Special
Features / January 2008
Empowering Women
 Tara Elder
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West Virginia has one business center dedicated to women thanks to Tara Elder.
“The Women’s Business & Training Center is committed to developing leadership, independence and entrepreneurship for the Women of West Virginia. We empower women with the tools to make informed decisions about business ownership through training, business coaching and mentoring. We help people start businesses. We provide free counseling regarding licensing, financing, and other pieces of the whole business operation. We also provide low cost training to businesses such as how to use a business planning, quick books, and excel spreadsheets. One of the most important things we do at the center is to connect people with the resources they need,” explained Tara.
The Women’s Business & Training Center offers over 75 training opportunities including basic accounting with Quick Books, Communication Skills, Webpage design, Microsoft Office, Business plans, time management, stress reduction, digital photography, and personal growth. The center also offers business workshops that cover start-up issues, licensing, recordkeeping, budgeting, and an overview of the development of financial proposals. Experienced and professional business consultants are available to assist the potential and existing business owner. The Center provides free, confidential, one-to-one management assistance such as business plans, loan packages, business idea evaluation, start up information, and personal and business finances.
Tara said, “The Center offers regular opportunities for women to gather and network with one another. These networking opportunities allow individuals time for mentoring, sharing resources, creative brainstorming, problem-solving, marketing and educational activities. The largest networking event of the year that we sponsor is the Empowering Women Conference which is held on the first Thursday of June at Tamarack Conference Center. Each year this conference continues to grow. We expect to have over 200 professional business women attend this year.”
The Staff of the Women’s Business & Training Center was selected for their diverse backgrounds both in experience and knowledge. They work hard to provide training, counseling, and coordinate services for women throughout the state. The staff consists of Sheila Blake, Biz$olutions Manager; Angela Lilly, Business Development Specialist; and Karen Jones, Office Manager. All three are tremendous assets to the women of West Virginia. Sheila oversees a program called Biz$olutions which provides services to clients in a one-on-one setting. She provides training for the busy business owner on exactly what they need on their schedule. Angela runs the Opening Soon Inc. program which is a nine week program that provides individuals the skill set needed to move from state or federal assistance to employment or to small or home-based business ownership. Karen is the first impression of the Women’s Business & Training Center. She handles all scheduling of classes, registration, and appointments for counseling. Without this core of strong women the center would not be the success it is today.
Tara was the originator of the grant that was used to start the Women’s Business & Training Center. When the grant was awarded, Tara became the Center’s Director. Tara has a Masters degree in Occupational Safety and Health from Marshall University and a Bachelors degree in Environmental studies and Humanities also from Mountain State University.
“I have personally seen women struggle with business. Even though times have changes, it is still difficult for a woman to get appropriate financing for her business. My personal mission is to help women overcome the barriers to becoming successful business owners.”
The Center is primarily focused on eleven counties – Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, McDowell, Summers, Raleigh, Webster, Wyoming, Nichols and Pocahontas counties due to current financial and physical limitations. Tara explained that the Center is open to all women in West Virginia. Tara makes the Center’s services available by internet and phone and by working in cooperation with SBA resource partners throughout the state. Her vision is to eventually expand the Center’s services to provide local help to women in West Virginia. Her plans are to have centers located in strategic locations throughout the state that could physically serve the women throughout West Virginia.
“I say that we offer a ‘hand-up’, not a ‘hand-out’ to women. We want to empower the entrepreneurial woman.”
Our congratulations to Tara for her insight in finding funding to start a dedicated women’s business center, for her continued dedication to provide services for women entrepreneurs and lastly for her continued vision for the women of West Virginia.
Tara Elder is the Director of the Women’s Business & Training Center located at 200 Value City Center, Suite 601, Beckley, WV 25801 Telephone 800-766-4556 or 304-253-3145. www.westvirginiawbc.org
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