Thank You to Focus Group Business Owners

Francisca Montoya
October 13, 2021
Uncategorized
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Thank You to Focus Group Business Owners

A Big Thank You to Focus Group Business Owners: 

To better understand how small business owners have had to navigate the unprecedented challenges of operating through a pandemic, with the economy’s ups and downs while facing the changing dynamics of a changing work environment, Raza Development Fund hosted focus group sessions to hear directly from small business owners.       

This May, RDF in conjunction with Vanderbilt University conducted a series of five in-person focus group sessions with Phoenix metro area based small business owners.  The purpose of each session was to hear from business owners how they were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and learn how they managed to stay afloat.  More important, RDF was focused on understanding how the RDF Hope Fund grant and Paycheck Protection Loan financial assistance helped small business owners keep their operations open.    

A total of five focus group sessions were held with the participation of thirty small business owners who attended and took part in a lively discussion.  Through the dialogue among participants, we were able to capture diverse perspectives on how the small business sector is managing the impact of COVID-19 both personally and within their business, as well as their perspective on the impact within the community.    

The rich discussion and input from all the participants resulted in identifying areas technical assistance needed to help small businesses stabilize and plan for future expansion as the economy begins to recover.  Among the areas of technical assistance identified by participants, the list includes learning how to best utilize technology tools to pivot to an online presence; expanding knowledge of finance and accounting to strengthen operations, and support with marketing the business to capture new clients.   

Your insight has provided a guide from which we will begin to plan how to respond to the needs of small businesses with resources, technical assistance, and design of products and services to help businesses growth and thrive.  Our work has just begun.    

Again, RDF extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to each of the 30 small business owners who took precious time away from running their business to participate in the focus group sessions.  Know we value your time and commitment, and your insight on the impact of COVID-19 on your business.  Please stay tuned for more in the coming months.   

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Francisca Montoya
As RDF's Director of Community Development & Special Projects, Francisca Montoya oversees the PPP program managing all aspects of program operations, including policy and quality improvement to achieve department goals. Previously, Ms. Montoya was employed with Friendly House, Inc., as Director of Strategic Development. Her recent experience includes working with MALDEF as Regional Director for the 2010 Census and Arizona Regional Director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation where she was responsible for community relations, corporate fundraising, and program and grants management.
Phone 602-417-1400
Raza Development Fund (RDF) is the largest national, Latino-focused nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Driven by a mission to close wealth and opportunity gaps in Latino and other under-resourced communities across the United States, RDF provides responsible and attainable financial solutions to community-based organizations focused on health, education, affordable housing, climate resilience, homeownership, and entrepreneurship. RDF was founded in 1999 as a support organization to UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy nonprofit, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza. As a testament to its exceptional financial strength and impact, RDF stands out as one of the few CDFIs with a prestigious AA- S&P rating. Since its inception, RDF has invested more than $1.3 billion across 38 states, leveraging over $6 billion in additional capital.
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of the Treasury policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Submit a complaint of discrimination, by mail to U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity , 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20220, (202) 622-1160 (phone), (202) 622-0367 (fax), or email crcomplaints@treasury.gov (email).

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