April 23, 2004: “Spotlight
on Our Economy” Monthly Column for The
Palladium-Times
By L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, Executive Director of Operation
Oswego County
Interested in Starting Your Own Business?
Now is the Time to Enroll in Micro Enterprise Training Classes
For those interested in expanding or
starting a small business in Oswego County, the next round of training
and loan fund program classes is scheduled to begin in May.
The Micro Enterprise Training Program
is coordinated by SUNY Oswego’s Small Business Development
Center (SBDC), Operation Oswego County, the City of Fulton Community
Development Agency and the City of Oswego Community Development
Office to provide guidance and support to people interested in starting
or expanding a small business.
The program provides a 21-hour small-business
training program that covers such topics as how to write a business
plan, how to obtain financing, accounting and tax issues, business
insurance, legalities, marketing, and other basic business start-up
issues. Classroom training is provided by SBDC instructors Bernadette
Mroz, Larry Perras and John Halleron as well as area business professionals.
Graduates of the program are eligible
to apply for up to $25,000 in low-interest financing to expand or
start their business in Oswego County.
Tuition for the program is $165 and
includes all materials. Scholarships are available for households
within low to moderate income guidelines as established by U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. At the completion of
the program, an intensive business-plan development course will
be offered for those who need further assistance in writing their
business plans.
The upcoming Micro Enterprise Training
Program schedule is as follows:
- Operation Oswego County:
May 17-22, Monday through Friday 6 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 8
a.m. to noon at the Town of Scriba Justice Center, 45 Creamery
Road, Scriba. To register, call OOC at 343-1545; and
- City of Fulton: June
21-26, Monday through Friday 6 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.
to noon at the Oswego Falls Business Center, 163 South First Street
in Fulton. To register, call the CDA at 593-7166.
Creative Designs in Metal is an example
of a business that has taken advantage of the training program to
enhance the start up of their metal art business in Fulton. The
new business will manufacture tables, wall hangings, fireplace inserts,
signs and industrial machine parts and will specialize in plasma
cutting art and fabrication work. The owner is a graduate of the
Micro Enterprise Training Program and received financial assistance
from Fulton Savings Bank and a Micro Enterprise loan through the
County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency.
Other businesses that have recently
benefited from participation in the training program include Birth
Journeys in Oswego, Buzzy Bee Day Care in Fulton, Tyler Interiors
in Hannibal and Pat Mahoney’s Salmon River Outdoors in Altmar.
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