Page 31 - BusinessWest February 17, 2021

Jailyne Torres says EforAll has been instrumental in helping her take Shyguns to the next level.
from the classwork to the back and forth with her mentors. And that intensity helped her persevere through the challenges of getting a plan in place, finding and readying the site for her bakery and café, and getting the doors open.
“Every time I was close to saying, ‘I’m done,’ they would say, ‘you’re on the right track; keep going,’” she recalled. “And we would keep going.”
maybe a brand. Things like data entry, pricing, marketing, and “allowing transformation to happen.”
“When I started the project, it was based on the creative clothing part,” she explained. “And then, I was able to add second-hand clothing, and not limit what the future might bring.”
“Every time I was close to saying, ‘I’m done,’ they would say, ‘you’re on the right track; kee”p going. And we would keep going.
That’s certainly another colorful and poignant way of summing up what EforAll does for those who participate in its programs.
Scare Tactics
Here’s the full quote attributed to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.
If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.”
Most people have the capacity to dream as big as Johnson Sirleaf believes they should. But not everyone has what it takes to make those dreams become reality. Those who have entrepreneurial ambitions and spirit are among those who can.
But even such driven individuals can’t go it alone. EforAll exists to make sure they don’t have to. And that’s why it’s a true Difference Maker in Holyoke — and beyond. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
programs in both English and Spanish (EsparaTodos), and graduates four cohorts of entrepreneurs each year, two in the spring and two in the fall.
Like most accelerators, these XX-week programs are designed to educate participants on the many aspects of starting and operating a business — everything from writing and updating a business plan to working with the media — while also connecting them with mentors who can impart their wisdom and first-hand experiences.
When asked what it’s like, Rubio said simply, “intense.” By that, she was referring to everything
Likewise, Carlos Rosario kept going with his venture, Rosario Asphalt, which specializes in residential driveways and repairs.
Rosario, speaking in English that is, like his bottom line, improving consistently from year to year, said EforAll has helped him make the big leap from working for someone else to working for himself.
He told BusinessWest that those at EforAll helped connect him with sources of capital, including banks and Common Capital, to secure loans that have enabled him to buy the equipment needed to handle more — and larger — jobs,
including a trailer and a truck. And he’s hired his first employee, a truck driver.
“If it wasn’t for EforAll, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said, adding that the agency and the mentors assigned to him have helped with all facets of running a business, but especially with making those all-important connections to professionals, capital, and potential clients.
Torres agreed. She said EforAll has helped her with aspects of her business that people don’t think about when they’re focused on an idea and
Congratulations to the 2021 Difffffference Makers!
bankESB salutes you in recognition of your leadership and continued dedication and commitment to our community. Thank you for your outstanding contributions.
• Bill Parks, President, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfififield
• Chad Moir, Founder and owner, DopaFitTM Parkinson’s Movement Center
• Harold Grinspoon, Philanthropist; Founder, Aspen Square Management
• Janine Fondon, Professor, Bay Path University; Founder, UnityFirst.com
• Kristin Carlson, President, Peerless Precision, Inc.
• Pete Westover, Conservation Works, LLC
• EforAll, Holyoke
bankESB.com | 855.527.4111
Member FDIC | Member DIF
DIFFERENCE
FEBRUARY 17, 2021 31
BusinessWest