F INANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES YoCo Bloom & YoCo Strong Restart Fund Last November, the YCEA announced the first ever YoCo Bloom: Start Up Edition, to award up to $2,500 to small businesses that have launched within the past 18 months and have not received funding from prior YoCo Bloom, Downtown Bloom, or COVID 19 funding programs. Thirty-nine applications were received for this round of funding, with 32 eligible for funding based on the criteria. Our team narrowed that down to 14 to invite to a pitch competition. All finalists participated in a “How to Prepare Your Pitch” prep session with Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Susquehanna SCORE, and MANTEC. A total of $20,000 was awarded, with 50% of the awards granted to businesses owned by persons of color, and 75% of all of the businesses supported were women-owned businesses.
Here are three of their stories... Izzy’s Cupcakes, owned by Iscarelys Espinal and located in Downtown York, has a mission to bring the community together by offering a space and atmosphere in which you can enjoy sweets along with Prince St. Cafés yummy coffee/teas. With her Bloom Grant, Izzy was able to develop her own, unique website. To do so, she chose to work with the local York City media firm, DesignBots. “I would highly recommend the YCEA to any entrepreneurs, new business owners, etc. The YCEA goes above and beyond in order to support individuals that are working hard towards their dreams in York County! Through this website I will be able to cater to customers safely and individually through these troubled times. My other business goal is to be able to network with other professionals so I can expand and learn more business strategies. I also want to continue on rising my business and get my own store front.”
16 • YoCo CONNECT | SPRING 2021 • YoCo Bloom & YoCo Strong Restart Fund
