In celebration of Women’s History Month, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is partnering with the YWCA Oahu’s Minority Business Development Agency’s Enterprising Women of Color Business Center to present a “Women in Business Seminar Series.”
The kickoff presentation, titled “Getting SBA Certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business: Opening New Doors of Opportunity,” will be held online 12:30 pm (HST) on Wednesday, March 24. In the introductory seminar, you’ll hear about the benefits and steps to becoming certified as a woman (or minority) owned small business (WOSB/MOSB).
MEDB will be joined by guest speakers from MBDA Enterprising Women of Color Business Center at YWCA Oahu, Hawaii Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and others who will share:
- How certification as a WOSB/MOSB will open doors for your business
- How to access contracts and grants exclusive to a WOSB/MOSB
- A quick highlight of the steps in the process
Further workshops will help participants get started on the SBA certification process and how to take advantage of the opportunities with various agencies available to a WOSB/MOSB.
All presentations are online and registration is FREE. Register at http://bit.ly/WiBSS1
According to Leslie Wilkins, MEDB’s President and CEO, “These workshops will help business owners understand the benefits of becoming WOSB/MOSB certified. Our MEDB team will also help participants evaluate which projects to pursue, from Farm loans to government contracts to research grants, to name a few.”
“It is not about the journey to get certified but what benefits are available once you get there,” added Gary Albitz, Business Consultant with MEDB. He explained, “Small Business Administration (SBA) provide the training and the certification, and we want to encourage business owners to take the steps so that they can open doors to new projects.”
“We are excited to work with MEDB and SBDC to expand our reach across the state and promote the significant opportunities that certifications offer to women-owned businesses. This series is the perfect complement to our focus, which is to help minority women-owned businesses grow through business analysis, market access and access to capital. It is time to level the playing field,” said Shan Wirt, Director of the MBDA Enterprising Women of Color Business Center.
The MBDA Enterprising Women of Color Business Center at YWCA Oahu is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. It is one of five new business centers established across the nation in September 2020 to help minority women-owned businesses grow through financial and business counseling, workshops and other resources.
MEDB is a nonprofit corporation established in 1982 to focus on diversifying Maui’s economy. MEDB’s mission involves taking innovative actions that strengthen existing industry as well as diversifying through new opportunities.