Shared from the 2/16/2017 American Press eEdition

Small-business workshop to be held in SEED Center

A two-hour workshop on how to start and finance a small business will be at 3 p.m. today, Feb. 16, in the SEED Center, 4310 Ryan St. Attendants are asked to register in advance at www.lsbdc.org/msu or by calling 475-5529. Cost is $10 at the door.

The event is part of a series of workshops funded by Sasol and hosted by the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University.

In 2016, its first year, the program hosted 12 workshops, attracting 650 attendants and helping to start 21 new businesses, in addition to providing certifications and tools to dozens of existing businesses, said program director Donna Little.

“It’s a really good foundation for people who are looking to start a small business,” Little said. She said her team is thrilled by the positive response and the effect the workshops have been able to make on local families.

The 21 new businesses have also provided 70 new jobs to Calcasieu Parish residents, she said, and invested $5.4 million in local capital.

Paul Hippman, vice president of operations at Sasol’s Lake Charles East Plant, said in a news release that the program illustrates Sasol’s commitment to “utilizing local businesses and hiring local workers for our existing and new operations.” Hippman gave credit to the SEED Center and McNeese’s small-business center for the program’s success.

The next workshop, “Cash Flow: The Lifeblood of your Business,” will be 4-6 p.m. Feb. 28. Workshops will run through Sept. 14. In the workshops, experts will outline good business practices and assist businesses in qualifying for different categories, including minority- or woman-owned, small and disadvantaged. To view the schedule, visit www.lsbdc.org/msu and click on “Training.”

Little encouraged those who can’t make it out to today’s workshop to download the Small Business Resource Guide at http://allianceswla.org/businessresourceguide.

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