
DATE: Thursday, September 25, 1997          TAG: 9709250313

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY NIA NGINA MEEKS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   76 lines

WOMEN OF COLOR TO CONFER IN NORFOLK

Come Friday and Saturday, women of color who want to learn about starting a business or keeping one afloat will have a brief clubhouse of their own.

Their treehouse will be the Omni Hotel Waterside for the third annual Women of Colour Conference.

While its attendees may not be as well-entrenched as members of the old boys' network, one day they may be. According to economic projections, firms headed by women are among the fastest growing in the country.

In 1992, the last year data is available, about 36 percent of all minority business owners were women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And what women gain from the conference - solid advice, information and support - will help them overcome their own fears and doubts, as well as those of prospective customers, lenders and employees, organizers said.

The conference is presented by EVENTMAKERS, a black female-run consulting firm.

The first time out, about 100 people attended. Last year, the tally was up to 150. Some 200 people are expected this year, spokeswoman Sonya M. Smith said.

``People are looking for alternatives,'' Smith said. ``You can come to this event and get ideas.''

And referrals. And knowledge of international markets. Taxes. Speech making. Business writing.

The program is not exclusive to women; however, it evolved with the reality that women - specifically those of color - face unique obstacles when it comes to calling themselves ``boss.''

Lack of cash tends to be the biggest pitfall, said Cindy Walters, a business analyst with the Hampton Roads Minority Business Development Center in Hampton. Sometimes it's because of poor planning; other times, it's because banks and other lenders don't share the vision of Ms. Yellow-Brown-Red Entrepreneur, said Inez Y. Kaiser, head of the National Association of Minority Women in Business in Kansas City, Mo.

``How many of our husbands sit on a bank board saying, `Give my wife a loan to help her start her business?' '' Kaiser said. ``It doesn't happen.''

For many, it's a Catch-22: the need for clients to form a base, and a need for a base from which to attract clients.

``You feel that you are out there on your own a lot,'' said Donna Speller, owner of Advantage Business Strategies, who will lecture Saturday on stress management.

``When it's 2 a.m. on a Sunday, and I'm the only light on the block that's on, sometimes I think I'm nuts,'' said Speller, who consults in management training and travel.

``I don't have children, but I can only imagine.''

Kay Park remembers rough times after her partner and husband died in 1986. The Portsmouth woman had two children to put through school and a business to run that she didn't know a whole lot about.

``There were some employees that tried to take advantage,'' said Park, who owns Factory Shoe Repair. ``I could do better now. But I made a lot of mistakes.''

Some mistakes, as well as risks, can be avoided, if folks just have the know-how, said Smith, the event spokeswoman. Or even a sounding board for ideas.

``I have a tremendous support system, a good circle of sister friends that know exactly what it is I'm going through,'' Smith said. ILLUSTRATION: Graphics

IF YOU GO

What: Third annual Business Women of Colour Conference.

Where: Omni Waterside Hotel, Norfolk.

When: Friday, 6:30 p.m. reception; Saturday 7 am - 4:30 p.m.

Admission: $80; $30 for college students

FAST FACTS:

In 1992, about 36 percent of all business owners of color in the

United States were women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

About 40 percent of businesses owned by women of color were owned

by black women; 34 percent were owned by Latin women. Asian and

Native American women owned 29 percent.