2022 Impact Report - Women's Business Center at JEDI

Our WBC at JEDI clients in 2022:

825 clients served

• 88% Women
• 63% Low Income
• 41% People of Color
• 35% Rural

Our WBC at JEDI Businesses in 2022:

• 360 Businesses Started and Sustained
• 2.15 Million in Business Capital Accessed 
• 833 Jobs Created and Retained

Established businesses reportted an average of $168,240 annual business revenue. Established businesses reported a total of $15, 449,857 gross annual revenue, which in turn generated over $23,174 in local economic activity from business spending on inventory, labor, and taxes (x1.5 for every dollar of sales).

Business Industries:

• Accomodations/Food 11%
• Professional/Technical 15%
• Educational (including childcare)  11%
• Arts and Entertainment 17%
• Retail 18%
• Health Care 15%
• Other 13%

Client Success Stories:

REBECCA WESTON, OWNER, SACRED MOUNTAIN SPA www.sacredmountainspa.com 

“Let go of fear” was Rebecca Weston’s 2014 mantra when she bought Sacred Mountain Spa at the Mount Shasta Resort. After graduating from esthetician school in 2012 she began working at the spa and just two years later, letting go of fear, she bought the spa and became the owner of the small business of her dreams.

Rebecca is passionate about the work she does, and she genuinely loves her clients. "A facial from Rebecca Weston is a real treat for more than just your face! Rebecca understands that a face is a delicate reflection of the human being inside. She handles each client with loving care and goes out of her way to make you feel relaxed and restored, while she skillfully brings out your natural beauty," writes one of her customers. Running a business was a whole other skill set and she credits the classes and consulting she accessed at the WBC at JEDI for her success as an owner. Early on she took classes like It’s Your Business and met with a consultant to write a business plan and learn QuickBooks. 

“I really feel without them and their support, I would not have done as well. JEDI has been like a silent partner to me with all the support they provide,” says Rebecca. During the COVID lockdown, Sacred Mountain Spa was shuttered for 4 months.

When it reopened, business was at 50% capacity because the health protocols required extra cleaning and more time between clients. The first grant she applied for she was denied but then she worked with a WBC at JEDI consultant and was awarded grants for her subsequent applications, including $34,000 from the CA Relief Grant. Her staff dropped from 15 to 6 but she managed to keep in touch with her regular customers by selling them products they could pick up curbside. She has a fabulous manager that takes care of the day-to-day operations so that Rebecca can practice her art – facials and customer care. Rebecca is very well loved by her clients and employees. Sacred Mountain Spa was awarded “Best Day Spa” by the Mount Shasta Award Program in 2020. For 2021, The Official Community Choice Awards of South Siskiyou the Sacred Mountain Spa was voted “Top Employer”, and continues to grow and improve her business. The consultants of the WBC at JEDI are very proud of Rebecca Weston. She became a client in 2014 and has continued to use our services to this day. The feeling is mutual, as Rebecca says,

"I recommend your service all the time. Small businesses that aren't using your services are really missing out.”

ANDREA WEARY, OWNER, ANIME TEAHOUSE www.animeteahouse.net

The city of Yreka, CA was treated to something a little different when Andrea Weary opened Anime Teahouse in December 2021. In the historic downtown, Andrea sells loose leaf teas and unique gifts and serves “a warm cup of welcome”. She is very proud to have introduced something new to the community. “Yreka is a small town, and I didn’t know how people would receive it.” But, Andrea insists that the best cure for self-doubt is courage. Her shop is so unique to the region that she attracts customers from hundreds of miles away. She has expanded the shop to include tea accessories, gifts, novelties, and books.

She envisions a space that people can come to enjoy a proper cup of tea. In the spring of 2022, she enrolled in the Business Accelerator Program with the aim to apply for the CA Dream Fund grant. She’s excited to introduce boba (or bubble) tea, a festive drink native to Taiwan. Anime Tea is a place to try new things and a space for families and teens to enjoy games, like Pachinko, the Japanese arcade games. She loves her students as she loves tea and anime. They are inspiring.

“Being an employer is important to me. When I started working for myself, I had no one to ask or answer my questions. I have no idea what I would do with the Women’s Business Center at JEDI. Now I have people to talk to about growing my business.”