Prospera Business Network is the leading nonprofit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. Its focus is helping people start and grow their business – in turn strengthening our region’s economy and communities. Prospera provides confidential no-cost business advising, professional business training, loans, financing planning, assistance with business development grants, and timely economic research.
For 35 years, Prospera has served one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S., serving more than 1500 clients per year. Its mission is to be a catalyst for business and community success and serve as the regional leader that inspires positive and healthy economic and community development. Prospera offers its services to any business owner in the community through its programs including the Montana Food and Agriculture Development Center (FADC), the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and the Montana Women’s Business Center (WBC).
Since 2009, Prospera has been the host for the Women’s Business Center, a statewide program that focuses on serving women entrepreneurs. In 2019 the Montana WBC was recognized as the Small Business Administration Women’s Business Center of the year.
The WBC focuses on offering innovative female-centric programming that helps to support women entrepreneurs through networking, business accelerator training, mentorship, and assistance with becoming federally certified as a woman-owned business.
One upcoming new program of the WBC, 56 Strong, will help to bridge the gap between the urban and rural divide by connecting women entrepreneurs and business leaders from all of Montana’s 56 counties. This six-month program will matchmake mentors and mentees and provide a curriculum to educate and empower the women in the program to hit new milestones and achievements in business. The program is now seeking applications for mentors and mentees – apply today here: https://www.prosperamt.org/womens-business-center/56strong-womens-mentoring-program
In addition to the WBC programming, each year the WBC offers a statewide grant to women-owned businesses. The Impact Grant is a privately funded grant that has funded nine women-owned businesses since 2018 with nearly $50,000. In its fourth year of funding, the Impact Grant will be awarding $18,000. The grant application opened November 15, 2021, and closes March 4, 2022.
prosperamt.org/womens-business-center/overview
406.587.3113