Sign up for start your own business workshop;
Vermont economic future forum set for Chester

Editor’s note: The business start-up workshop has been canceled, the Vermont Futures forum is still scheduled for May 13.

Business start-up workshop set

Vermont Small Business Development Center is offering a four-hour workshop on how to start your own business and write a business plan. The course will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 29 at the Springfield Regional Development Corp., 14 Clinton Square, in the 1st floor conference room.

Starting Your Own Business is conducted by experienced business advisors and designed as a step-by-step guide for starting a business in Vermont for the first-time business owner:

• Evaluate whether there is a viable business in your good idea
• Identify your target customers and explore how to conduct market research
• Learn how to register your company, apply for tax numbers and protect your brand
• Prepare to write an effective business plan
• Find out about financing options and learn what a credible loan package looks like
• Receive access to the online workshops to increase your knowledge in money, marketing and management (at your convenience) valued at over $150.

By the end of this workshop you will be well-informed about the resources available to you and the steps involved in launching a successful business.

Space is limited. To register for the workshop sign up online here.

For registration questions, email Heather Gonyaw at hgonyaw@vtsbdc.org. The registration fee is $99. Your payment includes a start-up workbook in hardcopy and pdf format.

For more information visit www.vtsbdc.org or contact Debra Boudrieau at 802-885-2071 or dboudrieau@vtsbdc.org.

State economic future forum seeks Southern Windsor input

Several organizations are sponsoring a public discussion about the Vermont economy from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, May 13 at the Newsbank Conference Center on Main Street in Chester. The event is for businesses and residents of Southern Windsor County.

The event is sponsored by Springfield Regional Development Corp., the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Futures Project.

The state’s economy is one of our most crucial and the least understood systems. The Vermont Futures Project was created by the Vermont Chamber Foundation to conduct research and provide knowledge about the Vermont economy aimed at enhancing and sustaining a robust and growing economy. The Futures Project believes that Vermonters need a shared vision about the economy they want.

To help build this vision, the Futures Project is holding a series of discussions around the state. The Chester event will build off the economic indicators in the Vermont Futures Project website, focusing in three broad areas: economic performance, workforce, and quality of place. The unique Vermont challenge is balancing the commitment to environmental responsibility, fairness to residents, and growth of opportunity.

This event will be facilitated by Jeffrey Lewis and Jennifer Stromsten, of the Vermont Future Project. While attendance is free, for planning purposes, please RSVP at the SRDC office by calling 802-885-3061 or emailing bobf@springfielddevelopment.org.