Small Business & Entrepreneurship reaches important milestones
Small Business & Entrepreneurship reaches important milestones
COLUMBIA CITY (May 30, 2011) - The Whitley County EDC announced today that EDC’s Small Business & Entrepreneurship Initiative (SBEI) has reached two important milestones, with 10 clients completing an ten-week FastTrac New Ventures business planning course and 16 clients completing an additional six months of business coaching with SBEI advisors.
SBEI provides resources for pre-startup, startup and growing businesses in Whitley County by combining the Kauffman Institute’s FastTrac New Ventures business planning course with personal business coaching provided by seasoned and experienced business owner. SBEI is led by aerospace and defense industry veteran, Bruce Stach; FastTrac facilitator and owner of Sallot Ventures, Sharon Sallot; and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business advisor Scot Goskowicz.
"We are extremely proud of the time and energy our clients have dedicated to working on their businesses.” said Stach, “Each graduate of the program has developed a much clearer sense of how they will approach their business in the months and years ahead.”
To date, the EDC’s Small Business & Entrepreneurship Initiative has worked with 16 companies that have created or retained 49 jobs and have secured $2.25 million in new investment. The program was launched in 2009 with a Rural Capacity Grant from the Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs, matching funds from the Northeast Indiana Fund and the Whitley County Community Foundation, and in-kind support from the EDC.
“This economy has required us to be creative about how we approach our economic development efforts. SBEI embraces the fundamental idea that our economic growth is going to be driven by locally based entrepreneurs,” said EDC president Alan Tio, “The EDC will continue to focus on adapting this program to encourage new and existing companies to create and retain jobs in our community.”
The ten companies completing FastTrac New Ventures this spring are now working with SBEI advisors to focus on business development and strategic planning. Future SBEI programming to support startup and growth stage companies is being planned to launch in summer and fall 2011.
For more information on the EDC’s Small Business & Entrepreneurship Initiative, please contact program manager Bruce Stach (bstach@whitleyedc.com; 260-244-5506)
About Whitley County EDC
The Whitley County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is the lead economic development agency in Whitley County, Indiana. The EDC works closely with local, regional, and state partners to support our industry clients' growth and success. Our mission is to implement a unified economic development effort and to expand employment and business opportunities for the benefit of the people of Whitley County by developing and maintaining cooperation of all individuals, groups, and organizations within the county. The Whitley County EDC was established in 1992 and represents Whitley County, Columbia City, and the Towns of Churubusco, Larwill, and South Whitley. For more information about the EDC, visit www.whitleyedc.com.
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Media Contacts:
Alan Tio (Whitley County EDC) – 260.244.5506
Bruce Stach (Sigma Systems Development LLC) – 260.244-5506
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