Growing, Step by Step
Growing, Step by Step
She knew from a young age she wanted to work with children. Learn how a Regions Foundation community partner helped her small business thrive.
她從小就知道自己想和孩子們一起工作。了解一下Regions基金會社區夥伴是如何幫助她的小企業蓬勃發展的吧。
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2024 / Regions Bank
北安普敦，馬薩諸塞州/ACCESSWIRE/2024年6月26日 /Regions銀行。
By Kim Borges
作者：金博吉斯
"I've always loved being around kids. Even when I was small, I always wanted to play school, to play teacher."
“我總是喜歡和孩子們在一起。即使我還小，我也總是想玩學校，想扮演老師。”
Angelica "Angie" Granados knew at a young age she wanted to work with children. But knowing all the ins and outs of entrepreneurship? Well, those are lessons the Stepping Stones Child Care & Learning Center, LLC owner continues to learn to this day.
Angelica“Angie”Granados從小就知道自己想和孩子們一起工作。但是，關於創業的方方面面的知識？那些是Stepping Stones兒童看護和學習中心的所有者仍在學習的課程。
So, when the opportunity arose for the Laredo, Texas, small-business owner to return to the classroom to gain valuable insights on running and growing her company, Granados seized it.
因此，當辣雷多（Laredo）的小企業主有機會重返課堂，學習經營和發展公司的寶貴經驗時，格拉納多斯抓住了這個機會。
"We're true believers in PeopleFund," she said. "And I wouldn't be here without them believing in us."
“我們真正相信PeopleFund，”她說。“如果沒有他們相信我們，我不會在這裏的。”
What is PeopleFund?
什麼是PeopleFund？
Established in 1994, PeopleFund is dedicated to creating economic opportunity and financial stability for underserved small businesses across Texas. The nonprofit fulfills that mission by providing access to education, capital, technical resources and more, all at no cost to clients.
成立於1994年的PeopleFund致力於爲德克薩斯州各個小型企業創造經濟機會和財務穩定。該非營利組織通過免費提供教育、資本、技術資源等方式來實現這一宗旨。
"We're true believers in PeopleFund. And I wouldn't be here without them believing in us."
Angie Granados, owner of Stepping Stones Child Care & Learning Center, LLC
“我們真正相信PeopleFund，”她說。“如果沒有他們相信我們，我不會在這裏的。”
Stepping Stones兒童看護和學習中心的所有者Angie Granados
The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit primarily funded by Regions Bank, has been a longtime PeopleFund community partner, most recently investing in the organization's Small Business Loan Fund and its Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Accelerator Program (read more below). The BIPOC Accelerator Program and assistance are open to everyone.
Regions基金會是一個非營利組織，主要由Regions銀行提供資金支持，長期以來一直是PeopleFund的社區夥伴，在該組織的小型企業貸款基金和其黑人、印第安人和有色人種（BIPOC）加速器計劃（下文更多信息）方面最近有所投資。BIPOC加速器計劃和援助對所有人開放。
"PeopleFund supports entrepreneurs at every stage from start-up to expansion to help them achieve their goals," said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. "Through their coaching model and their depth of resources, PeopleFund is empowering its clients to create their road map to business success."
Regions基金會執行主任馬爾塔·塞爾夫（Marta Self）表示：“PeopleFund在每個階段都支持企業家，幫助他們實現自己的目標。通過他們的教練模式和豐富的資源，PeopleFund正在授權其客戶創建自己的商業成功路線圖。”
Given Granados helps children at Stepping Stones master fundamentals like the alphabet, we're sharing a few ABCs related to her small-business journey and the support she's received from her PeopleFund - and personal - networks.
考慮到Granados通過Stepping Stones幫助孩子掌握字母等基礎知識，我們分享了與她的小企業之旅和她從PeopleFund和個人網絡中獲得的支持相關的一些ABC。
A is for ...
A代表……
Advice: "Your mama is always right because I've been here more than you have."
建議：“你的媽媽總是對的，因爲我比你來得更久。”
When Granados's mother, Carmen Contreras, who helps her run Stepping Stones, offers advice, Angie listens. It's paid off more than once, including with her discovery of PeopleFund.
當格拉納多斯的母親Carmen Contreras幫助她經營Stepping Stones並提出建議時，安吉會傾聽。這已經收到了多次回報，包括她發現PeopleFund。
"My mom saw an online ad for the program and encouraged me to apply," Granados said.
“我的媽媽看到了該項目的在線廣告並鼓勵我申請，”格拉納多斯說。
Along with experience and wisdom, Granados knows she can also always count on her mom for support.
