Founded in 1996 as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation, WEDA has assisted more than 17,000 entrepreneurs and has helped to facilitate the formation of more than 1,500 small businesses that range from home-based, cottage industries, like jewelry-making, virtual assisting and home accessories production; to retail, personal and professional services ventures like clothing stores, hair salons and physician and attorney practices; to companies engaged in moving / transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, information technology, product invention and energy recycling. Also included among our client base are franchisees for Bruster’s and MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream, Cartridge World, Kumon Math & Reading, Mathnasium, Smoothie King and System 4 Janitorial, as well as social entrepreneurs who have chosen to pursue non-profit ventures that provide critically needed services like transitional housing, after school programs, substance abuse counseling and eldercare in response to the needs of their communities.

WEDA client businesses have created 277 net new jobs (total created versus total lost; not including the business owners); and have accessed more than $8.6 million in commercial funding - much of it in the form of SBA-guaranteed microloans of less than $50,000 per business.

WEDA serves, on average, 2,800 entrepreneurs per year. Key findings from our most recent (concluded September 2009) client surveys indicate that our programs produce above-average results. For example, while the annual revenue of WEDA client businesses varies widely and ranges from less than $6,000 to more than $1 million a year, 32% of our clients report monthly sales greater than $2,500, compared to just 25% of similarly-sized businesses nationally, according to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity ("AEO," a national Microenterprise Development Organization trade association). 18% of WEDA client businesses report monthly sales greater than $5,000; average monthly revenue is $6,293. AEO also reports that only 57% of businesses that are "associated with microenterprise programs" survive beyond their fifth year, compared to 63% of WEDA client businesses.   

WEDA is a bi-lingual organization that offers its programs and services in both English and Spanish. Further, WEDA makes every effort to meet the needs of physically challenged clients through the use of handicapped-accessible facilities, as well by providing curriculums on either diskette (for use with JAWS or similar adaptive equipment) or in Braille so that visually impaired clients can fully participate in all training activities. Although WEDA is a women centric organization, it does not discriminate and serves an ethnically- and gender-diverse clientele.

WEDA's programs and services are divided into three categories: Business Development and Management, Wealth Building , and Customized Training and Licensing. These categories are designed to meet the learning and cultural needs of its clientele, as well as the objectives of the organizations supporters and community stakeholders.