WWBIC to open new women’s business center in southwestern Wisconsin

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The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. has received additional money from the U.S. Small Business Administration to open a new Women’s Business Center in southwest Wisconsin. This new center will serve entrepreneurs and business owners throughout nine counties of southwestern Wisconsin.

Funded by a $750,000 multiyear grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, it will open in 2021. The center will support programming in nine counties: Crawford, Grant, Juneau, Iowa, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Richland and Vernon.  The SBA grant funds the center with an annual grant of $150,000 for five years.

WWBIC has had a presence in the La Crosse and Viroqua areas for the past 6 years and, in 2019 alone, served 1,217 unduplicated clients and worked with strategic partners among others, City of La Crosse La Crosse Area Development Corp., Viroqua Chamber Main Street’s, SW SBDC, SBDC at UW-La Crosse, Couleecap, Driftless Development, Juneau Economic Development Corp., SWCAP, Coulee Region Business Center, YWCA-La Crosse to advance the important work of assisting small businesses through technical assistance and lending services.

WWBIC has offices across Wisconsin serving the Appleton area, Green Bay area, Greater Madison, Greater Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and surrounding counties. This will be its first office located in the southwest region of Wisconsin.