Last updated on December 13, 2007

The Women's Business Center (WBC) promotes women’s business ownership as a means to maximize personal potential and achieve economic independence.

Description:
Since 1995, the WBC has made an impact by helping thousands of women throughout New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts, and southern Maine to start and grow their own businesses.

History:
The Women's Business Center, established in 1995, supports entrepreneurial women as they begin and grow their businesses. The WBC grew out of a series of seminars held in the 1990s to help women start their own businesses. The WBC is physically located in Portsmouth but offers programs and services across the region of southeastern New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts and southern Maine.

In 1997, the WBC became one of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership-funded centers. The SBA renewed the WBC's funding in 2002. This partial funding, supplemented by grants and in-kind donations from the New Hampshire community, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and programming fees ensures that the WBC has the ability to work with women at all economic levels.

Contact person: Loretta Prescott, Programs And Communication Manager, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (603) 430-3706

Address:

1555 Lafayette Road, Second Floor Portsmouth, NH 03801 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.WomenBiz.org

Directions:

Directions to the Women's Business Center office in Portsmouth: From the West to Route 1 Bypass South, take Route 101 East to Route 95 North, to Exit 5(Portsmouth Traffic Circle). Take the first exit off the circle which is the Route 1 Bypass South. From the South to Route 1 Bypass South, take Route 95 North, to Exit 5 (Portsmouth Traffic Circle). Take the first exit off the circle which is the Route 1 Bypass South. From the North to Route 1 Bypass South, take Route 95 South to Exit 5 (US 4/Route 16) to the Portsmouth Traffic Circle and take the second exit off the circle onto Route 1 Bypass South. From Route 1 Bypass South to the Office, travel on Route 1 Bypass South which becomes becomes Lafayette Road/US-1 for approx. 1 mile. You will pass a McDonald's on the right. After the McDonald's go through one traffic light. At the second traffic light after the McDonald's, on the left, you will see an Exxon gas station at a traffic light - this will be Elwyn Road. Get into the left-hand turn lane and take a left onto Elwyn. Immediately after the Exxon station, take a right into the Ocean National Bank parking lot. Enter the Ocean building through the main entrance. Immediately on the left will see a sign for WBC. The WBC is located on the second floor of 1555 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth, NH. If you are planning to visit the office and you have special needs, please call the office at 603.430.2892 or email info@WomenBiz.org in advance to make arrangements.

Miscellaneous Information

Name of Executive Director (or equivalent) if not listed above:
	Sharon Drake
Type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)3
Is your organization a Health and Human Service agency?
	No

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