Evelyn Ackah started her firm, Ackah Business Immigration Law in 2010 with the aim of helping others live their dream of starting a new life in a new country. Her experience with the immigration process started when she was young; Evelyn came to Canada as an immigrant herself, moving from Ghana when she was five.
As a small business owner, Evelyn found it difficult to obtain the funds she needed to get started: “Then I heard about AWE, and within weeks, they had approved my application. It was great to have been approved and recognized for what I had created and was doing.”
For women entrepreneurs, access to capital can be one of the largest obstacles to starting or growing their businesses. AWE offers repayable loans of up to $150,000 to women-owned, Alberta-based businesses to help them achieve their goals.
Phoebe Fung also found herself experiencing challenges when she was seeking financing to open Vin Room, a wine bar and restaurant in Calgary. “As a first-time entrepreneur in 2008, I had trouble getting business loans, as I didn’t have experience in the food and hospitality industry. AWE allowed me access to low-cost capital that I would not have had access to.”
Phoebe now has three Vin Room locations across Calgary and over 60 employees. With each location, she reached out to AWE for the capital she needed to make her growth plans a reality.
Evelyn’s now in the process of expanding her business, with the creation of an online immigration platform to help people to complete their immigration applications on a DIY basis. She wanted to offer something to those who were risking their time and money, trying to navigate the immigration system on their own.
With the new immigration portal launching soon, Ackah Law will now be able to provide an affordable and accessible service to those in need of advice and assistance.
“That loan helped because it allowed us to grow our business, to employ more people, and to invest in more technology. We had our best year last year.”
Many of AWE’s loan clients also tap into the personalized advice and resources available to them. Not only can AWE help provide access to capital for women entrepreneurs, but also access to ongoing business advising, and connect with a community of like-minded women.
For Phoebe, that continued support makes all the difference. “AWE is more than just a source of funding for female entrepreneurs. They provide a support framework, courses for continual learning and a network to access for female entrepreneurs.”
