State Commission On Women To Present

2nd Annual Women Entrepreneurs’ Day

HARTFORD — Women business owners from all over the state will be at the Capitol and legislative office building in Hartford on Monday, March 27, for the second annual Connecticut Women Entrepreneurs’ Day.

This event is presented by the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women’s (PCSW) women-owned business project, in conjunction with its major and supporting partners. The PCSW women-owned business project was recently awarded a Vision 2000 award from the United States Small Business Administration.

The agenda will include financing for business start-up and growth, training and education, access to market opportunities, and business networks. This year’s special feature will include a panel of women business owners who have been successful procuring contracts from the state. They will share their insight and techniques with the participants. Also featured will be an educational vignette segment on “How to do Business with the State and get Paid.”

The day will begin at 8:30 am with a legislative breakfast. Opening remarks will take place at 10 am by Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and State Comptroller Nancy Wyman, followed by educational vignettes that will give a quick overview of selected programs of interest to women business owners on various topics. Some include entrepreneurial training, innovative lending opportunities, and procurement opportunities with the state.

A technical fair starts at noon. There, representative from many areas will lend their expertise to women business owners wanting to start a business, register for procurement opportunities, and much more. Some participants include the Business Connections Program of the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services — the state’s major purchaser of goods and services — the US Small Business Administration, the Entrepreneurial Center and ACCESS Agency — providers of training for businesses — the CT Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Micro  Investment Lending Entrepreneurship Program of Subway, the SMART START Program of the CT Economic Resource Center, the Women’s Business Development Center, Service Core of Retired Executives, UCONN Small Business Development Center, and the State Departments of Transportation and Public Works.

Connecticut is reported to have 116,000 women-owned businesses, accounting for 36 percent of all firms in the state. In Connecticut over half of the women-owned firms are in the services and retail trades. From 1992 to 1999, the greatest increase in women-owned firms has been in construction, followed by      wholesale trade and transportation/communications. They employ more than 341,000 people and generate over $58 billion in sales.

For more information on CT Women Entrepreneurs’ Day, contact PCSW Public Information Officer Barbara Potopowitz at 860/240-8449. A $20 fee includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials.