草莓传媒官网下载

Eureka Pinkney considers herself a people person.

That trait was a principal factor in the positions she held in administration and management at UT Southwestern Medical Center for nearly 20 years.

And it鈥檚 a trait that she鈥檒l be able to share with many more people, thanks to a $10,000 grant from Texas Woman鈥檚 University that is helping small businesses recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Helping people find jobs and develop their careers is what prompted Pinkney to set out on her own in 2018 to begin a staffing and consulting business.

鈥淥ne day I was talking to my husband about my job managing people and said, 鈥榶ou know, maybe I could do this on my own,鈥欌�� Pinkney recalled. 鈥淭he seed was planted. I just needed to water it.鈥�

Her new business, Arlington-based SuiteMate Staffing Solutions Inc., had a promising start with a healthy client list that included Richardson ISD and the Office of the Texas Attorney General in El Paso. Also among her clients was a Dallas construction firm headed by former Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith and a small construction company out of Atlanta. Her company helped place workers in positions from data entry clerks to staff attorneys.

Despite the strong launch, Pinkney hit a rough patch when the COVID-19 crisis emerged earlier this year. In March, business started to tumble quickly.

鈥淲hen companies started furloughs and letting go of temps, we had trouble getting income,鈥� Pinkney said.

Then news came about a Texas Woman鈥檚 University grant program for struggling women-owned businesses, and she jumped at the opportunity. The $10,000 grants awarded by 草莓传媒官网下载鈥檚 Center for Women Entrepreneurs targeted small businesses in Texas that were hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. In all, 100 grants were awarded.

鈥淚t was a blessing,鈥� Pinkney said of the grant, noting her business was clinging to life as unemployment soared.

Pinkney was able to use the funds for things such as office equipment, software, assessment tests and insurance, to name a few. It was a real shot in the arm to help sustain her business, which employs six full-time and part-time people, she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 helping me help people find work and develop professionally,鈥� Pinkney added.

The crisis has taught her that one can never be too prepared for what lies ahead.

鈥淭he government needs to be ready in case there is a second wave of COVID-19 鈥� and we need to be ready, too.鈥