1. What is the Women's Enterprise Development Center?
2. Whom does the Women's Enterprise Development Center serve?
3. Does WEDC provide services to men? How about people who are not low-income?
4. What services does the Women's Enterprise Development Center offer?
5. What will I gain from the WEDC programs?
6. Will WEDC give me money to start my business?
7. How much does WEDC's program cost participants?
8. How can I learn more about WEDC?

1. What is the Women's Enterprise Development Center?
The Women's Enterprise Development Center Inc. is a not-for-profit microenterprise development program designed to expand business ownership opportunities and to enhance economic self-sufficiency. WEDC was formed in 1997 and in 2003 received a funding from the United States Small Business Administration allowing us to serve entrepreneurs at all stages of business development throughout Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley.

2. Whom does the Women's Enterprise Development Center serve?
Our primary mission is to provide women, and in particular socially and economically disadvantaged women, with the business training and personal skills they need to start, operate and expand their own businesses. WEDC offers entrepreneurial training programs and services to all men and women regardless of financial need.

3. Does WEDC provide services to men? How about people who are not low-income?
Yes, the Women's Enterprise Development Center Inc. provides services to men and women, regardless of their income level, who reside in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley.

4. What services does the Women's Enterprise Development Center offer?
WEDC provides the following services to entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses:

• Sixty plus hours entrepreneurial training program.
• Life skills workshops including time management, goal setting and business communication skills.
• Computer training for small businesses.
• Networking opportunities.
• Referrals to, and assistance with the applications for, funding sources including grant-making organizations, community loan fund programs, banks, and government agencies
• Post-training scholarship program enabling program graduates to take classes related to their businesses at area colleges.
• Post-training program for graduates of WEDC's entrepreneurial training programs.
• Ongoing one-on-one technical assistance.
• Assistance in finding a mentor in a closely related field or industry.
• Workshops in Access to Capital, Financial Statements, Credit, Image Management, Pricing Your Products and other topics of interest to small business owners.

• A range of entrepreneurial skills needed to successfully start, manage or grow a small business
• A workable business plan that can be used to grow a small business and to access capital
• A certificate of completion from the training program; ongoing technical assistance and networking opportunities.
• Access to counselors, trainers, resources and support for your small business.
• Networking opportunities.

6. Will WEDC give me money to start my business?
WEDC does not have loans or grants available for business start ups. However, WEDC can assist you with identifying microlenders, grant-making organizations, banks and other organizations that may be able to provide capital to start or grow your business.

7. How much does WEDC's program cost participants?
The program receives funding from county, state and federal funders as well as from private foundations. The generous support of our funders allows WEDC to offer many programs without charge; there is a nominal charge for some programs. Scholarships are available on an Òas neededÓ basis.

8. How can I learn more about WEDC?
For more information, contact Julie Cantor Peskoe, Associate Director, at 914.948.6098 x11