Business Women

Calvin Madlock came looking for contracts for his year-old computer consulting and software development company. Marion E. Maddox, a former nurse, came to find out how to strike out on her own in business. And Joyce D. Sharpe arrived with a list of services her employer, Southern California Edison, wants to purchase from small, minority-owned companies.

Kathy Taggares kept reading about entrepreneurs who'd built businesses from nothing and she wanted to join the club. So seven years ago Taggares sold everything from her jewelry to her condominium to help raise enough money to help buy a salad dressing company from Marriott International. She renamed the business K.T.'s Kitchens, and when the salad dressing business hit a slump, she jumped into the frozen pizza market. It's paid off. Under her stewardship, K.T.'

Nonprofit group will provide Orange County classes in starting a business and making it grow. A program that has helped 3,500 women entrepreneurs in Los Angeles County is expanding into Orange County, with classes beginning in September. California AWED, American Woman's Economic Development Corporation, offers classes in starting a business and making a business grow. Though it markets its services especially to low-income and minority women, it is open to all.

F.I.G Leaf's Anniversary: The F.I.G. Leaf, a Dana Point newsletter about finances for women, reached its one-year anniversary in May. F.I.G. stands for Financially Informed Gals, a group that meets monthly to learn about money. Founder of both the group and the newsletter is Char Lowe, president of Globe Financial & Investments. At its one-year mark, the newsletter's mailing list has grown to 1,000, Lowe wrote in the latest edition. F.I.G.

The Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross is seeking nominations for the first Clara Barton Awards for Outstanding Women. Named after the founder of the Red Cross, the awards will be given June 24 to county women who have contributed in the areas of humanitarian service, health care, education and preservation of the environment. In addition, awards will be given for service by a youth group, women's group or business.

Entrepreneur Group, publisher of Entrepreneur magazine, has postponed a conference that was to have brought about 900 businesswomen to Irvine on Saturday. The company would not say why the second annual Entrepreneurial Woman's Seminar is being delayed. Entrepreneur's staff members and volunteers spent Wednesday faxing and telephoning people who had planned to attend, said Toni Chan, the company's special events manager.

"Women are starting and building small businesses into the engine of California's growth," Gov. Pete Wilson said Thursday at a women's conference in Anaheim that drew more than 2,500 people. Another 1,000 were turned away from the gathering, the first successful effort of its kind since 1988, when a conference organized by state Sen. William Campbell fell apart amid charges of misuse of funds. The annual Campbell conferences at one time drew as many as 14,000 people.