"As we began setting up our new Entrepreneurial Development Center for Women, it became obvious that a lot of women were interested in starting businesses, but they need something to jump-start the process," said Nancy Rockey, dean of Workforce and Economic Development at HACC.
"We've been finding women with the skills and the drive to start a new business," she said, "but they were having trouble finding the needed resources. We decided to put all of the resources together and then take the whole show on the road."
The conference will actually be a series of three half-day events in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg. Participants will hear a cadre of professional women with expertise in finance, training and business planning. They'll also be able to network with women who have already taken the leap and have started their own successful businesses.
"Once our Women on the Move bus has made the swing through central Pennsylvania," Rockey said, "our Entrepreneurial Development Center for Women will serve as the hub of the new network and help women continue to tap into the resources they need including key resources from our partners at the PA Department of Community and Economic Development."
The tour will start on April 13 at HACC's Lancaster Campus, visit York on April 14 at the South Central PA Junior Achievement Office and finish up on April 15 at the C. Ted Lick Wildwood Conference Center on HACC's Wildwood Campus in Harrisburg. Each session begins with registration at 8:30am, a welcome at 9am and sessions at 9:15am, 10am, 11am and 11:45am. Lunch with a keynote speaker is at 12:30pm.
Sponsors of the series include HACC, PA Department of Community and Economic Development, Team Pennsylvania, Capital Regional Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, York County Economic Development Corporation (YCEDC), U.S. Small Business Administration, Delta Development Group in Mechanicsburg and Wachovia Bank.
To register, contact HACC's registration office at (717) 780-2414 or (717) 780-2616 or visit HACC's Website.