Thanks to Accion San Diego for this story!
Melvina Hill always had an eye for detail and through the years had steady employment in jobs that allowed her to exercise her administrative skills. This all changed in the recent recession when she was laid off from her long time position in the bio-tech industry.
Rather than letting this experience get her down she saw it as a chance to make an opportunity for herself and started taking on random projects for businesses like a rodeo venue and real estate companies. She provided administrative help and consulted on a variety of topics from event planning to marketing. Melvina Hill Consulting was launched before she even knew it!
However, it was not until she learned about Accion that she decided to formalize her small business. She applied and was accepted to the Accion Academy for Entrepreneurial Success, an eight-week training course that walked students from creating a business concept to launch. Upon successful completion of the course, graduates could receive a business loan up to a $5,000 to launch their business. Even more valuable than the capital however, was the education, tools and encouragement she received to help turn her business dreams into a reality.
“The Accion Academy allowed me to get my business foundation together,” shared Melvina. “I’ve always known it could be done, but didn’t have the confidence to launch. Accion changed that.”
Melvina was the first Academy graduate to receive a Kiva funded start-up loan and used her $3,700 loan to purchase necessary equipment, pay for certifications to launch her business and for marketing.
As her consulting business grows, she hopes to help other people hone in their skills and launch their own businesses.
“There are so many people in a similar situation as me,” shared Melvina. “I want to help them transition into what they want to do, instead of just working for someone else.”
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