The City of Brighton invites local and regional business owners and entrepreneurs to meet the staff of the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to participate in one-on-one counseling sessions. The event runs from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Friday, April 13 at the Brighton City Hall, located at 206 S. Main Street in Brighton.
Metro East SBDC Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May finds these open house events as an effective way to connect with the local business community.
“We always enjoy SBDC Community Days and truly appreciate Mayor Michael Roberts and Brighton serving as our host,” said Di Maggio May. “It truly takes a team effort to help small businesses survive and thrive.”
SBDC staff will be available to talk confidentially with business owners and entrepreneurs on a range of topics including, but not limited to:
- Business financing
- Marketing assistance
- Social media strategy
- Business plans
- Expansion opportunities
- Buying and selling a business
- State and federal regulations
- Exporting and international trade
The SBDC Day includes a one-hour “Small Business Lending” Workshop at noon, presented by Jeffrey Whitaker of 1st MidAmerica Credit Union. Entrepreneurs and business owners are able to discover the valuable business resources offered by the SBDC.
Attendees who desire to meet privately with an SBDC counselor are encouraged to request a 30-minute appointment by calling 618-650-2929.
Di Maggio May and her staff plan to hold at least ten SBDC Days in 2018.
The Metro East SBDC assists entrepreneurs as well as existing business owners operating in the nine-county Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses.
SBDC’s in Illinois are funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement among the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a service to the community. To learn how these no- cost services may help your business venture, contact the Metro East SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.