COVID-19 Resources & Support

Women’s Enterprise Centre is focused on supporting women-owned businesses through this crisis so that when it is over you can get back to business as usual.

We’re here for you!

We know this situation is fluid, and is changing on a daily basis. We’d like to encourage any of our clients to utilize our complimentary Business Advisory Services if you need an understanding person to talk to about your particular situation.

Please see below for the concessions we’re making for loan clients and some helpful resources for business owners and employers.

We keep this page updated with the latest information.

Click here to view WEC loan and service updates
Just announced! Loans up to $40k for women entrepreneurs, from Regional Relief and Recovery Fund

The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is providing loans of up to $40,000 for eligible women-run businesses to help businesses cope with financial hardship and recovery from economic disruption resulting from COVID-19.

Women’s Enterprise Centre is pleased to provide access to this Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to women entrepreneurs in BC. If you think your business requires additional financing to recover this could be a good option for you.

This option is available for sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations.

Learn More

Government Updates

Resources from Women’s Enterprise Centre

Free one-on-one appointments with a Business Advisor

Our Business Advisory team is available to discuss your situation, review your cash flow and generate ideas for how you can navigate this difficult time. Connect with a Business Advisor >>

Access to the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) for BC women entrepreneurs

Women’s Enterprise Centre is pleased to provide access to this Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to women entrepreneurs in BC. If you think your business requires additional financing to recover, this could be a good option for you.

This option is available for sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. Learn more >>

Unity Women Entrepreneurs Program, in partnership with Vancity

Women’s Enterprise Centre is excited to partner with Vancity to support women entrepreneurs as you navigate your business through COVID-19 and beyond!

Together, we’ve launched the Unity Women Entrepreneurs Program—a holistic package providing you with a loan of up to $150k (with no payments and no interest for 6 months) provided by Vancity, plus business support and mentoring provided by us. Learn more >>

Apply now: Mentoring for women business owners in Terrace

Starting this fall, Janice Shaben, Owner of Silvertip Promotions & Signs and WEC Regional Ambassador is facilitating a Peer Mentoring Group for women business owners in Terrace. You’ll receive support from other women entrepreneurs, gain insights from an experienced business owner and develop a support network. Learn more or apply >>

Webinar recordings

Resources

Tell us: What Help Do You Need?

  • Have an idea for an upcoming webinar or resource on a topic that would help you and your business during this time? Please submit it here!

Community Links

Financial Response Measures

Upcoming Events › COVID-19 Support

August 2020

Small Claims: A Practical Guide to Dispute Resolution

August 10 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am

We’ve partnered with the BLG DRIVEN BY WOMEN™ Initiative to offer a series of legal webinars this summer! View the series >> What do you do if you’re being sued or you want to enforce your legal rights? On August 10, we’re hosting Jennifer K. Choi, an associate in BLG’s Disputes Group, who will walk you through the various dispute resolution processes available in BC—from the Civil Resolution Tribunal, to private arbitration. Jennifer will speak to the pros and cons…

Find out more »

The Key to Employee Well-Being During and After the Pandemic

August 10 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar Canada

Covid-19 has seriously shaken things up for Canadians, both in their professional and personal lives. With our new normal, which—for many of us—means teleworking and homeschooling, we're seeing an uptick in health problems that organizations and insurers need to address and adapt to. In this webinar, The Canadian Chamber of Commerce will be looking at how overall health culture, which includes physical, mental and financial health, is especially important during a crisis. And how going forward, this culture will be…

Find out more »

The Evolution of Events: 2020 and Beyond

August 11 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar Canada + Google Map

Learn how your events can seamlessly operate today, what you need to consider for the future and what cannot be sacrificed. About this Event We're all patiently waiting for when we can get back to in-person connections and live experiences. But in the meantime, event professionals are pivoting to virtual events and event companies are turning to digital platforms and video services. We all know that the events industry has had to adapt—and fast! Within a matter of months, a…

Find out more »

Back to Business Goal Setting Workshop

August 12 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

One event on July 29, 2020 at 10:00 am

One event on August 5, 2020 at 10:00 am

One event on August 12, 2020 at 10:00 am

Webinar Canada

Succeeding in the New Normal for Business COURSE DESCRIPTION Businesses across Canada are coming to terms with a vastly changed landscape. In many aspects, the old way of doing things has been discarded, and the transition to the “new normal” is filled with many challenges. The key to succeeding in these times is to be prepared, know the obstacles you’re likely to face, and set goals that will enable you to move forward. With so many strategic decisions to be…

Find out more »

Retail Ready: How to Get Your Product Into Stores

August 12 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Webinar Canada

Make Your Goods Retail Ready COURSE DESCRIPTION Are you ready to take your product to retail? Getting your product onto store shelves can be challenging and costly, especially if you don’t understand the pitfalls. Get started by learning about product design and how to tell your brand’s story in a way that resonates with retailers and consumers. This seminar will also focus on setting the correct retail price for your product and determining suitable sales channels to pursue your ideal…

Find out more »

September 2020

COVID Safety and Energy Efficiency for Your Small Business

September 2 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Webinar Canada

How to Cut Energy Costs in a Safe and Efficient Way COURSE DESCRIPTION During COVID-19, business owners have been looking at different ways to cut costs and become more efficient. What if it was possible to achieve this goal while helping to reduce transmission of COVID-19 at the same time? Delivered by Sam Thomas, Principal and Kootenay Branch Manager of Prism Engineering, and Tiago Pereira, Energy Solutions Manager at FortisBC, attendees will learn practical steps for making the workplace safer,…

Find out more »

