• There are many promising predictions for women entrepreneurs in the near future. More coalitions will be formed among female associates, enabling the establishment of female business networks to flourish in the business world. In addition, the U.S. Census envisions that women entrepreneurs and female business networks will both remain dominant, comprising of over 50% of all business in the United States in the next several years.
  
  http://www.go4funding.com/Articles/Entrepreneur/Some-Facts-About-Women-Entrepreneurs.aspx

• The Center for Women's Business Research has released its 2007 update of Key Facts About Women-Owned Business.  Among these facts:
  • Women own 50 percent or more of 10.4 million firms, employing more than 12.8 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
  • For the past two decades, majority women-owned firms have grown two times the rate of all firms (42 percent versus 24 percent).
  • Women of color own 50 percent or more of 2.4 million firms, generating nearly $230 billion in annual sales.
  • Between 1997 and 2006 the number of privately held firms owned 51 percent or more by women of color grew five times faster than all privately held firms (120 percent versus 24 percent).
    
    http://www.womensbusinessresearchcenter.org/research/keyfacts/

What will happen DURING the conference?

In 2010, the two (2) day conference will celebrate its 4^th year, and the conference theme is “Becoming a Multi-Dimensional Woman Entrepreneur” for your personal well-being, as a leader, as a business owner, and community philanthropist is the cornerstone for a women owned and managed enterprise’ success.

Participants will receive tools to help them create an Annual Action Plan based on three areas—leadership, entrepreneurship, and self improvement.  Additionally, women who are interested in starting a business and existing women entrepreneurs receive resources to help managed their operation are encouraged to attend.  Other resources include networking, matchmaking, mentoring, awards and scholarships (academic scholarships for women interested in business), are just a few of the many exciting opportunities available to you this year.

What is W.O.M.E.N.’s Aftercare?

Each month after the conference, women entrepreneurs who attended the conference as well as others around the country will have access to the W.O.M.E.N.’s interactive web portal.  The web portal consists of a weekly blog of entrepreneurial strategies from women entrepreneurs, lessons learned, mentoring opportunities, online webinars, face to face workshops and industry news on women entrepreneurs.  One goal of the conference is to keep women entrepreneurs engaged throughout the year and have them working on their Annual Action Plan tasks.  At the next conference, women entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to unveil accomplishments and prepare new task for the following year.  

Who are your strategic partners that will help promote the conference?

All departments at Morgan State University, EDAC’s Advisory Board (members from MD, DC, VA), the Maryland Small Business Development Center, the Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Program, The United States Small Business Administration, the W.O.M.E.N.‘s National Advisory Council (members from MD, DC, VA, MS, AL) and other organizations that are working to increase the number of women owned businesses.

How many people attended in the past years?

In 2009, we had 200 registered people; however, only 120 of the 200 participated.  Although the other registrants did not attend the conference, they remained connected to W.O.M.E.N. via our bimonthly email newsletter on entrepreneurship.  With our new strategic partners, we are project to reach 200 individuals for the 2010 W.O.M.E.N. Conference.