Centralia to host Illinois Small Business Development Center on June 13
Local business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the region are invited to meet Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Small Business Development Center staff and participate in one-on-one counseling sessions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 13 at Centralia City Hall, 222 S. Poplar St.
The SBDC Community Day will include a 90-minute workshop, “Discussing the Client Experience,” beginning at noon. It will be presented by Carol Eckhoff, MS, CEAS I, CSMT.
The Centralia Economic Development Office is participating.
“We always enjoy SBDC Community Days and truly appreciate Ms. Kala Lambert and the City of Centralia serving as our host,” said Illinois SBDC of the Metro East at SIUE Interim Director JoAnn DiMaggio May. “We find these to be an effective way to connect with local business communities. It truly takes a team effort to help small businesses to survive and thrive.”
Staff from the Illinois 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/federal regulations
• Exporting and international trade
Attendees wanting to meet privately with a 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 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.
SBDCs in Illinois are funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a service to the community.
