CBDC Eastern Initiatives 2.05

• Financial assistance to a maximum of $150,000 is available in the form of loans, loan guarantees and equity financing to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs.

• Business counselling & advice is available to small businesses. We help businesses to succeed and therefore we give high priority to the advisory role of our mandate.

• Entrepreneurship development and training to individuals and small business owners/managers is available in many of our offices.

• Technical assistance usually takes the form of guidance and coaching, and sometimes advocating on behalf of our clients to other lending establishments or regulatory agencies.

Typically, our services are targeted to entrepreneurs who require customized financing not normally available from traditional sources.

Volunteer Boards
One of the keys to our success is that investment decisions are made by an independent Board of Directors sensitive to the needs of the community. The directors are volunteers, generally business men and women, who believe in our communities and possess an outstanding commitment to making them a better place in which to live and work. Past surveys have indicated that the strength of the CBDCs is in our volunteer Boards. The knowledge of the local markets, the business environment and people is the basis for our effectiveness and success.