CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV), one of the nation’s largest
insurers of small businesses, today launched its Small Business Risk
Education (SBRE) program in Chicago to help women and minority small
business owners learn about risk management, develop safety risk
management plans, and qualify for microloans. According to the Small
Business Administration, 47 percent of all jobs in Chicago are created
by small companies.
Through partnerships with the Women’s
Business Development Center (WBDC), one of the nation’s largest
women’s business centers focused on creating jobs and fueling economic
growth through business ownership, and Accion,
a global nonprofit organization that supports microfinance institutions
to provide financial services to low-income clients, Travelers is
offering:
-
Increased awareness of the most common safety risks faced by small
business owners; and -
Training and education focused on risk management and business
continuity planning.
Participants in the program will receive one-on-one assistance from
Travelers and WBDC business experts to complete a risk management plan.
In addition, participating businesses may be eligible to apply for
microloans through Accion to support capital investments related to risk
management, sustainability and growth.
SBRE is part of Travelers’ broader commitment to small
business advocacy and economic opportunity. In 2012, Travelers
piloted the SBRE program in Los Angeles in partnership with the Valley
Economic Development Center, California’s largest microfinancing
organization. Earlier this week, the Travelers
Institute, the public policy division of Travelers, took its “Small
Business – Big Opportunity” tour to Boston to discuss small business
challenges and highlight solutions with leading economic and small
business thought leaders.
Travelers plans to expand the SBRE program to additional markets in 2014.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) is
a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and
business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has
more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of $25.7 billion in
2012. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
About the Women’s Business Development Center
A nationally
and internationally recognized women’s business assistance center in its
27th year of operation, the WBDC provides a continuum of business
development services to start-up, emerging and established entrepreneurs
including counseling and workshops relating to access to capital,
certification and procurement in Spanish and English. The mission of the
WBDC is to provide services and programs that support and accelerate
women’s business ownership and strengthen the impact of women on the
economy. The WBDC is headquartered at 8 S. Michigan Avenue, 4th Floor,
Chicago, Illinois 60603. To learn more, visit www.WBDC.org.
About Accion Chicago
Accion Chicago is a member of the
Accion U.S. Network, the largest micro- and small business-lending
network in the United States. The network’s five members have
collectively made more than 45,000 loans totaling more than $350
million. Globally, Accion is a pioneer in microfinance, reaching
millions of individuals through its international network of partners.
Accion has been serving the City of Chicago’s small businesses since
1994, and has lent $24 million in loans to more than 3,000 businesses in
Illinois and Northwest Indiana. For more information visit www.accionchicago.org.
