Juncos and Junipers Preschool

Crowdfunding helps lower financing needs for new preschool with help from SBDC

Amy Stercho and Sarah Chase spent a collective thirty years in the education field before they began to dream of operating a preschool of their own.

They attended a Smart Start-Up Workshop hosted by the Small Business Development Center to learn about the steps they would need to take to be successful. Their dream continued to grow and they met with an adviser at the center.

“We feel lucky to have found Kat and the Small Business Development Center. She answered our many questions and set us up with LivePlan, which helped us think through and articulate a clear business plan,” said Amy.

To secure financing, Amy and Sarah launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring down the amount they would need. Friends, family and the community came together to fund the crowdfunding campaign and to donate supplies and elbow grease to bring their preschool to life.

Together with their adviser they improved their business plan and their resumes before delivering the application package. The South Central Oregon Economic Development District provided financing for the project.

“We are thankful for the opportunity we had to work with the SBDC and Kat. She helped us make our dreams come true,” said Sarah.