Area Businesswomen Establish New Group

Local members of the National Association of Women Business Owners have formed an Inland Northwest Chapter and will hold a Founders Banquet Thursday.

President Diana Wilhite said there are about 20 association members in the area. From that nucleus, she said, the group hopes to expand its networking and mentoring activity.

Members also want to offer more assistance on topics like importing and exporting, she said.

“Women have a tendency to come at a problem from a different perspective,” said Wilhite, the owner of Safeguard Business Forms & Systems.

She said another objective is creation by a Washington bank of a lending program like one announced Thursday by Wells Fargo Bank.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo has set aside $1 billion to make loans of up to $100,000 to women who have been in business for at least two years.

The National Association of Women Business Owners is participating with Wells Fargo in the program.

Wilhite noted that the U.S. Small Business Administration figures 54 percent of start-up businesses are owned by women.

, DataTimes