除了經驗和智慧，格拉納多斯知道她也可以永遠依靠她的母親的支持。
"As corny as it sounds, my mom is my rock," she said. "She's helped me get this far. She's my trouper, she doesn't give up on me. And she won't let me give up on myself, either."
“儘管聽起來很肉麻，但我的媽媽是我的支柱，”她說。“她幫助我走到了這一步。她是我的士兵，不會放棄我。她也不會讓我放棄自己。”
Adversity: Most entrepreneurs face it launching or growing their business. Granados is no exception.
逆境：大多數企業家在發起或發展自己的業務時都面臨着對抗。Granados也不例外。
"When COVID hit, we had to close down for three months," she said.
“COVID-19疫情暴發時，我們不得不關閉3個月，”她說。
PeopleFund helped thousands of small-business owners like Granados when the pandemic turned their worlds upside down overnight. That support included offering bridge loans with zero interest, helping entrepreneurs develop personalized disaster-response plans and identifying opportunities for federal support. The Regions Foundation provided a grant to help.
當疫情一夜之間改變了他們的生活後，PeopleFund爲成千上萬的小企業主提供了支持，包括提供零利率的橋樑貸款，幫助企業家制定個性化的災難響應計劃，並尋找聯邦支持的機會。Regions慈善基金會提供了一個撥款以幫助。
"We've all reached a moment in time where we want to give up," Granados recalled of those especially challenging days. "We all go through obstacles, and we went through a lot of obstacles. It's just the way you handle it. Through God's help and prayer, we got here."
“我們都曾經歷過想要放棄的時刻，”格拉納多斯回憶起那些尤其具有挑戰性的日子。“我們都經歷了障礙，我們經歷了很多障礙。關鍵在於你如何處理它。通過上帝的幫助和祈禱，我們到了這裏。”
Anthony: As in, Lopez, a small-business specialist with PeopleFund. "Mr. Anthony is an open book, he told me, 'Whatever you need help with, let me know,'" said Granados. "He was there for me. He read my business pitch and said everything was going to be OK."
安東尼：也就是PeopleFund的小企業專家洛佩茲先生。格拉納多斯說：“安東尼先生是一本開放的書，他告訴我，‘無論你需要什麼幫助，讓我知道，’他就在那裏等我。他讀了我的商業計劃，說一切都會好的。”
You can read about more PeopleFund clients Lopez has worked with at the end of this article.
您可以在本文末尾閱讀更多由洛佩茲與PeopleFund合作的客戶信息。
B is for ...
B代表⋯⋯
BIPOC Accelerator: PeopleFund's Black, Indigenous and People of Color Accelerator is an eight-week program involving weekly seminars and homework. Granados graduated from the BIPOC Accelerator last December.
BIPOC加速器：PeopleFund的黑人、土著和有色人種加速器是一個爲期8周的項目，涉及每週研討會和家庭作業。格拉納多斯於去年12月從BIPOC加速器畢業。
"There were so many things they taught us, from promoting our business to how to handle our finances," she said. "Everything was there for you to take it. It was a great experience."
她說：“他們教給我們的東西有很多，從推銷我們的業務到如何處理我們的財務，一切都在那裏等着你。這是一個非常棒的經歷。”
Business Plan: Every BIPOC Accelerator Program participant develops and pitches theirs with support and feedback provided by their coach before graduation.
商業計劃：每個BIPOC加速器項目參與者都將在畢業前得到他們的指導和反饋。
C is for ...
C代表⋯⋯
Capital: It's a necessity for small-business owners, particularly in the earliest phases.
資本：對於小企業主來說，特別是在最早的階段，這是必不可少的。
"PeopleFund helped us with our first loan to open in 2018, and they helped us with a second loan when we bought our second property last April," said Granados.
格拉納多斯說：“PeopleFund在2018年幫助我們獲得了第一筆貸款，讓我們得以開業；去年4月，他們還幫助我們獲得了第二筆貸款，用於購買第二棟物業。”
Since its founding, PeopleFund has provided more than $225 million in financial assistance to over 5,500 small businesses and $195 million in new market tax credits attracting $812 million in investments. The result? A direct impact of over $1 billion to Texas's economy.
自成立以來，PeopleFund已向超過5,500家小企業提供了超過2.25億美元的金融援助，吸引了8.12億美元的投資，並提供了1.95億美元的新市場稅收。其結果是對德克薩斯州經濟的直接影響超過10億美元。
CDFIs: It stands for Community Development Financial Institutions, created to provide financial products and services to people and businesses located in under-resourced markets. PeopleFund is one of nearly 1,500 CDFIs nationwide.
