An Economic Stimulus Program Latina Style

March 10, 2009 - PRLog -- Despite how cool r-words sound when a Latina speaks them, the word ‘r-r-r-recession’ has the ring of doom these days.  So, why is the National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA) in Atlanta sponsoring a business seminar for entrepreneurs interested in starting their own businesses, now of all times?

The first reason is elemental.  The program strategically addresses the NLBWA mission, that of empowering Latinas in business through education and networking. Incidentally, the eighteen member board of directors is passionate about their mission!  Secondly, that very passion which is innate to Latinas makes them quintessential entrepreneurs.  Thirdly, a solidly run small business can actually hold its own during an economic downturn for a number of reasons.

Chapter Chairman, Lily Z. Winsaft, started her executive search company, Aldebaran Associates, early in 2002, right after 911.  “Maybe it wasn’t logical for me to leave the security of my job in New York, but I felt the timing was right for me, and I have never looked back,” said Lily.  Tough economic times impact everyone, but some businesses and some people fare better than others.

Small businesses can get close to their targeted customer base easier than their larger counterparts, and because they are small, they are more flexible, and therefore able to respond to change more quickly.  During a recession, when larger businesses downsize, the availability of affordable talent increases for small businesses. Furthermore, small businesses and sole practitioners often see a recession as a time of opportunity because many larger businesses outsource more services that small businesses can provide. Furthermore, as traditional lending sources dry up in lean times, small businesses are less impacted since they can resort to non-traditional financing: credit cards, home equity loans, commercial lenders, and angel investors.
 
NLBWA Board member, Madinah Ali, CEO of MSA Global, Inc. recently catapulted the traditional concept of a call center to new marketing heights despite the current recession.  “When money is tight, you have to plan better, think more creatively, and be more resourceful in finding new ways and means to secure and grow your business,” said Madinah.

Inspired by the National Chapter's Emerging Latina workshop, Think-to-Inc.©, is a six session seminar series that the Atlanta Chapter likes to call a “Boot Camp”.  Sessions will cover the essential elements of creating a business plan, and the process of realizing a passion that becomes your business.  Each of the first five two-hour evening session will feature local Atlanta Latina business women and men, some in panels, that will be speaking to: overall business strategy and key success factors, legal documents and legal issues, financing and access to business capital, the role of technology in business, marketing, and the last session will entail a four-hour business plan workshop.   The first session begins the evening of March 17th, from 6:00-8:30 PM.

So, nurture them and they will grow; teach them and they will thrive; build a well run business, and success will be your reward, might well be the NLBWA anthem.

The cost for the entire series is $100, and includes membership in the organization for a full year.  Both membership in the organization and registration for the seminars are open to the public, regardless of race or gender. Many networking events throughout the year are free to members, and others are offered to members at a discount; by design there is tremendous value engineered into all NLBWA programs.

Registration for the Think-to-Inc.© Boot Camp is now open .  To register and for more details about the upcoming seminar series, membership, sponsorship, and more, check out the website at http://www.nlbwaatlanta.com, and don't forget to subscribe to the mailing list!

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The National Latina Business Women Association - Atlanta Chapter is a 501c3 non-profit organization. NLBWA's mission is to promote, develop and support the rapid growth of Latina business owners and professionals. More info at http://www.nlbwaatlanta.com.