Amid tough year for moms, Nevada Women’s Business Center aims to empower | Coronavirus

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Mothers had to juggle a lot during the pandemic, and many even sacrificed their own professional plans to care for their children amid school closures. But a free resource dedicated for entrepreneurs aims to assist local moms in achieving their dreams.

A new analysis of Census data shows that COVID-19 disproportionately affected women in the workforce. Last April, the number of moms who were actively living and working with school-aged children plunged 22% from the previous April, and the number of dads who were actively working fell 15.5%.

“You’re playing with the kids and you’re working with the kids in school all day,” said Leanna Jenkins, executive director, Nevada Women’s Business Center.

Those percentages evened out among moms and dads by late fall, however, several studies show moms were much likelier to leave work because of school closures and childcare.

But local business experts want to help moms discover their own potential.

Jenkins said the NWBC, a tax-funded support service for entrepreneurs, is an opportunity for women to enhance their economic self-sufficiency and live out their dreams.

“I can sit there with you and, first let’s start on a business plan. Have you ever written a business plan? Do you have a business plan for your business? If not, let’s start there,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins said while the pandemic has been hard on a lot of families, it’s actually been an opportunity for some to realign their actions with their professional goals.

“It’s actually been a tremendous opportunity for a lot of people because, ya know, through lay-offs and down-sizing, maybe they had an idea of what they wanted to do, but you know, when you’re working full-time, maybe sometimes it’s hard to try and squeeze anything in extra. Now all of a sudden they have a little bit of extra time that they could actually focus on what they wanted to do. And it’s really been kind of exciting, the amount of new businesses that have started,” said Jenkins.

To learn more on how the NWBC can be a resource for you or someone you love, visit this link, or call (702) 734-3555.