By : Andrew Poole
Source : http://www.eveningtribune.com
Category : Small Business Grant
Help for businesses in the Hornell area is probably closer than owners ever realized.
With the help of almost $100,000 in federal grant money, the Small Business Development Center is now operating part-time offices out of the Hornell Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street and the Steuben County IDA building in Bath.
The SBDC, normally operating out of Corning Community College, elected to make a concentrated effort to help businesses in western and northern Steuben County, said Business Advisor Chuck Peacock.
Though the grant money became available on Oct. 1, 2011 and the Maple City location started in November, the grant was actually awarded several years ago — as the economy was tanking and Alstom was going through massive layoffs.
Those layoffs not only damaged Alstom, but other businesses in the Hornell area that previously had to either drive to Corning or set aside time for a SBDC representative to drive to Hornell, said Peacock.
“The idea was that in recognition that these folks will be stressed by that kind of situation, to make sure that they were aware of our services that are available to help weather those kinds of obstacles,” he said.
The SBDC doesn’t provide funding or help people find jobs, but instead offers free assistance for start-up businesses or businesses that are already operating. Peacock said the bar to determine a “small” business is normally 500 people, though that can increase depending on the industry.
In Steuben County, that means most businesses are eligible for help from the SBDC.
Peacock said the SBDC helps first-time owners develop business plans that make them more likely to find funding for ventures.
The SBDC is mostly staffed by people who either own a business or have owned one before, said Peacock, meaning that any current business owner is likely to find somebody with the SBDC who has worked in their field before.
The group is able to help businesses find opportunities, including in areas such as importing-exporting or in bidding for government projects.
“In many cases, especially with very small entrepreneurs, they’ll think that government procurement or importing-exporting is beyond their capabilities,” said Peacock. “Really, it’s not. It’s just a simple matter of being educated and understanding how the process works. That’s where we come in, to provide that expertise.”
The grant allowed the SBDC to open the Hornell location, but it expires as of Sept. 30. Peacock said they’re currently looking for funding opportunities, including other grants, to continue having an office in the Maple City.
The SBDC has to match certain quarterly figures as part of the grant, including finding a certain number of clients and proving that the office has had an economic impact by showing either clients hiring employees or securing funding.
Since opening in November and starting regular hours in December, it hasn’t been a problem reaching the quarterly goals, said Peacock.
The Hornell location is open Mondays and Tuesdays, while the Bath office is open Wednesdays and Fridays.
Source : http://www.eveningtribune.com/features/x458337569/Corning-based-Small-Business-Development-Center-opens-location-in-Hornell
Source : http://www.eveningtribune.com
Category : Small Business Grant
Help for businesses in the Hornell area is probably closer than owners ever realized.
With the help of almost $100,000 in federal grant money, the Small Business Development Center is now operating part-time offices out of the Hornell Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street and the Steuben County IDA building in Bath.
The SBDC, normally operating out of Corning Community College, elected to make a concentrated effort to help businesses in western and northern Steuben County, said Business Advisor Chuck Peacock.
Though the grant money became available on Oct. 1, 2011 and the Maple City location started in November, the grant was actually awarded several years ago — as the economy was tanking and Alstom was going through massive layoffs.
Those layoffs not only damaged Alstom, but other businesses in the Hornell area that previously had to either drive to Corning or set aside time for a SBDC representative to drive to Hornell, said Peacock.
“The idea was that in recognition that these folks will be stressed by that kind of situation, to make sure that they were aware of our services that are available to help weather those kinds of obstacles,” he said.
The SBDC doesn’t provide funding or help people find jobs, but instead offers free assistance for start-up businesses or businesses that are already operating. Peacock said the bar to determine a “small” business is normally 500 people, though that can increase depending on the industry.
In Steuben County, that means most businesses are eligible for help from the SBDC.
Peacock said the SBDC helps first-time owners develop business plans that make them more likely to find funding for ventures.
The SBDC is mostly staffed by people who either own a business or have owned one before, said Peacock, meaning that any current business owner is likely to find somebody with the SBDC who has worked in their field before.
The group is able to help businesses find opportunities, including in areas such as importing-exporting or in bidding for government projects.
“In many cases, especially with very small entrepreneurs, they’ll think that government procurement or importing-exporting is beyond their capabilities,” said Peacock. “Really, it’s not. It’s just a simple matter of being educated and understanding how the process works. That’s where we come in, to provide that expertise.”
The grant allowed the SBDC to open the Hornell location, but it expires as of Sept. 30. Peacock said they’re currently looking for funding opportunities, including other grants, to continue having an office in the Maple City.
The SBDC has to match certain quarterly figures as part of the grant, including finding a certain number of clients and proving that the office has had an economic impact by showing either clients hiring employees or securing funding.
Since opening in November and starting regular hours in December, it hasn’t been a problem reaching the quarterly goals, said Peacock.
The Hornell location is open Mondays and Tuesdays, while the Bath office is open Wednesdays and Fridays.
Source : http://www.eveningtribune.com/features/x458337569/Corning-based-Small-Business-Development-Center-opens-location-in-Hornell
