By: Anna Tuckett
Quitting work due to health issues left Valerie Shaw wanting
to be able to continue making money from home using skills she developed all
of her life.
In July of last year, Valerie Shaw was approved for a small
business loan from the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation and the Utah
Microenterprise Loan Fund that helped her start her new sewing business,
Personal Touch Tailoring.
“It’s hard to live on social security when you’re not
prepared for it,” Shaw said. “I wanted to earn some money from home.”
The skill of sewing
has been passed down in Shaw’s family from generation to generation.
“My grandmother taught my mother how to sew, and then they
both passed that knowledge down to me,” Shaw said. “One of my first jobs was as
a seamstress.”
The loan that Shaw received was essential for facilitating
and financing her business.
“I used the $3,000 to buy the machines I needed to meet the
demands of customers,” Shaw said. “I also used the loan to buy visual aids.”
Shaw is a seamstress for individuals and local businesses
alike, including The Coral Pear, a company based in Utah that sells baby
moccasins.
“My new machines make it much easier to sew shoes for the
company.” Shaw said.
UATF partners with UMLF to get small business loans for
Utahns with disabilities and health concerns, like Valerie Shaw, to help them
be as independent as possible.
Find more information on UATF small business loans and the
application process at http://www.uatpat.org/financing/.
No comments:
Post a Comment