Access to capital can open real opportunities for your business — whether that means launching with confidence, investing in growth, increasing capacity, or preparing for your next stage. For many women entrepreneurs, the goal isn’t just to access financing, but to build a strong, viable business and make informed decisions about when and how capital fits into that journey.

If you’ve ever tried to figure out the lending process on your own, you know how overwhelming it can be. Googling “small business loans” or asking AI often leads to conflicting advice, unclear requirements, and processes that only make sense after you’ve been through them. Different lenders have different criteria, terms vary, and timelines are rarely explained upfront.

This course brings clarity to that complexity. It lays out the small business lending process step by step, using practical tools and real‑world examples to help you understand your options, assess business viability, and clearly communicate your plans to lenders.

Built on more than 30 years of WeBC’s lending experience and insights from thousands of loan applications, this course addresses the most common gaps we see — not a lack of good businesses, but a lack of clarity, evidence, or understanding of lender expectations. Women’s careful approach to money, their desire to plan well and grow sustainably is treated here as a strength, not a barrier.

Whether you’re just starting out, preparing to grow, or deciding if financing is right for you at all, this course helps you move forward with confidence, focus, and a clear path so you can invest your time, energy, and money into a business that can realistically survive and thrive.

This interactive on‑demand course will help you to:

  • Understand different types of financing and how they may align with your stage of business
  • Assess whether your business is viable and ready for financing
  • Recognize what lenders look for when reviewing loan applications
  • Strengthen your business plan or growth plan with clear, relevant evidence
  • Communicate your business story with clarity and confidence
  • Decide when it makes sense to apply — and what to work on if it doesn’t (yet)

Understand Your Financing Options

Enroll Today to Learn How to Work Confidently With Any Lender

Enroll Free

Who should take this course?

This course is for women entrepreneurs who want to understand small business financing and evaluate the strength and viability of their business. It’s designed for different stages of business and does not require any prior experience with lending or financial systems.

  • You're starting a business or in the early stages, and want to understand what lenders mean by “viability” before investing significant time or money.

  • You run an established business and are considering expansion, increased capacity, or your next stage — and want to pressure‑test those plans before moving forward.

  • You're thinking about a loan, but want to understand the landscape of small business financing and what lenders look for before you apply.

  • You've been googling financing, loans, or business viability and feel overwhelmed by conflicting information, unclear advice, or not knowing what applies to your situation.

Benefits of Taking This Course

  • Step-by-Step Approach

    Use the Viability Canvas to work step-by-step through each aspect of your business to see if it's viable.

  • Relatable Storytelling

    Throughout the course, you'll hear stories of several women and their experiences accessing capital.

  • 6 Weeks Access

    You'll have unlimited access to the course for 6 weeks so you can learn at your own pace.

Course curriculum

    1. Introduction

    2. Why You Should Take This Course

    3. Before We Get Started

    1. Lesson 1: Introduction

    2. Lesson 2: Mindset Reset

    3. Lesson 3: Financing Your Business

    4. Lesson 4: Are You Ready to Apply for Financing?

    5. Lesson 5: Summary

    1. Lesson 1: Introduction

    2. Lesson 2: Business Viability

    3. Lesson 3: Business Viability Factors

    4. Lesson 4: Summary

    1. Lesson 1: Introduction

    2. Lesson 2: Growth Business Viability Factors

    3. Lesson 3: Your Growth Plan

    4. Lesson 4: Summary

    1. Lesson 1: Introduction

    2. Lesson 2: Identifying Gaps and Assessing Readiness

    3. Lesson 3: Summary

    4. Tell Us How We Did

    1. We're here to support you!

    2. Ask a Business Advisor

    3. Resource Library

About this course

  • Free
  • 23 lessons