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by Karen Fetter
Entrepreneurs and business
professionals of
Westmoreland County have had
the opportunity to use Seton
Hill University’s E-Magnify,
an education center for
women in business, for the
last 15 years. The center
specializes in educational
and networking programs for
every stage of a woman’s
professional life. And now,
E-Magnify just got better!
E-Magnify was recently
designated as a Women's
Business Center (WBC) by the
U.S. Small Business
Administration. This
designation broadens the
reach of the center’s
programming, business
training, and counseling.
While the office is located
in Westmoreland County, the
center can serve over 27
counties in Western
Pennsylvania and reach a
300-mile radius.
“This designation is going
to add breadth and depth to
our program,” said Jayne H.
Huston, director of Seton
Hill University’s E-Magnify.
“We will be able to market
ourselves outside of our
area in a comprehensive way
and expand our services.”
Huston considers the
designation a vote of
confidence for the support
they have provided to women
entrepreneurs over the
years, but more importantly,
she consider it a
responsibility to provide an
even greater level of
service to both current and
future women business
owners.
E-Magnify is a department of
Seton Hill University that
is open to anyone who is
starting or growing a
business. While the focus is
on women, the center does
not exclude men. E-Magnify
offers resources,
educational programs,
advocacy initiatives, and
networking opportunities to
business professionals to
help them succeed at their
business.
***
Now that E-Magnify is a WBC,
it is part of a nationwide
networking system. E-Magnify
is just one of 19 new
centers that will join 80
existing WBCs.
“The goal of E-Magnify’s WBC
program is to positively
impact the economy by
helping women-led companies
grow their revenues and add
employees, as well as assist
aspiring women entrepreneurs
start a business venture,”
said Huston. “E-Magnify will
continue to focus on the
unique needs of women
entrepreneurs by offering
them access to web-based
training, best-practice
business information,
peer-to-peer mentoring, and
one-on-one counseling
sessions.
“And we will continue to
build upon our strong
partnerships with Small
Business Development Centers
(SBDC), SCORE small business
counselors, the SBA
Pittsburgh District office,
and other groups with
similar missions, so that we
can help the women we serve
seize opportunities and
realize their dreams.”
In addition, the grant money
of $150,000 distributed to
E-Magnify through the U. S.
Small Business
Administration will allow
for more planning and
strategy development in the
next five years.
“The funds we will receive
will be over a five year
time frame,” said Huston.
“As a result, we can create
a five year plan on how we
can grow and offer more to
those who need it.”
E-Magnify was created in
1991 and has reached
thousands of women beginning
with undergraduate students
through graduate and
professional life stages.
Huston said that studies
prove that women learn well
in peer-to-peer
environments. As a result,
E-Magnify has focused a lot
of its energy on helping
entrepreneurs and
professionals match their
area of expertise with an
advisory panel to help them
set and meet goals.
Westmoreland County is
fortunate to have this
amazing resource at its
fingertips. The location in
Greensburg is prime for
professionals looking for
advice and help.
“Westmoreland County is our
home. Our office is located
on Seton Hill’s campus in
Greensburg so it makes it an
ideal location that is easy
to get to from any point in
the county,” said Huston.
“And all of our programs are
held here too.”
The biggest upcoming event
on E-Magnify’s calendar is
the annual Small Business
Conference, which is
scheduled to take place on
March 20, 2007 at the Westin
Convention Center in
Pittsburgh. The conference
is titled, “Building a
World-Class Business.”
Keynote speaker is Mary
Cantando, a nationally
recognized author, speaker,
and columnist who focuses
exclusively on helping women
grow their businesses. Mary
will share lessons from her
newest book The Woman’s
Advantage: 20 Women
Entrepreneurs Show You What
it Takes to Grow Your
Business, published by
Kaplan Publishing in May
2006. Also speaking at the
event will be the Founder
and CEO of Oxygen Media,
Geraldine Laybourne. For
more information on the
event visit E-Magnify’s
website at
www.e-magnify.com.
Consider taking your
business to the next level
and become a member of
E-Magnify today! If you are
interested please call
724-830-4625 to make an
appointment to get started.
You can also visit
www.e-magnify.com to
view the calendar of events
and to receive a monthly
newsletter. |
