The Woman Entrepreneur Program is a 15 week small business curriculum designed to assist women wanting to start a new business or expand their current business.
Steven Ducan
-Staff Writer-
The Woman Entrepreneur Program is a 15 week small business curriculum designed to assist women wanting to start a new business or expand their current business and is enrolling until Saturday, Sept. 3.
The program addresses topics such as business planning, hiring practices, strategic planning, networking, marketing and sales, legal issues, tax requirements, finance and asset management and economic trends.
The Productivity Experts was recognized in 2006 as the Small Business of the Year by the Fenton Chamber of Commerce.
Cathy Sexton, owner of the Productivity Experts, had started a bookkeeping business when she heard about the program and decided to take the course.
“One of the biggest things for entrepreneurs is that they don’t know what they don’t know,” Sexton said. As a bookkeeper, Sexton knew the financial side of business. She said the program introduced her to the importance of marketing and promotion.
Furthermore, Sexton said that students learn the reason for the business plan, how to research and the importance of researching competitors, and the importance and strategy of marketing.
“It’s a worthwhile program,” said Suzanne Lunnemann of Lunnemann Accounting Services.
She completed the Program in 1996 when she decided to start her business. Lunnemann said that many entrepreneurs have the idea of starting a business but are not sure what to do; this program clarifies what is involved in starting a business.
“I learned that I didn’t know if I wanted to do this,” Lunneman said. But Lunneman did start her business and returned to the program as an instructor from 2006-2007, and her experience in business has taught her the importance of marketing.
“Get involved in chambers and associations,” Lunneman said. “Let people know you’re there.”
For many, it turns out to be more work than they realized. According to Christy Jaeger, manager of continuing education at STLCC-Meramec,only about 50 percent of the program graduates start their own business, 10 to 20 percent citing that it’s “too much work.”
Success largely depends on securing funding and writing a successful business plan, according to Jaeger.
But in today’s economic climate, Marie Peters of STLCC-Meramec’s continuing education department said funding is difficult to secure and entrepreneurs are hesitant to start businesses, which results in low program enrollment.
According to the Census Bureau, women owned 5.4 million non-farm businesses in 1997, up 16 percent from 2002. The number increased to 7.8 million non-farm businesses in 2007, an increase of over 20 percent from 2002.
“The program started when women weren’t as common or as strong [in business],” Jaeger said.
The continuing education program is going to make some changes to adapt to the demographic shifts, she said.
According to Jaeger, the program will develop into a broader introduction to entrepreneurship for the spring 2012 semester, and more focus will go into the Plus 50 program, a program designed to engage learners over 50 years of age.
For more information, contact Marie Peters at mpeters83@stlcc.edu or 314-984-7707.
Applications are due by Sept. 3. The fee of $495 includes all course materials.
