The City of Centralia in conjunction with Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) are pleased to bring a valuable small business resource to Centralia, ‘SBDC Day’.
On Wednesday, April 3, local business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the region are invited to meet the SIUE Small Business Development Center Staff and participate in one-on-one counseling sessions from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at City Hall, 101 S. Locust Street Centralia, IL 62801
Staff from 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
The SBDC Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a 60-minute exclusive workshop, “Social Media Best Practices”, starting at 12 p.m. (noon), presented by Michell Stockman of Techknow Solutions.
SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE Director, Jo Ann Di Maggio May, finds these open house events an effective way to connect with the local business community. This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and business owners to discover the valuable business resources that the SBDC has to offer.
Attendees wanting to meet privately with a SBDC counselor are encouraged to request a 30-minute appointment by calling (618)650-2929.
“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 to 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 orsbdcedw@gmail.com.