FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saint Mary’s College to Co-Host Regional Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Resource Fair
Media contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579
March 3, 2011 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary's College’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is proud to host and co-sponsor the 2011 Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (MWBE) Northern Region Spring Resource Fair and Workshop on Wednesday, March 16. The event, described as part trade show and part workshop, is organized by the Indiana Department of Administration’s Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Division.
The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Center. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and advance registration is required. Lunch may be purchased in advance for $15. You may register until March 8. To register, please contact Nate Lofton at (317) 234-5360 or register at www.in.gov/confreg.
“This event is geared toward minority and women business owners who are seeking essential educational resources and who are interested in learning about procurement opportunities available with state agencies, universities, casinos as well as private sector corporations and organizations,” said Martha Smith, WEI project director. “This is the first time such event will take place in northern Indiana.”
In addition, professional representatives from the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) will be available to assist business owners with starting their business plan.
Workshops are targeted to meet specific business needs and include:
• Basics of Certification
• Bonding Basics
• Avoiding Federal Tax Pitfalls for Small Business
• Small Business Marketing (to include social media & website marketing)
• Doing Business with the State of Indiana
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2011 College Guide. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
About the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI): In 2009, the College received a $245,000 Small Business Administration grant to support women’s entrepreneurship programming in the South Bend community, which led to the creation of WEI. The initiative was developed through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Business Administration and Economics (BUEC) and the staff of the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL). Through WEI, which got underway in the spring 2010 semester, the College is partnering with community businesses, non-profits and organizations to provide a number of financial and business education services to women entrepreneurs. WEI is pronounced "we."
Note: This project is partly funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA’s funding should not be construed as an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA-funded projects are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.