Aug. 12, 2005: “Spotlight
on Our Economy” Monthly Column for The
Palladium-Times
By L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, Executive Director of Operation
Oswego County
Resources Available for Women Business
Owners
According to the Center for Women’s
Business Research in Washington, D.C., there are currently an estimated
10.6 million private businesses in the United States that are owned
(50 percent or more) by women, which account for nearly half of
all privately-held firms. These businesses generate $2.5 trillion
in sales and employ 19 million people nationwide.
In addition:
- Between 1997 and 2004, the estimated
growth rate in the number of women-owned firms was nearly twice
that of all firms and employment expanded at twice the rate of
all firms;
- Women-owned businesses will spend an estimated
$546 billion annually on salaries and benefits;
- Privately-held, women-owned firms are
just as likely as all privately-held firms to have employees;
Also according to the Center for Women’s
Business Research, there are an estimated 682,105 privately-held,
women-owned private businesses in New York State, which account
for 40 percent of all privately-held firms in the state. In fact,
New York ranks fourth nationally in the number of women-owned businesses
in 2004.
From restaurants and gift shops to manufacturing,
medical, law and real estate offices, businesses owned and operated
by women are also a strong force in Oswego County. As indicated
by the U.S. Census, 39 percent of private businesses in Oswego County
are owned by women--comparable to the percentage of women-owned
businesses on a statewide level.
Several resources are available to women
seeking to expand or start a new business in Oswego County including:
- SUNY Oswego’s Small Business Development
Center (SBDC), a service of the Center for Business and Community
Development located in Rich Hall, SUNY Oswego's School of Business
facility, provides a wide range of management and technical assistance
such as business plan development, exploring funding options,
business expansion, marketing and training, workshops and seminars.
- The Micro-Enterprise Training Program,
sponsored by OOC SBDC and the cities of Oswego and Fulton, is
designed to guide the entrepreneur through all aspects of starting
and managing a small business. Step-by-step classroom instruction
is presented by area business professionals on topics including
business planning and financing, accounting and tax issues, marketing,
and business insurance. Graduates of the program are eligible
to apply for a Micro-Enterprise loan to expand or start their
business in Oswego County from the IDA’s Micro-Enterprise
Revolving Loan Fund.
- New York State's Division of Minority
and Women-owned Business Development certifies minority and women-owned
business enterprises and publishes a directory of certified firms
to market small businesses to public and private sector organizations.
MWBD also provides technical and financial assistance for established
minority and women-owned businesses. For more information, call
1-800-782-8369.
In addition, OOC coordinates the Oswego County
Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET).
Through networking, presentations and information
sharing, WNET provides professional development and personal growth
for women business owners. Administration of the program is assisted
by the City of Oswego Community Development Office, SUNY Oswego’s
Center for Business and Community Development, BeautiControl, Jody
Frawley Advertising and Promotions, Oliver B. Paine Greenhouses,
the Oswego County Chamber of Commerce and the SBA.
Programs run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on the first
Thursday of each month. The registration fee of $10 for members
or $12 for non-members per meeting covers breakfast and the program.
Annual member dues are $10 per year.
WNET’s fall schedule is as follows:
- Sept. 1: Networking
Roundtable (facilitated discussion with written questions) at
Oswego Country Club;
- Oct. 6: "Negative
Attitude Kills Profitability--Let's Turn That Around!" with
Cindy Sarandis, Inspirational Dynamics professional life coaching
company, at Riverside Inn, state Route 481 in Fulton;
- Nov. 3: "Holiday
in a Box--Gift Boxes of Easy Homemade Treats for Friends and Customers"
with Mary Plummer, at Aunt Mary's Italian Cookies and Catering,
88 W. 7th St., Oswego; and
- Dec. 1: "Catch the
Eyes of Prospective Customers with a Captivating Window"
with Sonia Marie Robinson, at Battle Island Clubhouse Cafe, Route
48 in Fulton.
In other economic development news, the Essential
New York Initiative, a 12-county regional economic development alliance
initiated in 2004, launched its free job search engine www.essentialnyjobs.com
last month. Visitors can enter key words such as “chemical
engineer” or “laboratory technician,” and the
search engine will produce a list of available job openings. Job
seekers then click the individual jobs and are linked to the site
where information on the job is posted. The site currently scans
more than 400 area websites listing more than 8,000 jobs available
in Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida,
Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Seneca and Tompkins Counties. The
new site was made possible by a $50,000 grant from Bank of America.
Back
to 2005 Press Releases
|
