Advisors for women business owners

Francis Black • iStockphoto

The Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship at Rollins College seeks applications from women-owned businesses who wish to participate in a year-long program designed to increase growth and profitability.

The AthenaPowerLink Program provides guidance to female business owners whose companies are ripe for growth. Each advisory panel is hand-selected based on the needs of the business owner. Over 12 months, each volunteer panel serves as mentors and advisors at no charge to the owner.

Application Criteria:

• Must be 51% owned and actively managed by a woman or women
• Must have been in operation at least two years
• Must have at least two full-time employees (including the owner), or a number of employees whose total work hours add up to two full-time positions
• Annual revenue of at least $250,000 for retail or manufacturing or $100,000 for a service business
• The owner must have clearly defined objectives and specific reasons for seeking an advisory panel

The application period is April 1-30, 2011. Applications available at the AthenaPowerLink website.

Disney center provides help for businesses

I attended a talk recently by Jerry Ross, executive director of the Disney Entrepreneur Center in Orlando. He said that just as businesses need to cut costs to deliver more profit to the bottom line, nonprofits need to reduce costs to deliver more services. That’s what the participants in the DEC have done.

By sharing overhead costs and support staff, the organizations that make up the DEC are able to do more for their clients. That also makes the DEC your one-stop shop for a variety of business help:

• Bookkeeping
• Business planning
• Certification
• Finding capital
• Insurance
• Marketing

Service providers based at the DEC include the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, Central Florida Urban League, National Association of Women Business Owners, Service Corps of Retired Executives. The University of Central Florida is a major partner, offering its business incubation program and the Small Business Development Center. Orange County Government and the U.S. Department of Commerce are also participants.

The DEC hosts a variety of low-cost seminars, as well as one-on-one counseling and networking opportunities. Take a look at the calendar to find events that meet your needs. Services are available for all sorts of businesses, not just small startups.

The DEC is presently located at One Landmark Center in downtown Orlando, but will be moving in April to Fashion Square Mall. Ross expects the center will have a grand opening event in May. He said the reason for the move is primarily to reduce costs. An added benefit for the center’s clients -- who are also trying to cut costs -- will be free parking.