Empowering People
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LAEDA Interview with Comcast Newsmakers Celebrates Launch of 2nd Women's Business Academy

Posted on 1/30/2018 by Ray Lamboy

Our Women’s Business Center Program Manager, Jamie Shanker, spoke to Comcast Newsmakers Jill Horner about the Academy, noting that even in 2018, women are more likely to be offered less favorable business loan terms than male counterparts.

 

For many, January marks a new beginning, a time of optimism and a commitment to and forward progress, whether personally or professionally. And with regard to many of our clients, both of these spheres are affected – their ambitions as small business owners and entrepreneurs is the ultimate hybridization of worlds colliding, for their enterprises become such a large part of their lives that the two are nearly inseparable.

This promise to improve is a characteristic that’s evidenced three and sometimes four nights a week in the LAEDA training lab with the start of the LAEDA Women’s Business Academy, the organization’s 80th session of the nine-week training program and 2nd session with a women entrepreneur focus.

Our Women’s Business Center Program Manager, Jamie Shanker, spoke to Comcast Newsmakers Jill Horner about the Academy (note, video will be available for a limited time), pointing out that even in 2018, women are more likely to be offered less favorable business loan terms than male counterparts.

The 2018 Women’s Business Academy showcases the eclectic range of small businesses with fashion designers, future restaurants, web designers, and more on the roster.  So far, students have learned from experts in business law, taxes, small business financing, marketing, and of course, business planning.

Each student is paired with a member of LAEDA’s counseling team to collaboratively develop a comprehensive business plan. At the first class, students were invited to speculate how long their businesses’ plans could be. Answers ranged from five pages to 30, although almost always is the answer closer to the higher number – and that’s often just the narrative side of things. By matching a business owner-slash-student with a member of LAEDA’s expert writing team, we’re able to ensure the business plans are of the highest quality, a final product that meets and exceeds the lending department of a commercial bank in the event a student is seeking a business loan, or a road map with a clearly described destination that aligns with their view of success.

LAEDA Women’s Business Center is excited to facilitate the growth of these new students as they embark on the remaining weeks of the program, and even more so, the accomplishments they will generate this year.

 

  


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