Exec leads effort to start Women’s Chamber

Grace Leong

Thursday, June 6, 2002 | 11:37 a.m.

June Beland, a small business owner and president of the Nevada Association for Female Executives and Entrepreneurs (NAFEE) in Las Vegas, is establishing a Women's Chamber of Commerce in Nevada with the help of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Beland, owner of Los Angeles-based publishing firm ABC Publishing, said the project was spurred by a promise she made to a mentor to "give back to the businesswomen in her community" when she had achieved her career goals.

Allie Williams, U.S. Chamber of Commerce's director of membership, said Beland contacted the association about starting a business organization that addresses women's issues in Nevada.

"If other organizations aren't giving female professionals what they're looking for, then starting a Women's Chamber of Commerce is a great idea," he said. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn't provide seed money directly to the Women's Chamber of Commerce, but we will work with them to identify funding resources and provide technical assistance."

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce severed ties with the U.S. Chamber over the national group's support for storing the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

Beland said there's a need for a Women's Chamber of Commerce in Nevada because 29 percent of privately held businesses -- 45,935 businesses in Nevada -- are owned by women.

"Women-owned businesses in Nevada employ 78,000 people and generate $13.1 billion in sales. Among the 50 states, Nevada ranks 35th in the number of women-owned firms and 27th in women-owned business sales," she said, citing a report from Washington, D.C.-based Center for Women's Business Research. Beland said Las Vegas is ranked the second fastest-growing metropolitan area for women-owned businesses in the nation. She said 30,011 of the 45,935 women-owned businesses in Nevada are found in the Las Vegas area and these businesses employ 54,877 people and generate sales revenues of $8.9 billion.

Most women-owned businesses are found in public relations, communications and publishing, philanthropy, real estate and mortgage brokering.

As opposed to other chambers of commerce in Nevada, Beland said the Women's Chamber of Commerce would be "more sensitive to women's struggles in starting businesses and provide start-up resources."

"No one is taking enough care of women's issues in the other chambers of commerce, where women may be a minority. There are many enterprising women here and we have to have a forum for them to go to," she said. "These issues range from helping to set up government outreach programs for women-owned businesses to helping women deal with domestic violence."

"The Women's Chamber of Commerce promotes economic and community development, provides job banks for female professionals, gives them an idea what jobs are available in Nevada and helps women set up businesses," Beland said. "You have to know where to diversify your money. Some of these women business owners didn't succeed because they didn't do the research. That's where the Women's Chamber can help. Knowledge in the craft doesn't mean you know how to go out and succeed in a business."

Beland said she received many complaints from highly credentialed female professionals who couldn't find employment after they moved to Nevada because there weren't many corporate jobs available.

Beland said she received a positive response from 50-60 Nevada women-owned businesses and is trying to enlist the support of major corporations and small business owners to raise at least $200,000 in seed money within two months to pay for office space, equipment and business license applications.

The Women's Chamber can be contacted at 719-1990.