• Atlanta Microenterprise Initiative (AMI)

WEDA's             The Atlanta Microenterprise Initiative (AMI) – is a comprehensive, 14-session workshop that helps emerging and new entrepreneurs learn how to start and manage a successful business, as well as how to determine funding needs and write a detailed business plan. Topics covered throughout the workshop series include business licensing and regulation; marketing, including primary and secondary research and analyses; business taxes, tax credits and other incentives; bookkeeping; sales/business development; operations; contract and equal employment opportunity laws; presentation skills; and business technology and e-commerce. Class fees are determined by household income and family size. You must attend the AMI Orientation in order to be considered for this program.

• Iniciativa para Microempresas de Atlanta (IMA)

IMA is the Spanish-language version of AMI with topics, objectives and deliverables identical to those of AMI.

• Impuestos Ahora! (Taxes Now!)

Delivered entirely in Spanish, Impuestos Ahora! is a mobile, small business taxpayer workshop offered on a semi-monthly basis at a variety of locations throughout the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. Topics covered include what constitutes taxable income; compliance and reporting by business structure (including a discussion of tax forms and schedules); penalties for tax avoidance; and the importance of obtaining an Employer Identification Number. Start-up and expansion resources for small businesses also are discussed.

• The Non-Profit Workshop

The Non-Profit Workshop – is designed for social entrepreneurs that want to establish non-profit businesses and is delivered in 3 sessions. Session I: Non Profit Legal Considerations, discusses the legal and related aspects of forming and maintaining a non-profit organization. Session II: Grant Writing Research is delivered in a computer lab and interactively discusses the grant writing research process and aims at demystifying common misconceptions about grants and free money for businesses and non-profits. Session III: Non Profit Panel Discussion is a non-profit roundtable where emerging social entrepreneurs can ask questions to leading figures in the non-profit sector.  Sessions I & II are presented 3 times a year; Session III is presented once a year.

• Technical Assistance

WEDA offers one-on-one technical assistance on the full complement of business disciplines, from basic start-up and expansion issues like writing a business plan, establishing a bookkeeping system, developing customer interaction methodologies and loan packaging, to more complex issues like succession planning, benefits administration and municipal bid package preparation.

WEDA's technical assistance is provided by a team of third-party business consultants and is available to any entrepreneur, regardless of whether they are enrolled in a WEDA program. Non-WEDA clients, however, are required to pay for services based on the provider's regular fee schedule.

• Business Financing

WEDA is a technical assistance provider for SBA's Community Express Loan Program. Through a partnership with SBA's Georgia District Office and Oakland, California-based Innovative Bank, WEDA originates and packages SBA-guaranteed business loans of up to $250,000, including those made under the "SOHO" (Small Office / Home Office) initiative, which provides micro-loans of up to $15,000 to start-up and expanding businesses. Under the Community Express program, WEDA delivers monthly orientations to prospective applicants and provides technical assistance and related follow-up to loan recipients.

Entrepreneurial Workshops- Provide topical discussions on a wide variety of subjects related to the new and aspiring entrepreneur, ranging from "Brand Strategies for Small Businesses" to " Business Etiquette 101" and "Business Financial Management" Workshops are presented periodically

Wealth Building

The Economic Life Skills Series focuses on women's personal financial management and wealth-building needs, including:

• Budget Management

Participants receive training and assistance to develop the skills necessary to identify and prioritize financial objectives, plan for short-term, long-term and contingency needs and create and adhere to a budget.

• Credit Management

The ins and outs of retail and consumer credit are covered, along with strategies to help participants learn to control debt and manage it wisely.

• Investing Basics

Fundamental investment principles like risk-reward, basic investment categories (i.e. stocks, bonds, mutual funds) and market mechanics are covered in addition to strategies that can be used to help meet long-term issues like retirement and funding for children's educational needs.

Customized Training and Licensing

• WEDA-On-Demand provides customized training for medium- to large-sized groups on the full complement of business / entrepreneurial and personal financial management disciplines.
• WEDA-Learning licenses its proprietary classroom training curriculums for use by other organizations that wish to offer such training. Train-the-trainer sessions are also available.

For inquiries or comments, please e-mail inquiries@WEDA-atlanta.org