Women entrepreneurs

Nation's Business, June, 1997 by Stephen Blakely

I am interested in marketing my artwork for greeting cards, note pads, or letterheads. Where can I find organizations or venture capitalists that concentrate on helping women who are trying to start businesses?

L.N., Plattsmoutk Neb.

In 1995 the National Association of Women Business Owners and Wells Fargo Bank established the first nationwide private loan fund specifically targeted to women business owners.

To qualify, an applicant must have good personal and business credit histories, two years of experience in her field, and an established bank account for business. For more information, contact the association in Silver Spring, Md., at (301) 608-2590 or Wells Fargo at 1-888-767-24214.

A similar alliance to help finance small firms owned by women was announced in March by Women Incorporated, a business women's association based in Sacramento, Calif., and Bank of America; call 1-800-930-3993 for information.

Help is also available from the Small Business Administration in Washington, which runs the Office of Women's Business Ownership and the Office of Minority Enterprise Development. The SBA also has 10 regional offices around the country, which in turn operate numerous local business information centers that offer free training and other help to start-up companies. You can find information on these programs and local centers at the SBA's Internet site, www.sba.gov or by calling the SBA Answer Desk at 1-800-827-5722.