PREMIER NETWORKING AND EDUCATIONAL EVENT FOR
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS COMES TO MANISTEE, MICH.
* Fourth Annual Women’s Economic Development Outreach Tour provides tips, ideas, and advice.
* Country’s leading expert on women’s entrepreneurship is keynote speaker.
* In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a portion of the registration fee will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
MANISTEE, Mich. – The national 2006 Women’s Economic Development Outreach (WEDO®) Tour is coming to Manistee, Mich. on Oct. 19. The only event of its kind for women business owners, the WEDO Tour is a half-day program packed with tips, ideas, advice and resources from the Small Business Administration and its local resource partners, business banking officers, and women who own successful companies. The Manistee event will be held at the Little River Casino Resort Three Fires Conference Center beginning at 8:00am and concluding with lunch. The cost is $25.
With 17 stops in four states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan, this year’s high-energy, fast-paced, information-packed program provides participants with an in-depth look at:
* The top ten strategies for financial growth
* Finding new customers in both the public and private sector
* Learning how to make key business decisions that impact your bottom line
* Making the most of your certification as a woman’s business enterprise
Experts will also share information regarding small business resources and contacts in the area. Each half-day program begins with networking and registration at 8 a.m. The program concludes at noon. The registration fee is $25 per person.
“The theme for the Michigan WEDO Tour is survival and success which addresses the business strategies presented and the challenges women face. Its fast-paced format delivers quick access to information of real value for women with growing businesses,” says Joni Purgiel, at National City, national sponsor of the WEDO Tour.
The Michigan WEDO Tour officially kicks off in Troy and continues throughout the state.
Oct. 16 – Troy, Mich.
Oct. 17 – Lansing, Mich.
Oct. 18 – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Oct. 19 – Manistee, Mich.
Oct. 20 – Midland, Mich.
The Keynote Speaker for the WEDO Tour is Julie Weeks.
One of the country’s leading experts on women’s entrepreneurship, Julie Weeks is CEO of Michigan-based Womenable – a research, program and policy development consultancy enabling women's entrepreneurship worldwide.
Weeks will offer her unique perspective on the globalization of women in business. “Today, women are customers, suppliers, and global partners, and whether you’re in Northern Michigan, Washington, or abroad, there are worldwide connections to be made.
There’s an international sisterhood of women business owners who can learn from each other, support each other and help to shape policy on women’s entrepreneurship. The faces may be different in Ghana, France, Australia, Korea, or Vietnam, but the issues are the same: access to capital, training, markets and networks – and being taken seriously as employers and contributors to economic growth.”
Weeks is the former executive director of Washington, D.C.-based National Women’s Business Council, a bipartisan policy advisory body, created by the U.S. Congress to serve as an independent voice of women’s entrepreneurship and advisor to the President, U.S. Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Weeks was also managing director of the Center for Women’s Business Research, a nonprofit organization that conducts research among women business owners and their enterprises.
Supporting a Good Cause.
This year, WEDO Tour participants will also contribute to a worthy cause. In recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, $10 of the $25 registration fee will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and its Michigan affiliates.
For one founding member of the WEDO Tour, the partnership with the Komen Foundation strikes close to home. Pamela Valentik, senior business counselor with the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, lost both a grandmother and mother to breast cancer.
“My sister and I were only six and eight years old when our mom lost her battle with breast cancer,” said Valentik. “As a mother of two young daughters – ages two and three – I’m keenly aware that breast cancer can devastate an entire family. My hope is that we find a cure in my daughters’ lifetime.”
She added, “I’m thrilled that our statewide network is once again sponsoring the WEDO Tour to help women business owners thrive and raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.”
Space is limited and registration will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and to register for the WEDO Tour, visit www.we-do.net or call toll-free at 888-NCB-4BIZ (622-4249).
National City is the exclusive lead sponsor of the 2006 WEDO Tour. Additional sponsors include: Derderian, Kann, Seyferth, and Salucci, CPAs; Davenport University; Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Centers – an SBA-funded program; the National Association of Women Business Owners; Crestmark Bank; UPS; and Classic Printers.
About WEDO®
Established by National City Women Business Advocates and women’s economic development organizations in 2002, WEDO® has provided thousands of women business owners with access to ideas and information on business financing, market research, sales strategies, certification, e-commerce and other topics designed to fuel business growth.
WEDO is dedicated to providing smart business solutions and resources for women-owned and managed businesses. By creating connections and building business, WEDO empowers, enlightens, and engages women in business and is committed to sharing information and access to the people and tools women in business need to succeed.
CREATING CONNECTIONS. BUILDING BUSINESS.
No comments:
Post a Comment