2005 News

Georgia and Florida Women Entrepreneurs Collect
OPEN from American ExpressSM
Make Mine a $Million Business™ Awards

OPENSM, Count-Me-In and Women’s Leadership Exchange Enlist
Team of Business Coaches to Help Awardees Craft Million-Dollar Business Plans

NEW YORK (September 22, 2005) – Women own 10.6 million privately held businesses in the United States; yet, just 3% of them generate annual revenues above $1 million.1 After taking home OPEN from American ExpressSM Make Mine a $Million Business Awards at yesterday’s Women’s Leadership Exchange (WLE) conference in Atlanta, two Georgia women and a professor from Central Florida are on the path to join the elite ranks of million-dollar women-owned businesses.

• Janice Cairns of Woodstock, Georgia, owns Breeze Home Fashions, designers of affordable custom window treatments for homes.
• Adrienne Simpson of Stone Mountain, Georgia, owns Smooth Mooove Senior Relocation Services, Inc., a service that handles all the relocation needs – from packing to hanging drapes and buying groceries – for seniors and the disabled.
• Dr. Pamela McCauley Bell of Orlando, Florida, is president and owner of Tech Solutions, Inc., which provides quality testing and evaluation services for federal, state and local government agencies.

The trio earned their Awards after delivering powerful pitches to a panel of judges at Wednesday’s WLE business-building event for women entrepreneurs. Each awardee will collaborate with a team of Georgia business advisors to create and roll out their million-dollar business plans. Each award recipient will also be eligible to collect a loan of up to $45,000 from Count-Me-In to help finance their business growth plans.

Make Mine a $Million Business is a national award program presented in five markets by Count-Me-In for Women’s Economic Independence, WLE and OPEN from American Express.

Program Helps Women Overcome Business Growth Barriers

Women own more than 300,000 businesses in Georgia, or 44% of all privately-held firms in the state.2 Among those in the Atlanta area, the site of the WLE conference, 22% have a positive outlook on the economy and on business growth, according to a new OPEN from American Express survey of local women business owners. Women entrepreneurs face real barriers to growth, particularly when attempting to finance their businesses.

“More than 60% of women entrepreneurs we surveyed in the Atlanta area tell us they have difficulty managing cash flow,” 3 said Lexi Reese, director, Advocacy Marketing, OPEN from American Express. “The Make Mine a $Million Business Award can provide women entrepreneurs with not just the money they need to grow, but also the coaching and contacts that can help them thrive.”

"These driven and highly motivated entrepreneurs set an excellent example for all women who have a dream and who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” said Nell Merlino, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, Count-Me-In. “We are proud to equip them with the mentoring, money and marketing to fuel their businesses past a million dollars in revenue.”

Dresdene Flynn-White, a business coach with Action International, and Kathryn Keeley, an executive with Count-Me-In will lead the business mentoring program for the three awardees.

The Make Mine a $Million Business program will continue to roll out across the United States, with a total of 18 awardees to be announced this year in five markets. OPEN, Count-Me-In and WLE previously announced awardees at WLE conferences in Dallas, Chicago and Long Beach. The program will culminate with an event in New York City on December 2. Interested women business owners who would like to break the million-dollar barrier can learn more about the award criteria and apply at www.count-me-in.org.

About Count-Me-In

Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence designed, produces and administers the new Make Mine a $Million Business ™ program. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Count Me In champions women's entrepreneurship and economic independence. Dedicated to increasing access to credit and capital, the organization provides online nationwide access to micro business loans, business consultation and education to women who have been turned down by the system. We are changing the way women do business! For more information, visit www.count-me-in.org.

About Women’s Leadership Exchange

The Women's Leadership Exchange (WLE) is a New York City-based multimedia company founded by and for female entrepreneurs that features educational conferences in five cities annually (Southern California, Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Dallas) for already established businesses poised for major growth. Offering women entrepreneurs access to the tools and connections that drive business growth, the WLE mission is to help develop more women leaders in business and other areas of human endeavor by connecting women with top business experts, corporate leaders and with each other. The WLE also offers its e-newsletter, “The Exchange,” its online New Women's Network Directory and its women's business spa retreats. The WLE presenting sponsor is OPEN from American Express. For more information, visit www.womensleadershipexchange.com, or call 1-888-937-5800.

About OPEN from American Express

OPEN is the American Express team that provides small business owners access to an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings designed to help meet their evolving needs, including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners. To obtain more information about OPEN and its support of women entrepreneurs, visit OPEN.americanexpress.com/women, or call 1-800-471-0028 to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.

American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, business services, insurance and international banking.

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1Source: Center for Women’s Business Research, 2005
2Ibid.
3OPEN from American Express Semi-Annual Small Business Monitor, 2005