WOMEN'S WORK page 43 tain race or religion, cannot be a factor in turning an applicant down for a loan. However, women tend to go into different business areas than men. According to recent United States Labor Depart- ment statistics, 9.6 percent of all self-employed women are ser- vice workers compared with 3 percent of men. Since these in- dustries tend to produce intan- gible services such as consultations, it is harder for lenders to understand what they are being asked to fund, Ms. Pol- lack said. This leaves women to rely on their own finances, home equity loans or alternative financing to start their businesses. "Many, many, many female- owned businesses are financed on credit cards," Mr. Brophy said. "They string them together and then pay them off." Once the business is up and running, women face other chal- Help Is Available For Female Business Owners JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER Losing your patience with teller lines? It's almost the 21st century. So why are most banks still operating like it's the 18th? The time you or your employees spend standing in old-fashioned teller lines could be costing you thousands of dollars! That's why Franklin Bank offers modern banking options like our "Express Deposit" lockbox, courier deposit pickup and EDI electronic deposits. They're all part of the Total Package of financial services for small and medium-sized practices. Come over to the new thinking in banking. Call Franklin Bank today at (810) 358-5170 and start saving money! Franklin Bank N.A. (810)358-5170 FDIC Insured The new thinking in banking for business. Southfield • Birmingham • Grosse Pointe Woods TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO A NEW LEVEL • • • IMPROVE BOTTOM LINE PROFITS! `WrdowsBasedAccartirg' Leant about the LOW-COS 111/fiartsoft Windows comixtfibk accouniin g sysian capable ofcoadinaiit and r agar all acets o your businm 6251 Orchard Lake Road (In Sugar Tree) • West Bloomfield 1810) 851.7170 FAX (81018514176 SBT Pro Series 3.0i Attend a FREE management seminar- RSVP to: Curt Hicks at 810 547 5540 Next seminar date: Morning & afternoon sessions on August 2, 1995 - - Up-to-the-minute business status at your fingertips. Work with multiple open periods • Detailed audit trails Graphical reports and financials • Computer generated forms New powerful INTERNET sales order capability • Contact management FAX directly - sales orders, invoices, quotes, collections, etc. Center For Computer Resources 44 CCR • Berkley, MI Microsoft. SOLUTION PROVIDER Larry Paul makes FURNITURE NEW. Custom. Restoration, LacdLiering, Refinishing of new or old ttimiitire. antiques, (Alice tt irniture. ponos.. For Free Estimates (810) 681-8280 S hirley Carp has never had a problem with funding or people's attitudes or find- ing child care. As a media host for authors on book tours, her only complaint is the hours she sometimes has to put in. "It sounds glamorous but it is work," she said, adding that 15- hour days are not unusual. "You have to make sure they make all of their interviews and are at their appointments on time." Annabel Cohen and Julie Aaron are virtually debt-free. They have no business loans, having financed their Southfield catering business entirely from their own bank accounts. "We bought a truck because we needed it. We paid for it at once," Ms. Aaron said. "Now, we only pay the car insurance a cou- ple of times a year." But while many female- owned businesses operate with- out a hitch, others seek help regularly to maintain or expand their businesses. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation tar- geted to address this need. The legislation helped start pro- grams for management train- ing and technical assistance, extended the protection of the 1974 Equal Credit Opportuni- ty Act which outlaws discrim- ination in business loans, and developed and improved the gathering and maintenance of statistics on women-owned business. From that piece of legislation as well as from existing Small Business Administration and private ventures, help for female entrepreneurs is more prevalent than at any time in the past. "It is going to get easier for women," said David Brophy, the director of the office for the study of private equity finance at the University of Michigan's school of business. "When they band together and get into positions of power, it will get easier." The following is a partial list of programs designed to aid fe- male entrepreneurs and the businesses they operate: Michigan Small Business Development Centers — These community centers pro- vide free personalized counsel- ing and offer inexpensive training programs for existing small business owners and en- trepreneurs. • Wayne State University and Satellite Subcenters — (313) 577-4850 • Comerica SBDC — (313) 371-1680 • Manufacturers Reach, Inc. — (313) 869-2120 • NILAC-Marygrove College — (313) 345-2159 • Walsh College-OCC Business Enterprise Center — (810) 689-4094 Women Business Owner Ser- vice — A part of the Michigan Targeted Services Group, it seeks to support businesses through the delivery of techni- cal services, specialized business development assistance and in- formation to minority groups, including women. The women's division also seeks to influence public-policy decisions and cre- ate partnerships between pub- lic and private sectors of the female entrepreneur communi- ty. For information, call (517) 335-3099. Women's Business Owner- ship Program — A program of the United States Small Busi- ness Administration, this office coordinates federal efforts to sup- port female entrepreneurs. In doing so, it negotiates contract- ing goals with each federal agency, coordinates women- owned business data collection and produces publications to as- sist female entrepreneurs. It also staffs each district office with a women's business owners rep- resentative who works with fed- eral resources to help female business owners. For informa- tion, call 1-800-827-5722. ❑