Women’s Economic Ventures recently welcomed the community to connect with past and current clients at the first WEV Connects of 2015 at Workzones in downtown Santa Barbara.
Guests enjoyed an evening of networking and had the opportunity to hear from a business owner panel on the “Psychology of the Soloprenuer” featuring three local female business owners: Lisa Riolo, owner of Workzones; Paula Parisotto of Dettamoda Styling; and Lisa Amador, founder of Santa Barbara Matchmaking.
After the panel, guests reconnected with the WEV community over light refreshments and learned how their businesses were doing.
The next WEV Connects event will take place April 9 at Spicetopia in downtown Ventura. This event will also feature a panel on the “Psychology of the Soloprenuer” with Laura Dunbar, owner of Madison Method; Adriana Perez, owner of Skincare by Adriana; and Kathy Wertheim, founder of Werth-It. To RSVP and for more information, please click here.
WEV’s comprehensive 14-week, 56-hour Self-Employment Training (SET) program is designed for women (all services are open to men) to provide guidance on how to start, operate and expand a business. The program is offered in both English and Spanish, and provides week-by-week training in the most important aspects of organizing, financing, marketing and managing a small business. Topics include personal leadership skills, personal finances, marketing and sales, public relations and advertising, legal and insurance issues, record keeping, cash flow projections and writing a business plan.
Self-Employment Training courses are offered twice each year, with classes starting in September and February. The class runs for 14 consecutive weeks, one night a week for three hours, and includes two full Saturdays. Classes are taught in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Ventura. Interested participants can sign up to attend a free one-hour orientation workshop in the months preceding the next course.
The next Santa Barbara orientations take place from 6 to 7 p.m. April 7 and from noon to 1 p.m. April 15. The next Ventura orientations take place from 6 to 7 p.m. April 8 and from noon to 1 p.m. April 21. Visit wevonline.org to register or for more information.
— Amy Bernstein is a publicist representing Women’s Economic Ventures.