To participate in this program you must be a woman who is at least a 50% owner of a Maine business, and you must have been operating the business, either full or part-time, for at least six months.
The program has a one-time cost of $100, for which you will receive:
· Free enrollment in all Empowerment Program workshops that you and your WBC counselor determine are beneficial to you; no limit on the number of workshops over twelve months. Workshops will cover such topics as: Conquering Business Money Management, Record Keeping for Small Businesses, Basic Accounting Principles, Pricing for What You’re Worth, Growing Pains: How and When to Hire, Financial Statements, Getting Started with QuickBooks, When It Makes Sense to Borrow, Business Succession Planning, Forecasting and Budgeting, Retirement & Financial Planning for Women
· A premium listing in the Maine Women Business Owner's Online Directory– (regularly a $50.00 value), which includes a half-price discount on all other (non-Empowerment Program) workshops offered by the WBC or Maine SBDC at CEI;
· Free participation in online networking meetings held exclusively for Empowerment Program participants.
Otherwise, the cost to enroll in each individual workshop will be $25 per selection.
Financial aid is available to those who qualify based on the 2007 HUD Income Guidelines.The application must be completed on an annual basis. Financial aid may be applied to any workshop or program offered by the Women's Business Center or the Maine Small Business Development Center at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. To apply for financial aid, please click here.
The Women's Business Center at CEI is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.