Help Comes in Surprising Ways for Business Owners

After doing “The Walking Mom Project,” I was obsessed with finding answers to some of the questions that plague a lot of business owners minds in today’s economy:

“What can we do if we need help?”

“What can I do at an affordable price?”

I know that for some, closing their doors after a very slow summer was the only solution, while for others it was moving to a new location in the hopes of finding new business to increase their sales, and for some it has been about reaching out to their friends and family for support. I have made so many wonderful new friends just by reaching out to my community that I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful support structure behind me. I would love to see that same kind of support for our local business owners.

Doing a good deed for free? In today’s world it’s considered a silly phrase. Nothing is really for free or is it? In my mind, yes, it is. Doing something to help a person, a friend, a family member, a church, a charity organization or even a local business is something that you do that comes from the heart. There are no questions asked, there are no expectations—only the pleasure of seeing someone smile is worthwhile.

Even though The Walking Mom Project of handing out bags of coupons has ended, the work behind it has not. I am out there almost every day networking, talking to people that I meet about my favorite local businesses, helping out in any way that I can, allowing time with my daughter and husband. I have come to love the work that I do very much, and no, I don’t charge to do it. I do it knowing that Redmond has a future as a strong community. Everything I do is for my daughter’s future. I don’t want her to see a world where good deeds are a rare event. I want her to see that life can be about doing good deeds no matter where you go.

So, for my wonderful and amazing friends that are business owners, here are some nice little tidbits:

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, Julia Hutton is doing a Free 28 Day Marking Program Series (five spots left as of Dec. 20). Why is this free? All she requests is for a monetary donation for , any amount. 

Julia Hutton is a natural teacher that loves to reach out to her community as well as to our local small business owners. She is no stranger to the hard challenges that they face. She knows the life very intimately as she watched her father run his own business; she saw the ups and the downs, the dedication and the hard work.

“I love what Hopelink does for the community. It touches my heart. I love small business and with so many people not being able to find work, many of those same people are starting up small businesses,” she said.

Julie, you have touched our hearts by providing the community with such a wonderful service! With omore than 23 years of being a success coach/counselor, she has become one of the most highly skilled workshop leaders in the area.

Know your other options: 

• Check out the ARC Loan Program Interest Free Loan for Debt Repayment (The American Recovery Capital (ARC) Loan Program) provides interest-free loans of up to $35,000 to small businesses to aid in making principal and interest payments on existing small business loans (including credit card loans) for up to six months. This loan is 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA. There is no collateral and no fees associated with this loan. Payments are deferred for 12 months and repayment can extend up to five years. 
• http://archive.sba.gov/recovery/agencyplans/index.html
• http://app1.sba.gov/training/sbafp/ (free training program)
• There are more options available; contact the SBA directly to find out more information.

Even more resources:

• http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/moneymatters/a/sbahub.htm
• http://directory.ac/businessgov.html
• http://blogs.findlaw.com/free_enterprise/2010/05/tax-credit-to-pay-third-of-small-business-health-cost.html
• http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants/small-business-loans/sba-loan-programs