QUARTERLY CAPITAL HUB UPDATE

In this quarterly Capital Hub update we are sharing the 2022 Capital Hub report, how to build credit with Kiva and we’ll introduce you to Bernadette, founder of INA Botanicals & Tea.

2022 ANNUAL REPORT UPDATE

We are excited to share that during the last year we helped provide access to 70 Kiva loans for a total of $684,500 through our Kiva Hubs. In addition, we helped 5 entrepreneurs access larger loans with CDFIs (totaling $685,000) and 13 received grants (for a total of $80,000). In 2022, Centro entrepreneurs accessed $1,465,000 in capital.

In 2022, we focused on connecting entrepreneurs with different sources of capital, including larger CDFI loans (up to $300,000 each) and grants ($2,500 to $20,000). Our main motivation was on creating greater links with local resources and taking advantage of the different alternatives offered by the market to keep small businesses in operation, we increased the number of Centro graduates that access capital and the number of repeat borrowers that access to a new Kiva loan.

Another important change last year was to bring a closer connection between our Capital Hub, workshops and 1-on-1 business advising support to address the different challenges faced by small businesses. Lastly, we added new functionality to the Centro Business Planning App to help entrepreneurs easily discover and connect with local resources, including microlenders and Centro for Kiva loans.

We have significantly improved the repayment rate to 89% (from 69% in 2019), showing the commitment of borrowers to pay their loans on time, as well as the positive use of the Centro Business Planning App. All borrowers that are not backed by an organization are required to go to the business planning activities on our app which help them think through their business model, which mitigates the risk of them falling behind on repayments.

The businesses that access to our Centro Capital Hub are mainly led by women (62%), immigrants (50%) and people of color, Latinx (50%) and Black (39%).

BUILD CREDIT WITH KIVA

Kiva US announced they are now introducing the ability for entrepreneurs to build their credit as they pay back their Kiva loans. 

If you are an entrepreneur with crowdfunding on Kiva.org, your loan profile will indicate that you will be building business credit with the help of this Kiva loan.

Commercial reporting has no restrictions on any type of business, but it is greatly important that you provide Kiva with your accurate business information, as this information is used to generate the credit report.

 Decisions related to finances are affected by the information present in your business credit report, including:

  •  The extent of business credit a supplier will offer
  • What repayment terms you can expect from other lenders
  • What interest rates you’ll be charged from other lenders
  •  The credit or funding you may receive from a bank or lender
  •  How your business is perceived by your customers

Read more here.

BERNADETTE SHARES WITH US HER EXPERIENCE WITH HER KIVA CAMPAIGN!

Meet Bernadette, owner of INA Botanicals & Tea, an herbal and specialty tea company committed to supporting women’s personal growth and wellness.

Bernadette is the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines who grew up in San Francisco. She’s the owner of INA Botanicals & Tea, an herbal and specialty tea company committed to supporting women’s personal growth and wellness.

This Kiva loan is helping Bernadette scale and become more available online and in stores. It provides funding for dried herbal ingredients and enables INA to hire a sales consultant to help get the product on store shelves, starting with the West Coast.

Learn more about her Kiva campaign here.

Please let us know if you or someone you know is interested in accessing a Kiva loan or have any questions. Carlo Arellano, Capital Access Manager: KivaUS@centrocommunity.org