EDC and Business Impact NW to host two free workshops on capital readiness for businesses
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Submitted by the Economic Development Council.
The Economic Development Council will host a free workshop led by Business Impact NW to help small business owners and startup entrepreneurs better understand loans and capital readiness. The two identical sessions of the workshop, titled Capital Readiness, will take place in person. The first is Tuesday, May 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Friday Harbor House, San Juan Island. The second is Wednesday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lopez Island Library. Both sessions will have virtual registration available for those unable to attend in-person.
Capital Readiness: All businesses need capital. The capital readiness workshop provides an overview of funding and how to access it. It explains how to identify funding needs, purpose and use. It also covers types of funding for each stage, how to prepare and what lenders look for.
The workshop is presented by Gwen Kohl, a business advisor at Business Impact NW. Business Impact NW is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing coaching, classes and access to loans to small businesses across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Business Impact NW has been serving entrepreneurs at every stage of their business growth, from early ideas to established businesses, since 1997. Kohl provides coaching and training to small business owners, assisting them with loan readiness, financial projections and cash flow management. She helps clients understand their financial position and how to launch or scale sustainably.
This workshop is free and requires pre-registration at https://sanjuansedc.org/bizlabs.
For more information, contact the EDC at 360-378-2906 or info@sanjuansedc.org.
The EDC thanks the Washington State Microenterprise Association for its statewide grant catalyzing these workshops. The EDC also thanks the funding partners for their support of this and other EDC programs: San Juan County, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the ports of Friday Harbor and Lopez, the Orcas Island and San Juan Island community foundations, and individual and foundation donors.
