EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Trenton 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 to participate in one-on-one counseling sessions. The event runs from 10 a.m.-noon, Friday, Nov. 9 at the Trenton Education Center-Kaskaskia College, located at 520 E. Broadway in Trenton.
Illinois SBDC Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May finds these open house events as an effective initiative to connect with the local business community.
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“We always enjoy SBDC Community Days and truly appreciate Director (Trenton Education Center at Kaskaskia College) Michelle O’Laughlin and the City of Trenton for serving as our host,” said 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 a Small Business in Illinois” workshop at noon, presented by Illinois SBDC Business Specialist Marti Guntren. This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and business owners to discover the valuable business resources that the SBDC has to offer.
Attendees who desire to meet privately with an SBDC counselor are encouraged to request a 30-minute appointment by calling 618-650-2929.
DiMaggio May and her staff have held 10 SBDC Days in 2018 around the Metro East and plan to hold at least that many 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.
