Small Business Development Center Workshops Scheduled for August
Tue, 07/24/2018 - 02:38pm | By: Van Arnold
The University of Southern Mississippi's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Hattiesburg will join forces with the Gulf Coast center to conduct a series of Business 101 workshops in August.
The SBDC programs are designed to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs with education and training opportunities for development of business plans and concepts. In addition, trained professionals at the center help clients secure small business loans for their ventures.
The workshop schedule is as follows:
USM – Trent Lott National Center, second floor, Room 207
- Tuesday, August 7 (6-8 p.m.): Starting a Business – First Steps
- Tuesday, August 14 (6-8 p.m.): Think Like an Entrepreneur
- Tuesday, August 21 (6-8 p.m.): How to Develop a Business Plan
- Tuesday, August 28 (6-8 p.m.): Cash Flow Projections for Your Business Plan
Gulf Coast – The Innovation Center, Biloxi, First floor in Main Conference Room
- Thursday, August 2 (6-8 p.m.) Think Like an Entrepreneur
- Thursday, August 9 (6-8 p.m.): Starting a Business – First Steps
- Thursday, August 16 (6-8 p.m.): How to Develop a Business Plan
- Thursday, August 23 (6-8 p.m.): Cash Flow Projections for Your Business Plan
- Thursday August 23 (9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.): Daytime Workshop – How to Develop a Business Plan
In addition to these informative workshops, USM's College of Business and Economic Development has joined with the Small Business Administration and the Area Development Partnership to host a Small Business Roundtable from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, August 6 at Scianna Hall on The University of Southern Mississippi's Hattiesburg campus.
The roundtable is designed to help the Small Business Administration in identifying challenges that small businesses face with federal regulations and statutes. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide feedback that will assist the SBA's Office of Advocacy in voicing the region's small business concerns to the White House, federal agencies, and congress.
The guest speaker will be Bruce Levell, SBA Regional IV Advocate. Levell, who was appointed to his position by President Donald Trump, brings more than 25 years of experience as a successful small business founder to his job as regional advocate. He has operated and developed a retail and real estate company, both of which have received SBA loans.
USM created its Small Business Development Center through a partnership with the Small Business Administration, the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network, the University of Mississippi, the Trent Lott National Center, and the College of Business at USM. The MSBDC includes nine basic service centers throughout the state.
The USM Small Business Development Center offers, at no cost to clients, the following services:
- In-depth counseling assistance to ensure more successful startups of new enterprises and to strengthen existing firms.
- Business plans and loan packaging assistance.
- Small business workshops/seminars.
- Assistance to minorities, women, veterans, the handicapped, exporters, inventors, research and innovation and international trade.
- Referral system linking other small business assistance organizations in the SBDC regional locations.
- Interaction program between Mississippi educational institutions, businesses, and government.
To register for one of the workshops, go to www.mssbdc.org and click on “Workshop Schedule” or call 601.266.5892 (USM) and 228.396.8661 (Gulf Coast)