Press release:
Calling all aspiring entrepreneurs and restaurateurs! Here’s your chance to find out if you have what it takes to achieve small business success. The BEST Center at Genesee Community College is partnering with the City of Batavia and the Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) to offer a three-part “Owning Your Own Business” program designed to inspire creativity, fine-tune skills, and chart a true course to prosperity. Those interested will be able to explore, experience, and connect with resources that can help turn a dream into a reality.
“This round, we are encouraging foodie’s who are looking for an affordable turn-key space to open a restaurant AND qualify for up to $5,000 grant to get started in our new freshLAB restaurant incubator,” said Julie Pacatte, Batavia Development Corporation. “However, the series is fitting for all business prospects.”
The professionally facilitated program, “Get Underway: Small Business Ownership Series,” begins with a series of FREE one-hour workshops where participants will explore business opportunities, assessing their personal readiness to own and operate a new business. Each session will run from noon to 1 p.m. in the Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia.
The following four sessions are planned and participants are encouraged to attend each one:
- March 9th Do I have what it takes to own a small business?
- March 16th Can I earn a living through my passion? Why didn’t I think of that business?
- March 23rd How much money do I need to start a business?
- March 30th The Sniff Test, assessing your business idea!
The sessions are FREE, you may register online at http://www.genesee.edu/best/ or at the Richmond Memorial Library before class.
The second part of the program goes beyond the basics to help participants fully develop a business concept and transition into becoming a business manager. These five, weekly Wednesday evening sessions are mandatory if participants want to access grant resources available through the City of Batavia Microenterprise Grant Program. The sessions will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the GCC Batavia Campus. The Wednesday evening sessions also feature topical guest speakers:
- April 6th Trials, tribulations & skills of a successful business leader
- April 13th Marketing strategies to increase sales
- April 20th Using financial information to guide my business
- April 27th Learning to “manage” a business
- May 4th Business plan presentation and networking
The five-week course costs $125 and participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion. Registration for this course is also available online at http://www.genesee.edu/best/. Questions please contact the Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) at 585-345-6380.
On a parallel path, the BDC will help entrepreneurs navigate the many options available to help fund their business start-up or expansion. Loan and grant programs are available from the city, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
“We’ll meet individually with entrepreneurs to discuss the best options that match their qualifications and needs,” said Julie Pacatte, Economic Development Coordinator. “We’re very excited to introduce the new opportunity for aspiring restaurant operators, too!”
The Small Business Ownership series is funded, in part, by the New York State Office of Community Renewal Community Development Block Grant.
See the Small Business Ownership Series program brochure and freshLAB overview attached. For more information, contact Julie Pacatte, Batavia Development Corporation, at 585-345-6380 or jpacatte@bataviadevelopmentcorp.org.