CDFI：指的是社區發展金融機構，旨在向位於資源匱乏市場的人和企業提供金融產品和服務。PeopleFund是全國近1,500個CDFI之一。
Coaching: It's a key aspect of PeopleFund's model as previously mentioned.
指南針：正如先前提到的那樣，輔導是PeopleFund模式的關鍵方面。洛佩茲與PeopleFund合作的其他客戶信息可在本文末尾閱讀。
"Receiving a coach is such a plus," said Granados. "Even if you don't want to talk in class, you can talk with your coach one-on-one."
格拉納多斯說：“獲得教練是一大優勢。即使你不想在課堂上談話，你也可以與你的教練一對一地交流。”
Curriculum: Granados is incredibly proud of the curriculum Stepping Stones has developed for the 100 children it serves.
課程：格拉納多斯非常自豪於Stepping Stones爲其服務的100個兒童開發的課程。她說：“我們是一個四星級中心，這是最高的評級。我們是一個學習中心，爲孩子們的學前教育做好準備，確保他們在到達小學時在學術、社交和情感方面都做好了準備。重要的是，我知道有一個地方讓孩子們學習，這樣他們以後會更好地發揮作用。”
"We are a four-star center, which is the highest rating," she said. "We're a learning center preparing children for school, making sure they are ready academically, socially and emotionally when they get to elementary school. It's important knowing I have a place for children to learn the way that's going to help them later."
格拉納多斯作爲企業家學到的最重要的一課是什麼？她說：“如果你真的熱愛它，你真的相信你的業務，一切都會好的——但你需要真的熱愛它。”她說：“這是我的激情，這是我的寶貝。”
The greatest lesson Granados has learned as an entrepreneur?
"If you really love it and you really believe in your business, it's going to be OK - but you need to really love it," she said. "It has to be your passion. This is my passion, this is my baby."
“如果你真的熱愛它，你真的相信你的業務，一切都會好的——但你需要真的熱愛它，”她說。“這是我的激情，這是我的寶貝。”
Read About More PeopleFund Clients:
了解更多PeopleFund客戶：
- Mixing Things Up
- The Path to Peace
- Flipping the Script
- Designs on the Future
- Thriving In Business, Thriving In Life
- 搖身一變
- 通往和平的道路
- 顛覆劇本
- 未來的設計
- 在業務中蓬勃發展，在生活中蓬勃發展
About Regions Foundation
Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
關於Regions基金會
Regions基金會支持對Regions銀行服務的社區產生積極影響的社區投資。該基金會參與了一個撥款計劃，重點關注經濟和社區發展，教育和職業力量，以及財務福利等優先事項。該基金會是一個非營利性的501(c)(3)非營利組織，主要通過Regions銀行的捐贈資金來獲得資助。
About PeopleFund
PeopleFund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, an SBA lender and the managing member of the Veteran Loan Fund. Established in 1994, PeopleFund has 30 years of experience helping thousands on the path to financial security. PeopleFund programs provide individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, or creed, with the capital, training, and resources needed to grow healthy small businesses. Since inception, PeopleFund has delivered over $225 million in financial assistance to over 5,500 small businesses and $195 million in New Market Tax Credit allocations that attracted $812 million in investments - putting the direct impact in the Texas economy surpassing $1 billion. PeopleFund has also helped create and retain 22,000 jobs and delivered over 180,000 hours of business education. To learn more about PeopleFund, please visit peoplefund.org.
關於PeopleFund
PeopleFund是一個非營利性社區發展金融機構，也是SBA貸款人和退伍軍人貸款基金的管理成員。成立於1994年，PeopleFund有30年的經驗，幫助成千上萬人走向財務安全之路。PeopleFund的項目爲所有背景的個人提供資本、培訓和資源，使他們能夠發展健康的小企業，無論種族、性別或信仰如何。自成立以來，PeopleFund已經向5000多家小企業提供了2.25億美元的財務援助，提供了1.95億美元的新市場稅收配額，吸引了8.12億美元的投資，直接影響了德克薩斯經濟超過10億美元。PeopleFund還幫助創造和保留了22,000個就業機會，並提供了超過180,000個小時的商業教育。了解更多信息，請訪問peoplefund.org。
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3blmedia.com.
在3blmedia.com上查看來自Regions銀行的其他多媒體和更多ESG故事。
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Regions Bank
聯繫信息:
發言人：Regions銀行
SOURCE: Regions Bank
來源：Regions銀行。
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。