Fifth round of EDGE grant winners announced, growing Delaware small businesses
MILFORD, Del. – Many dream of the opportunity to start their own business, sometimes with their family’s help.
That’s a reality for sister’s Rous and Angie, owners of My Sister Fault in Milford. “I was passionate about baking and my sister forced me open a bakery,” Rouse Robles said.
“I loved cooking since I was a child and we bring both of our strengths together and that’s how My Sister’s Fault was born,” Angie Robles said.
The Puerto Rican inspired bakery opened its doors back in 2017 and has since grown to a staff of 10. Like many small businesses, My Sister’s Fault was hit by the pandemic sting.
Now as a Delaware Division of Small Business EDGE Grant recipient, they have $50,000 to help on their road to recovery and growth. The bakery is apart of Entrepreneur Class who received up to $50,000. The STEM-based companies received up to $100,000.
EDGE grants, which stands for Encouraging Development, Growth, and Expansion, provide small businesses access to capital that might not be available to them. Businesses who have been operating less than 5 years and with no more than 10 employees were eligible to apply.
“Just like us, the cost of everything is going up for small businesses as well. So this really helps them by giving them that capital, that funding,” Communications Director for Delaware Division of Small Business Jessica Welch said. “As a grant, not a loan. So they don’t have to pay it back.”
The sister’s tell 47ABC they will use the EDGE grant funding to purchase new refrigeration and freezing equipment as bakery sales have increased. This will allow them the opportunity to complete more custom cake orders. “That way we can offer more services or open even more days a week,” Robles said.
DSB officials say the selection process is quite competitive and it wasn’t the sisters first attempt to receive funding.
It’s that determination and this helping hand the sisters hope will keep their doors open and business thriving. “They have to be able to show a really good business plan. They have to show how this funding would really help their business grow,” Welch said.
“That is what I believe is the key of the edge grant, is to make sure that it doesn’t just stay in the business but so the business can impact the community,” Robles said.
Since 2019, the EDGE Grant has been awarded 60 Delaware small businesses totaling $3.75 million.
My Sister’s Fault was one of 10 small businesses to receive the 5th ground of EDGE grant funding.
The next round of funding opens up this fall.
