A business-booster crash course is being offered in Prince George for women managing (or aspiring to manage) their own companies.
The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs is one of B.C.'s leading not-for-profit agencies devoted to fostering women's business acumen. Founded by one of Canada's leading female business personalities, Christina Anthony, more than a decade ago, the forum is now operated by a who's who of B.C. enterprise on their board of directors.
Part of the agency's programming is the E-Series (E for entrepreneur), and now, for the first time, there is a subdivision called the E-Series North. It will be held in Prince George on Oct. 15.
"This is an intense, condensed version of FWE's signature E-Series program, often referred to as a 'mini MBA'," said general manager Lisa Niemetscheck. "E-Series North comes from an overwhelming demand from women entrepreneurs in northern British Columbia and will be split into two levels: 'Starter' for budding female entrepreneurs and 'Pro' for already established businesswomen...This year was the first time we opened E-Series up to applicants across the province and the response from northern B.C. was so great, we knew the time was right to bring the program up north."
Part of the training in the E-Series is hearing directly from knowledgeable women of experience, such as founders of companies and senior managers of firms. In Prince George, speakers on the agenda include executives and proprietors from Growing City, Blo Blow Dry Bar, Indochino Apparel Inc, and Hiway Refrigeration, along with representatives of Small Business B.C.
"This one-day program takes all the highlights of our regular E-Series, and condenses it into a jam-packed session for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs," said Niemetscheck. "E-Series is FWE's longest and most successful program. Ninety-one per cent of all past participants are still in business, compared to the national average of 50 per cent after five years. E-Series grads enjoy annualized revenue growth of over 40 per cent."
Workshops at this one-day intensive will cover many aspects of business including business law, marketing and branding, accounting, staffing for success, growth strategies, customer acquisition, raising capital and more.
The cost to attend is $75 plus GST. There is a limited program offering up to $1,000 for travel and accommodation costs so women from remote areas may also attend. For those unable to attend, the program will be live-streamed across the province.
For information and registration, log on to www.fwe.ca. Deadline for application is Aug. 29. FWE will review your application and respond by Sept. 12. Once your application is approved you will need to pay the program fee to secure your spot.
