When Elvira joined Friendship Bridge’s Bridge to Success program back in August 2021, she already had an established customer base and a business that showed promise: bedding and baby clothing production and sales. But she wanted to take her enterprise to the next level. A mother of two from San Marcos, Elvira’s goal was clear: to invest in new machinery and expand her production capacity. The Bridge to Success program helped her reach that goal by providing much more than access to capital.
Hands-on support
Through an individual loan paired with personalized, one-on-one business training, Elvira received hands-on support from local Business Developers who speak clients’ native languages and visit women in their homes and businesses. With this combination of financing and tailored business development support, Elvira was able to strengthen both her operations and her management skills.
Together with her Business Developer, she worked on practical tools such as a customized business plan, improved sales and expense tracking, and strategies to manage her business more strategically. Over time, these changes helped her make more informed decisions, increase her production capacity, and continue growing as an entrepreneur and leader in her community.
The result of investment
The results have been significant: since joining the program, Elvira has increased her average income by 13%, expanded her customer base, and transformed her operation into a larger production workshop equipped with additional machinery. Today, 70% of her sales come from repeat customers and custom orders, a testament to the quality of her products and the trust she has built with her clients—and serving as proof that when women entrepreneurs are determined and have access to the right resources, their businesses and their confidence in what they can achieve will grow simultaneously.
As demand continues to grow, Elvira remains focused on the future. She hopes to further expand her production capacity and diversify her product offerings, creating even more opportunities for growth.
We can achieve our dreams through effort and discipline. Believing in ourselves helps us set goals and build successful businesses.—Elvira, Bridge to Success client
70% of Elvira’s sales come from customers who keep coming back.
With the credit, training, and local Business Developer support offered through our programs like Bridge to Success, women like Elvira build businesses their customers trust. With your gift, you can help more women entrepreneurs turn their businesses into a stable community presence.
