Alvarez noted that the SBA's Women's Business Center Program is an excellent example of how the public and private sectors can work together to provide women entrepreneurs with the resources they need to get started in business, stay in business and grow. The centers receive funding over a five-year period, and each site is required to match federal funds with private contributions. The centers are located in rural, urban and suburban areas, and direct much of their training and counseling assistance toward socially and economically disadvantaged women. They offer many innovative programs, including financial management, marketing and technical assistance, procurement training, mentoring and Internet training. The centers also provide specialized programs that address issues facing displaced workers and rural home-based entrepreneurs.
Some locations offer training and mentoring in several languages.
The Women's Business Center Program was established by Congress in 1988 and is administered by the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership. For additional information on the programs available at each new site, refer to the attached list and contact the organizations directly. The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.