Women's Business Center opens

Goal is to add to advisory initiatives
Amanda McElfresh
amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com

Sheri Lazare is the director of the Women's Business Center opening in Lafayette. The center will help women in an eight-parish area with one-on-one business mentoring.

Business owners throughout the Acadiana region will have a major resource center at their disposal with Wednesday's grand opening of the Women's Business Center.

The center will provide technical assistance, seminars, training and other resources to business owners, with a particular focus on women who own their own businesses.

"We're not here to replace other entities, such as the small business development center at UL," said Sheri Lazare, the center's director. "We're actually working with them on a lot of our initiatives. What we hope to provide is a one-stop business advisory shop."

Part of the center's goal is also to help businesses still suffering in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricanes, Lazare said.

"Over the last four years, seven of the eight parishes in our area were declared disaster areas seven times, due to hurricanes or tornadoes or other problems," Lazare said. "When we saw that and saw what the hurricanes did to a lot of businesses, we really felt the need to do something to help those businesses."

The center will be funded through a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, matching funds from the Acadiana Regional Development District and donations, Lazare said.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu played a key role in obtaining funding for the center, highlighted by a May 2006 letter to then-SBA Administrator Hector Barreto asking for assistance in creating such a resource in Acadiana.

Landrieu said in a statement Friday that she's happy the center is finally opening in Lafayette.

"The Women's Business Center in Lafayette offers effective resources and an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurial Louisiana women," Landrieu said in the statement. "The recovery and growth of our small businesses is critical to our state's overall economic recovery following the 2005 hurricanes."

Lazare said that while the center will assist businesses in all industries, the focus will be on helping women develop their entrepreneurial skills.

"Across the board, women initially are less likely to step forward or speak out about something in a business environment," Lazare said. "Giving them this kind of platform takes away that initial reluctance."

Elise Bouchner, co-founder of The Training Source, said women should not be intimidated about trying to open their own companies.

"I feel that women entrepreneurs are accepted," Bouchner said. "I do think that you have to create your own opportunities, and it does take a tremendous amount of courage, especially if you're leaving a day job to take a risk. It takes a lot of creativity, and you have to use your resources, but I don't think that's different than if you're a man."

Lazare said the center has contracted with several people in the local business community to host seminars, training sessions and one-on-one mentoring sessions with those seeking assistance. Representatives will also be in each of the eight Acadiana parishes at least once a month to provide any help needed.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Women's Business Center will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at 601 Loire Ave., Suite A, in Lafayette.

For more information, call 896-2009 or 886-7782.

January 6, 2008