The City of Centralia is pleased to bring a valuable small business resource to the area. The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East will host local business owners and entrepreneurs from throughout the region for staff introductions and one-on-one counseling sessions.
The event will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 at City Hall, 101 S. Locust Street in Centralia. A 60-minute exclusive workshop, “Social Media Best Practices,” will be presented by Mnichell Stockman of Techknow Solutions at noon.
Staff from IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE 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
Attendees who wish to meet privately with an SBDC counselor are encouraged to request a 30-minute appointment by calling 618-650-2929.
SIUE Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May finds these open house events as an effective way to connect with the local business community, as owners and entrepreneurs will discover the valuable business resources the SBDC offers.
“We always enjoy SBDC Community Days and truly appreciate Economic Development Director Rose Aldag-McVey and the City of Centralia serving as our host,” said Di Maggio May. “It truly takes a team effort to help small businesses survive and thrive.”
Di Maggio May and her staff plan to hold at least seven SBDC Days in 2019.
The SBDC for the Metro East 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.