Spotlight on Elite Business Solutions, LLC and its owner, Belinda Jones. Belinda’s home-based call center company provides customer support solutions using the Arise Virtual Solutions platform. Belinda is also the Executive Director of The Customer Service Training Center.

As the 2016 election season continues to roll along, one of the most significant topics of discussion is women in the workforce. With 57% of women participating in the labor force, earning only 83% of what is earned by their male counterparts, presidential candidates are eager to develop and institute new policies to encourage and benefit American women.

While we wait for November’s political outcomes, and our nation’s leaders to cut through the red tape and push for greater levels of equality, there are a number of people who are making a difference already. One of them is Belinda Jones, owner of Elite Business Solutions, LLC, a small call center company, and Executive Director of the Customer Service Training Center, a Proprietary School in Southfield, Michigan established to assist and educate individuals who have certain challenges to working, especially young women with children.

“The people who come to me are from Metropolitan Detroit, which is an area that has a truly challenging job market. Participants are referred to us by Michigan Works Affiliates and the Department of Health and Human Services” says Jones, who as a mother of four, knows first-hand the challenges of being a woman in the working world.

According to the State of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management, and Budget’s Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, nearly a million people are earning less than 200 percent of poverty and have no postsecondary education, and of those over a quarter lack a high school diploma or alternate credential.

Women’s lack of access to higher education continues to exclude them from the world of well-paid and high status occupations. Among states in the Midwest in 2014, Michigan scored the lowest in a ranking of female-to-male earnings ratios. Compared to each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Michigan ranked 42^nd on female-to-male earnings ratios in 2014. The Michigan female median annual salary was $37,419, while men earned $50,157².

“I know what it’s like to struggle, to strive to give your kids a good life while trying to work and attend college. Through my company I have the opportunity to train people and help them hone their professional skills so they can land jobs in a tough market.”

To help ensure her students receive the skills needed to excel in the working world, Jones and her business partner have created an eight-week program, six hours a day, dedicated to individuals seeking training and job placement.

“We’ve developed a self-sufficiency model, which includes Innovative Universal Soft skills development, Job Readiness, Job Training, and finally Job Placement. Students are required to complete 13 Latitude E-learning Modules, Customer Service 101, and Softskills Training. When an individual completes each requirement they earn a certificate for that skill set.”

Jones efforts to get capable women into the workforce only begins with education. In 2006, she started her own mini call center, Elite Business Solutions LLC, which now employs many of her students as work-at-home call center agents.

“For years, I was searching for a legitimate work-at-home opportunity to supplement my business revenue, and then I came across Arise’s call center platform. Because I already owned my own company, I was able to immediately register it with Arise, become certified in a client program of my choosing, and begin servicing clients.”

Founded in 1994, Arise Virtual Solutions Inc. provides a virtual platform to connect primarily work-at-home service professionals, running small call center businesses, to Fortune 500 and other large companies. For over two decades, Arise’s platform has created thousands of work opportunities for small businesses run by stay-at-home moms, veterans, students, retirees and other entrepreneurial-minded individuals.

At present, Jones has four individuals working for her call center company, leveraging the Arise platform to service clients. Many others have come through the company who have benefited from their experiences and moved on to bigger ventures. In fact, more than 25 individuals have been empowered by Jones and introduced to the opportunities that running your own call center company provides, and that number keeps growing.

“I have to say, it gives me tremendous satisfaction when they’re successful and can go off on their own. We’ve touched many lives; and it seems that both Michigan Works and the State of Michigan’s affiliates have taken notice.” says Jones

The state of Michigan has made tremendous strides in getting people to work. From October 2014 to October 2015, Michigan’s jobless rate dropped by -1.6 percentage points, the second largest state rate reduction in the nation (Rhode Island -1.7). Although Michigan’s unemployment rate (and the number of unemployed) has fallen to 2001 levels, the state’s labor force and total employed in 2015 remain well below 2001 levels.

Here’s hoping that there are more entrepreneurial-minded people like Belinda Jones, willing to help get talented, capable women, to feel empowered in pursuing and achieving successful work endeavors.

And for those interested in learning more about starting a call center company and using the Arise platform to connect with Fortune 500 and other great clients, visit www.AriseWorkFromHome.com.

About Arise

Arise Virtual Solutions Inc. provides a virtual platform to connect primarily work-at-home service professionals, running small call center businesses, to Fortune 500 and other large companies.  For over two decades, Arise’s platform has created thousands of work opportunities for small businesses run by stay-at-home moms, veterans, students, retirees and other entrepreneurial-minded individuals. This is a perfect opportunity for those interested in customer service, tax preparation, customer service representative, customer support, customer care and call center representative opportunities.