Small business center launches at JSU specifically for women-owned entrepreneurs

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Female entrepreneurs have a new place to grow their small businesses.

It’s called the Women’s Business Center at Jackson State University.

The official grand opening isn’t until January 2022, but you can now get a sneak peek of the new center.

The center will offer confidential one-on-one counseling, low-cost training, networking, free workshops, technical assistance, and mentoring to women entrepreneurs.

The chief goal is to provide business services for women seeking federal contract dollars as women-owned small businesses (WOSB) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB).

The WBC is located on the third floor in Suite 332 in the College of Business.

“The Women’s Business Center @JSU is a necessity,” Sydney Brown, director of The WBC @JSU, said. “We need to support the boundless potential of women-owned businesses in the state of Mississippi. This center will encourage the participation of women entrepreneurs in the local, state, national, and global economy, and, in particular, those who have been under-served or lack access to the free enterprise marketplace.”

Assistance also will include providing information about business startups, financial reporting, and procurement.

To participate in the Women’s Business Center, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a US citizen
• Be a woman
• Own and control at least 51 percent of a small business that is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, S Corporation, or C Corporation.
• Nonprofits are ineligible. Debarred or suspended firms or firms owned by debarred or suspended individual(s) are also ineligible.
• Businesses must operate primarily within the U.S. or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor.
• Business is considered small in accordance with its primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
• The in-take process and needs assessment will allow the center to identify the needs of the clients and customize the support to meet those needs.

For more information contact Sydney Brown at 601-979-4186 or [email protected].

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