Small business center expands services here

The Small Business Development Center will increase its presence in St. Mary Parish, according to the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce.
Business consultants, Phillip Russo and Lauren Titus visited the St. Mary Parish Chamber office to share services available to area residents. They were hosted by Economic Development Director Frank Fink, who facilitated their attendance in a meeting with Chamber officials, community college officials, and local business owners.
The consultants presented an overview of available services and resources to Mr. Baham of the South Louisiana Community College, Donna Meyer of the Chamber along with Ruby Maize, who represented small-business owners in the area
The services available from the center include informational sessions and individual business consulting. For example, sessions such as website development, using social media, government contracting, business marketing, women owned small business certification, training your employees, new tax law impacts, and accounting practices will soon be offered routinely at the college site.
The Chamber will survey business owners’ interest for specific topics. Meyer indicates that some sessions will be a lunch-and-learn and others will be stand-alone sessions.
Baham, workforce development coordinator at the soon-to-be South Louisiana Community College, welcomed the center resources available to local residents. He looks forward to the business development that can take place because of servicing St. Mary Parish residents by the organization at the college site.
Also available to local residents will be individual counseling sessions. In these 1-1- ½ hour sessions, residents can receive specific and confidential guidance in how to access resources available for aspiring and growing businesses. The sessions are specific to each business and the questions that owners have in navigating business planning, financing, and paperwork.
Consultants Russo and Titus will set up counseling sessions at the college site and then guide aspiring and existing business owners in best practices to maximize business success.
Chamber Director Donna Meyer said she looks forward to the additional support she can offer the community through facilitation of these free services offered through the Louisiana Economic Development Council. Previously, residents had to travel to Lafayette or Thibodaux for these services and they may continue to do so, but Myer recognizes the community college as an easily accessed asset for residents who are starting and growing a business. By partnering the Chamber and community college with the Small Business Development Center, travel to receive free business consulting services is no longer needed.