Academy (WBA). Established in 2016 in conjunction with the Women’s Business Center, this nine-week Camden, NJ- On March 11th, the LAEDA Women’s Business Center (WBC) concluded the fourth cohort of its Women’s Business training program closely emulates the Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) by creating a community of small business owners and budding entrepreneurs, each of which are paired with a business counselor to provide technical assistance in the creation of their business plan that serve as a road map to business success.
The WBA program goes one step further by providing women with classes that specifically acknowledge the hardship and difficulties they face when going into business. For example – negotiation. A special class from Fonda Wynn of Wynn Development Consultants taught our business owners how to lead a conversation that yields the outcomes a female business owner wants, needs, and should have. The soft skills emphasized in this class, as well as Work-Life Balance, Time and Task Management, and Goal Setting were specifically oriented toward helping our women achieve.
This was a very intelligent and inspiring group of attendees that came from diverse backgrounds and industries to spend a collective 70+ hours together. Whether it was working on their vision boards that highlighted their “why”, encouraging each other during the presentation of their 60-second pitches, or celebrating each other’s business milestones, these women not only grew individually, but also together over the 9 weeks.
During the last class of the WBA, the participants bring dishes to celebrate the last night of class. There was no shortage of delicious food or delectable sweets on the evening. LAEDA staff and students enjoyed delicious friend rice, buffalo chicken wings, pork, buffalo chicken dip, just to name a few!
Ms. Andrea Riley, co-owner of Marriage Service Technicians and graduate of class 82, spoke to the women of class 86. "Expect the unexpected...we don't know what will happen in life, but it’s always good to have that firm foundation, feet planted, and to have this continued support from LAEDA."
Although it was the last class, it is not the end for this group. Every individual that completes a nine-week LAEDA course is encouraged to stay in touch with their business counselor as they continue to develop their business plans and implement the knowledge gained from class. The group will also be invited to participate in the annual graduation ceremony that takes place in the Fall.
Does all this sound like the business training program you need to propel your small business forward? The WBC runs its nine-week programs one time a year in the winter. You can apply here for the next cohort of the Women's Business Academy.