Founded in 1996 as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation, WEDA has provided business development, management training and technical assistance to more than 15,000 Atlanta-area entrepreneurs. Over the last six years, the organization's programs and services have helped to facilitate the formation of more than 1,300 small businesses that range from home-based endeavors like jewelry making, virtual assisting and home accessories design, to retail and personal services ventures like clothing stores and hair salons, to companies engaged in cutting edge activities like information technology and automotive waste oil recycling.

Also included among our client base are franchisees for Bruster's Ice Cream, Mathnasium, Smoothie King, System 4 and others, as well as social entrepreneurs who have chosen to pursue non-profit ventures that provide critically needed services like transitional housing, after school programs and eldercare in response to the needs of disadvantaged families and communities.

Combined, these business have accessed more than $8.5 million in commercial financing ( much of it in the form of micro-loans) and have had a significant impact on the area's economy, including the creation of more than 250 new jobs (not including the business owners)

WEDA's programs and services are divided into three categories: Business Development and Management, Wealth Building, and Customized Training and Licensing. These categories are designed to meet the learning and cultural needs of its clientele, as well as the objectives of the organizations supporters and community stakeholders.

WEDA is a bi-lingual organization that offers its programs and services in both English and Spanish. Further, WEDA makes every effort to meet the needs of physically challenged clients through the use of handicapped-accessible facilities, as well by providing curriculums on either diskette (for use with JAWS or similar adaptive equipment) or in Braille so that visually impaired clients can fully participate in all training activities. Although WEDA is a women centric organization, it does discriminate and serves an ethnically-and gender -diverse clientele.

 

 En Español


Economic Impact

     Data for the period January 01, 2002 - September 30, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Client Statistics:

Number of business starts

1,339

Percent that remain in business

 

 

 

beyond 3 years of program completion

88.1%

beyond 5 years of program completion

74.6%

 

 

Of those not in business:

 

Intend to start in the future

78.6%

Changed mind (i.e. decided not to open business

19.0%

Business closed

2.4%

Average annual business revenue

$84,263

Home-based business

68.2%

Number of new jobs created (not including the business owners)

252

Formally organized business structure (corporation, LLC, etc.)

80.6%

For-Profit

90.6%

Low- to moderate- income households at time of initial intake

70.2%

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