Recipe For Success Cheesecake maven gives destitute women a second chance.
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By all accounts, Twainland Cheesecake Co. is no ordinary eatery.Consider the owner,?2-year-old Lynn Carr, who went fromhomelessness to entrepreneurial success. Even heremployees break the mold--most are high school dropoutsand welfare moms. But perhaps what sets her business apart most isan enduring commitment to the impoverished women of her Hannibal,Missouri, community.
"Cheesecake is just a product; what we're really in isthe people-growing business," says Carr, who employs 10 womenand has helped three others learn and move on to other jobs.
They bake--sometimes as many as 200 cheesecakes per week, in anyone of the 116 varieties Carr has perfected. And it's obviousthere's more to Twainland than just desserts; think more alongthe lines of persistent encouragement. In the back kitchen,TV monitors blare inspirational messages from suchmotivational speakers as Brian Tracy and Zig Ziglar. Andas part of an employment agreement, two of her workers dedicatepart of each day to studying for their GEDs--and get paid forit, too.
Carr's goal is a targeted one: to help as many women aspossible leave welfare behind. "The welfare system is justlike a child and [his or her] security blanket," she says."You take that blanket away, and there's going to be a lotof anxiety." Although it's no piece of cake, Carr teachesher employees to cope with their fears and learn financialindependence--all the while building a successful business.
Next on Carr's agenda? Several things: to be the number-onecheesecake company in the nation, employ at least 50 destitutewomen, offer on-site day care, and establish a learning center.Looks like she could just take the cake.
Fair Share
It's time for women to even the SCORE.
The number of women small-business owners may be growing--morethan 8 million at last count--but of the 12,000 Service Corps ofRetired Executives (SCORE) counselors nationwide, only 1,200 arewomen.
Although the organization hasn't exactly kept pace, PattyDeDominic plans to change all that. In an effort to regain somebalance, in November, SCORE appointed her as Special Counsel to theboard of directors on women's issues. Her first order ofbusiness? "To assist SCORE in recruiting more counselors,specifically female counselors," says DeDominic, who hopes toregister 800 additional women by year-end.
Attaining a more representative pool of counselors offers a hostof benefits to those seeking advice from SCORE. And DeDominic,founder of PDQ Personnel Services Inc. in Los Angeles, is just theone to guide the recruiting process. "Many women-ownedbusinesses are on the cutting edge, and they've had to overcomea number of hurdles," she says. "SCORE wants to make sureit has sufficient resources, and it knows that many of the womenare fabulous resources who haven't been utilized in the past.It should put some new vitality into the organization."
Raising Ranks
Women own a growing number of businesses worldwide.
- United States: 36%
- Australia: 33%
- Japan: 23%
- Canada: 31%
- Mexico: 16%
- Germany: 28%
- The Netherlands: 15%
Contact Sources
National Foundation for Women Business Owners, http://www.nfwbo.org
SCORE, (213) 938-3933, pddominic@aol.com
Twainland Cheesecake Co., (573) 221-3355, http://www.twainland.com
