Alicia Paredes’s story could easily have ended like the ones we hear every day about families who have lost their homes and their hope after a layoff. Fortunately for her family, Alicia had started her own cleaning business with the help of Washington C.A.S.H. just six months before her husband, the family’s main breadwinner, lost his job in 2009. Now she works 10-hours a day, six days a week, but the pride she feels in supporting her family is worth it. “I’m so happy because we didn’t lose my house, we didn’t lose my car, I pay for my little boy who is in private school,” said Alicia. “Then I see that I doubled my income in one year, and I feel so proud, so happy. I said to my family, ‘You don’t have to worry.’ ”

Getting the tools to succeed

Alicia’s energy and perseverance have clearly been a big factor in her success, but Washington C.A.S.H.’s programs gave her the practical knowledge, tools and support to build her business. She started out by taking their eight-week Business Development Training course, and then graduated to the business management course, where she learned the nitty-gritty of cash flow, credit, taxes and managing business accounts.

In addition to the classes, Alicia got a lot of support from the volunteer coaches, who helped her design her brochure and business cards, from bi-monthly meetings with her peer business group, and from Washington C.A.S.H.’s Spanish-speaking staff. Washington C.A.S.H.’s business showcase events, where members can sell their products and services to the general public, were also critical in building her customer base, said Alicia. “Being a part of Washington C.A.S.H. and learning how to start a business and how to structure my business, that’s the best investment in my life.”

A hopeful future

When I met Alicia, she had just returned from her first vacation in several years and was helping her older son get ready to start college at the University of Washington this fall. She seemed filled with optimism about the future — a refreshing change from the somber economic news that assaults us daily. She’s even thinking about expanding her business by hiring a part-time employee. “My business is going up,” she said. “I love this work. My clients always refer me to more people. I’m going to talk to my coach about making my business grow, having one employee.”

A model for success

Washington C.A.S.H. serves people who have been especially hard-hit by the economic downturn. According to a recent New York Times article on the growing number of Americans living in poverty, “Median household income for the bottom tenth of the income spectrum fell by 12 percent from a peak in 1999, while the top 90th percentile dropped by just 1.5 percent.” All of Washington C.A.S.H.’s clients are considered low-income under local Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines, while two-thirds are women, and more than half are people of color.

Washington C.A.S.H.’s clients are consistently beating the odds: an independent evaluation by the Aspen Institute found that nearly three quarters of training graduates reported an increase in income. And 95 percent of clients who had a business when they started the training were still in business 18 months later, as were 63 percent of all participants surveyed for the evaluation, including those who started with just a business idea.

Consider sponsoring an entrepreneur to attend a Washington C.A.S.H. training or a business showcase event. Your investment will help an aspiring low-income entrepreneur like Alicia gain the skills to become a successful, self-sufficient business owner at a time when our nation’s least advantaged are being left behind.

“Hope is not a business plan,” instructor James Dunn told 18 aspiring entrepreneurs the night I sat in on a business training class at Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (Washington C.A.S.H.), a Jolkona partner. He ought to know: one of his early business ventures involved selling art posters for $3 each — until he realized it was costing him $5 each to produce them.

Now James teaches low-income entrepreneurs how to avoid the mistakes he made in his early years of business — and emulate his later successes — through Washington C.A.S.H.’s eight-week business-development training (BDT) course. Each quarter, Washington C.A.S.H. offers the BDT series in several locations in Western Washington, as well as sections in Spanish. I attended week two of the training, which jumps right into the main purpose of any business: Make money.

Learning to be realistic — and smart

When the class started to analyze several participants’ businesses, it was clear why new entrepreneurs should start crunching numbers early. Some had expenses that put them solidly in the red, and few were happy with the net profits they estimated. “I won’t be retiring in Italy on that,” lamented one participant. About 40 percent of participants will end up changing their original business idea, according to James.

Throughout the class, James urged participants to be realistic and honest with themselves, but he also emphasized how much an entrepreneur can control through smart business design. “Can you charge as much as you want for anything?” James asked the class at one point. His surprising answer: “Yes, but your price has to match the value you provide.” The most important thing for the participants to gain from the course, James told me, is “confidence . . . and knowing that they can achieve success.”

I came away from the evening with the message that as a prospective entrepreneur you have to wield a sharp pencil, but if you plan your business carefully and provide value that customers are willing to pay for, you have a fighting chance. In fact, 95 percent of BDT graduates who already had a business when they started the course, and 63 percent of all graduates surveyed (including those who started with just a business idea) were still in business 18 months later, according to a recent independent evaluation by the Aspen Institute. Three quarters of graduates surveyed reported an increase in income. Especially in a tough economy, that’s an impressive outcome.

Classes are just the beginning

In addition to the classroom experience, BDT participants have access to one-on-one mentoring with volunteer coaches. They also get lots of support from each other. “The business owners learn to foster and contribute to each other’s success,” said James, “and share all their talents, knowledge and community resources.”

Graduates of BDT are eligible to participate in peer business groups that meet twice a month for networking, guest speakers and mentoring. Business group members also have access to advanced training and may apply for Washington C.A.S.H. loans of up to $35,000. In addition, Washington C.A.S.H. offers venues for their clients to sell their products and get hands-on training in retail product development, pricing and presentation.

How you can help

Washington C.A.S.H.’s services are free or very low cost for income-qualified clients. Most of their clients are women; more than half are minorities, who have disproportionately high rates of unemployment. Compared to other microenterprise development programs, a much larger proportion of Washington C.A.S.H.’s clients are below the federal poverty level.

You can help a low-income person gain the skills to become a successful, self-sufficient business owner. Consider sponsoring an entrepreneur to attend a day-long training, the entire BDT course or a business showcase event.

And stay tuned for an interview with one of Washington C.A.S.H.’s clients who is now a successful business owner supporting her family.