Modern Match Lingerie’s founder Shauna Allan, a Prince George resident, is enjoying a level of success she thought she could only dream about and with a little help, she knows other women and non-binary business owners can get the help they need, too.
Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada’s national loan program is now accepting applications from BC women and non-binary business owners.
“Being a part of the WeBC community has been invaluable for me and my business,” Shauna Allan, founder of Modern Match Lingerie Inc., said.
Her business officially launched in Prince George in October 2020 and her uniquely designed lingerie for real bodies that is comfort driven was only available online. Realizing she needed a store front for her local customers and after trying a couple of new locations Allan’s store front boutique officially opened in October. The new Modern Match Lingerie boutique is located at 1552 Quinn St. South, right at the corner of 15th and Quinn.
Allan’s philosophy is the right lingerie can offer empowerment and how a woman feels on the inside dictates who they show up on the outside.
“We are putting sentiment back into your lingerie repertoire because we believe that the items that sit closest to our skin have the power to make us feel amazing,” Allan explained on her website.
Other people can get help just like Allan did at WeBC, which offers its unsecured loan program funded by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund and reduces financing barriers for women and non-binary entrepreneurs in an effort to provide them with better access to capital so they can start, grow and maintain their businesses.
“I was introduced to WeBC by another entrepreneur, which is where I learned of WeBC funding and how I could utilize that capital to grow my small business. Beyond being approved for a loan, WeBC has created opportunities where I reached out to a business advisor for advice, connected me with cohorts of women to learn from, and provided endless training opportunities. I might still be selling out of my home or have used my personal assets to finance my business had I not learned of WeBC.”
In total, the WEOC National Loan program is set to distribute over $30 million in loans and provide individual loans of up to $50,000 to hundreds of women and non-binary business owners across Canada.
“This loan fund is a game changer for women entrepreneurs in Canada, enabling women to start their businesses and capitalize on growth opportunities,” Alison Kirkland, CEO of Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC), said. “Designed with a holistic approach, the WEOC National Loan Program provides entrepreneurs with financing, paired with wraparound services that help ensure continued long-term growth and success.”
Prospective applicants in BC looking to apply or to learn more about it can do so online at WeBC loan fund program.
