Program turns moms to business owners

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Program turns moms to business owners

E-mail this article \ Print this article

Christopher Anderson⁄The Gazette

Several area women attend a seminar on home ownership with staffers from the Housing Counseling Services at Virtuous Enterprises in Temple Hills. Deborah Avens (left) organized the Women Increasing Networth program.

A single mom can earn a sustainable income and spend more time with her children. At least, that’s what Deborah Avens of Virtuous Enterprises argues. In fact, Avens has launched a 16-week entrepreneurship program to teach women how to achieve economic independence through business ownership.

Virtuous Enterprises is a Temple Hills-based nonprofit that offers training and services for women and girls. In 2006, the organization launched Starting Over for Economic Development through a grant partnership with the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. The SOFEI program grew out of an effort to assist homeless women, Avens said.

‘‘Through that program we learned about the challenges and problems women experience,” said Avens, founder of Virtuous Enterprises. ‘‘Many may have been in the process of starting a business but they had to stop to care for their children or a sick parent. They had to put their dreams on hold, but now they’re ready to start over again.”

The Washington Area Women’s Foundation conducted a study that revealed Prince George’s County has the highest percentage of low-income, women-headed households in this area, Avens said. Still, most grant funders and even local officials have a hard time believing those statistics.

‘‘The problem isn’t visible in this county,” she said.

Women who head low-income households haven’t always been in that state, she added. Some ended up in precarious financial positions due to divorce, health issues or other problems.

Entrepreneurship would give these women more control of their time and allow them to be physically and mentally present with their children, Avens said.

‘‘The world wants you to think about money first, but seeing your child’s first step or big role in the school play is more rewarding. And kids feel a sense of pride and security when they know they can depend on you.”

Businesses such as consulting, event planning, Web page development or virtual assistance are ideal for single moms, she said.

Although women might desire a lifestyle that gives them more flexibility, they must overcome a number of hurdles first.

‘‘The biggest challenge is fear of the unknown,” Avens said. ‘‘The second is finding or building enough capital to launch a business.”

The 16-week course begins by asking participants whether they have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

‘‘An entrepreneur is a person with a positive attitude,” Avens said. ‘‘They either have strong financial management skills or they’re willing to team up with others who do. They have great interpersonal skills and they’re always learning.”

The program also will help women assess their lives, release guilt and pain from the past and learn new ways to create a positive environment for themselves and their children. At the end of the program, participants will have a business plan they can execute and a mini-grant they can use to start a business.

A mentor will coach the new business owners, and the women will receive technical assistance for up to a year.

Avens plans to discuss entrepreneurship skills with teen girls during a Me First self-empowerment conference on June 16 at the Suitland Community Center.

‘‘You need more than one stream of income in our economy today,” Avens said. ‘‘It’s imperative to think about entrepreneurship because not too many people get rich by working for others.”

DEBORAH Avens

How she makes a difference: Avens is founder of Virtuous Enterprises Inc., which provides conferences, workshops and training for underserved women and girls. Call301-316-1955, ext. 701, or e-mail events@veinc.org.