HIGHLAND – The City of Highland invites local and regional business owners and entrepreneurs to meet the staff of the Illinois Small Business Development Center for the Metro East (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Tuesday, Sept. 18 to participate in one-on-one counseling sessions. The event runs from 10 a.m.-noon, in the Highland City Hall at 1115 Broadway.
Metro East SBDC Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May finds these open house events to be an effective way to connect with the local business community.
“We always enjoy SBDC Community Days and appreciate Economic and Business Recruitment Coordinator Mallord Hubbord and Highland 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 “Starting aSmall Business in Illinois” workshop at noon presented by Illinois SBDC Business Specialist Marti Guntren. Entrepreneurs and business owners will discover the valuable business resources that the SBDC offers.
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 10 SBDC Days during 2018.
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.
