Dear Friends:

The true impact of the ASSETS program came to light in 2007 as we took the time to look back at the past fourteen years of providing training and support services to entrepreneurs in Lancaster County. The program has shown significant growth in every respect. Here are some highlights from the past year:

ASSETS trained 109 men and women in the ASSETS Business Design and Management Program students completed a business plan and graduated

77% were low income, 39% are Hispanic, 53% are women and 23% were receiving some form of social assistance.

Most notable however is this statistic:
Of the 66 graduates, 50% (or 33) started businesses this year. A 50% start-up rate represents a new level of achievement for ASSETS graduates; and 33 is the greatest number of businesses started in one year.

Clearly you are enabling us to reach the populations most in need of our services and the program is working better than ever after fourteen years. When we look at the bigger picture, the 2007 results become even more impressive. Since its beginning in 1993, ASSETS has helped to start and grow 265 businesses in Lancaster County, with an unprecedented 78% success rate. There are currently 207 ASSETS businesses operating in Lancaster County; 101 of them (49%) have started in the past three years. The need for ASSETS services is definitely growing in Lancaster County.

Thanks for helping us reach these milestones. Join with us in 2008 to celebrate our accomplishments and our 15th year of providing business development services to entrepreneurs in Lancaster County. You are the key to our future!

Glenda J. Machia
President & CEO