Back to Business Goal Setting Workshop

September 17 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, repeating until October 8, 2020

Webinar Canada

Succeeding in the New Normal for Business COURSE DESCRIPTION Businesses across Canada are coming to terms with a vastly changed landscape. In many aspects, the old way of doing things has been discarded, and the transition to the “new normal” is filled with many challenges. The key to succeeding in these times is to be prepared, know the obstacles you’re likely to face, and set goals that will enable you to move forward. With so many strategic decisions to be…

Find out more »

Back to Business Goal Setting Workshop

September 24 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, repeating until October 8, 2020

Webinar Canada

Succeeding in the New Normal for Business COURSE DESCRIPTION Businesses across Canada are coming to terms with a vastly changed landscape. In many aspects, the old way of doing things has been discarded, and the transition to the “new normal” is filled with many challenges. The key to succeeding in these times is to be prepared, know the obstacles you’re likely to face, and set goals that will enable you to move forward. With so many strategic decisions to be…

Find out more »

Retail Ready: How to Get Your Product Into Stores

September 30 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

One event on August 12, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Webinar Canada

Make Your Goods Retail Ready COURSE DESCRIPTION Are you ready to take your product to retail? Getting your product onto store shelves can be challenging and costly, especially if you don’t understand the pitfalls. Get started by learning about product design and how to tell your brand’s story in a way that resonates with retailers and consumers. This seminar will also focus on setting the correct retail price for your product and determining suitable sales channels to pursue your ideal…

Find out more »

October 2020

Back to Business Goal Setting Workshop

October 1 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, repeating until October 8, 2020

Webinar Canada

Succeeding in the New Normal for Business COURSE DESCRIPTION Businesses across Canada are coming to terms with a vastly changed landscape. In many aspects, the old way of doing things has been discarded, and the transition to the “new normal” is filled with many challenges. The key to succeeding in these times is to be prepared, know the obstacles you’re likely to face, and set goals that will enable you to move forward. With so many strategic decisions to be…

Find out more »

Business Networking Skills for Success

October 6 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar Canada

Networking and Connecting During COVID-19 COURSE DESCRIPTION COVID-19 and the need to maintain physical distancing has dramatically impacted on our ability to network and make new contacts. Don’t despair, there are still plenty of ways to make the connections you need for your business to succeed. Now is the perfect time to assess your network and increase your connections so your business is well poised to benefit as our economy gradually reopens. Join Cathy Kuzel, Business Development Strategies and Advisor,…

Find out more »

Back to Business Goal Setting Workshop

October 8 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, repeating until October 8, 2020

Webinar Canada

Succeeding in the New Normal for Business COURSE DESCRIPTION Businesses across Canada are coming to terms with a vastly changed landscape. In many aspects, the old way of doing things has been discarded, and the transition to the “new normal” is filled with many challenges. The key to succeeding in these times is to be prepared, know the obstacles you’re likely to face, and set goals that will enable you to move forward. With so many strategic decisions to be…

Find out more »
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Options for WEC Loan Clients

Options for WEC Loan Clients

We know COVID-19 is having a serious impact on most small business owners. To support our loan clients during this period of uncertainty, Women’s Enterprise Centre is making the following concessions available:

1) Existing loan clients

In March, we offered the initial loan relief measures to defer principal and/or forgive interest for 3 months (April, May and June), and advised regular loan payments would re-commence in July.

We are now moving into the next stage of COVID-19 recovery and have two options available to help you stabilize and endure the pandemic. Below are our current options for existing loan clients who would still like some support, updated as of July 16:

OPTION 1 – If your business has not recovered enough for you to start making full regular payments then Women’s Enterprise Centre may be able to offer you an additional 3 or 6 months of interest only payments.  In order to apply for additional interest only payments you will need to fill in an application. 

OPTION 2 – The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is providing a loan of up to $40,000 for eligible women-run businesses to help businesses cope with financial hardship and recovery from economic disruption resulting from COVID-19. If you think your business requires additional financing to recover, this could be a good option for you. This option is available for sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. More details are available here, and we are contacting all loan clients with more information and an application to apply.

OPTION 3 – If you are unsure what is best for your business and you would like to talk with a Business Advisor please call our office 1.800.643.7014 ext. 112 or email inquiry@womensenterprise.ca.

If you would prefer to return to your pre-COVID payment schedule, then no action is required and your regular payments will automatically resume in July.

2) New loan clients

You may take advantage of a 6-month period between the time your loan is approved and when the funds must be drawn down. This additional flexibility will allow new loan clients the time to decide whether to continue with their original plans for their business. If there are extenuating circumstances, we are able to discuss lengthening this draw-down period for new loan clients.

Please contact our Loan Portfolio Officer if you would like to take advantage of these options.

Other Service Delivery Updates

We have modified how we deliver our services.

Skills Training Workshops

Until further notice, all upcoming WEC-hosted training events are being delivered by webinar. View upcoming webinars >>

One-to-One Mentoring, Peer Mentoring Groups and Taking the Stage®

Since mentoring is shown to greatly succeed your chances of success and help you overcome obstacles, we are continuing with our mentoring programs. Until further notice, all groups and mentor meetings are virtual. Check out our upcoming Virtual Peer Mentoring group for Northern BC women >>

Meetings and Business Advisory Appointments

We’re here to support women entrepreneurs! If you’d like to speak with a Business Advisor about your situation, please call us at 1.800.643.7014 or fill out this online form and we will be in touch to schedule a phone call or Zoom meeting.

Please note: All our offices are currently closed to the public, so all meetings will be done virtually.

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