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E-MAGNIFY OVERVIEW

MISSION STATEMENT

To "strengthen the economic impact of women business owners as a collective force and to advance their growth through innovative programming in entrepreneurship and new venture creation."

PURPOSE

The brainchild of Seton Hill University’s Management faculty, E-Magnify women's business center was established in 1991 to support and expand the role of women business owners. Beginning with middle school students and extending through the undergraduate, graduate and professional life stages, the center has implemented diversified and tailored programs encouraging entrepreneurial skills and economic self-sufficiency.

LOCATION

Situated on the grounds of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the center celebrated a decade of growing women owned business in 2001 with the opening of a new administrative center. In recognizing the center as the state’s premier organization for assisting women business owners, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania earmarked $3 million dollars from its capital budget for a state-of-the-art facility, which was completed in June 2001. The money was combined with gifts and pledges from donors as part of a $6.8 million dollar project to restore and renovate the College’s Administration Building. Through this expansion, the center is better able to assist women as they face the challenges of starting and growing their businesses.

RECOGNITIONS

The center's work has been recognized by national, regional and local organizations including the prestigious Leavy Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education, the Education Foundation’s National Awards Program, the Ernst & Young "Supporter of Entrepreneurship" Award, the Small Business Administration’s Regional Women in Business Advocate Award and the Award of Excellence in Innovative Educational Programs from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for its innovative entrepreneurial programs.

COUNTIES INCLUDE:

RISE OF WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES

Since the center's inception, the rise of women-owned businesses has increased significantly. For the first time, the 1992 Census data counted the entire population of women-owned businesses, including corporations and concluded that nationally, women-owned firms jumped 43 percent from 1987 to 1992, and contrary to the traditional image that many women businesses are single-person, home-based enterprises, the number of women-owned businesses with employees increased 32 percent during that same five-year period. While definitional changes affect the direct comparability of the 1997 and 1992 Economic Census data, figures released in April 2001 show that women owned firms totaled 5.4 million generating $819 million in receipts. The same study suggests that the number of women owned firms increased by 16 percent, compared with an increase of less than 2 percent in firms led by their male counterparts.

SBA

E-Magnify's work is to assist current and future business owners to start and grow their businesses and has been named one of three designated Women's Business Center's in Pennsylvania under the United States Small Business Administration. E-Magnify offers a 27-county western Pennsylvania market - a portfolio of programs and services in the areas of client counseling, education and training; information, mentoring and networking.

 
 
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Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.