource center with a highly curated expert course listing of special webinars on supply chain, healthy workplace, failure, risk management, insurance and cybersecurity. LEARN MORE
	Microlending Capital access through Kiva Hub online crowdfunding platform LEARN MORE
	Failing Well Sharing failures for Learning Studio. Note: limited space available.
	Innovator Mindset Assessment and coaching to determine your readiness and opportunities for personal innovation and to measure your personal innovativeness. Note: limited space available. LEARN MORE
	Innovation Moshpit Where ideas meet the market. Note: limited space available. LEARN MORE
	Business Planning Access to online business planning resources. Note:  limited licenses available.
	KARE for Your Customers Workshop Series Find the ideal client profiles and behaviors by accelerating smart sales strategies. Note:  limited space available. LEARN MORE

Service Offerings

• One to one virtual coaching sessions
• Innovator Mindset Assessment Tool
• Referrals to resource providers and subject matter experts
• Access to micro-lending capital through the Kiva Hub and the NIIC Crowdfunding Hub
• NIIC Navigator online training and support
• Virtual cohort and group sessions via Stormz and other online platforms
• Supply Chain Industry Field Trips
• Translators (to assist business builders in taking webinars or in coaching sessions where English is a second language)

Next Steps

• Click here to contact us if you would like to learn more.
• Apply today if you would like to get started!

Affiliations

• NIIC WBC EmPWR Program is funded by a special twelve-month grant from the U.S. SBA Office of Women Business Ownership (OWBO)
• Greg Fraley Innovation (GFi)
• Innovator Mindset Assessment
• Crowdfund Better
• Sandler Training

SUPPORTING LINKS

• Apply for Support