THIBODAUX ā The College of Business Administration at ¹ū¶³APP has been awarded a $499,500 grant from the U.S. SmallĀ Business AdministrationĀ to establish a Small Business Development Center at ¹ū¶³APP. The grant will cover three years of operation.
āA center like this is desperately needed in theĀ regionĀ served by ¹ū¶³APP,ā Dr. Shawn Mauldin, dean of the College of Business Administration, said. āOur college and other offices and departmentsĀ around campus constantly receive inquiriesĀ from constituents needing help with various business-related endeavors.Ā The SBDC will be a great resource for those people seeking help. It is our hope that this center will eventually become a permanent service offered at ¹ū¶³APP.ā
The SBDC will employ up to three people ā including recently hired director Tori Rayne, a four-year veteran of the Loyola University SBDC ā and will operate fromĀ the South Louisiana Economic Council facility.
Business owners will be able to utilize the SBDC to analyze their firmsā strengths and weaknesses, plan business strategies and evaluate inventory control, human resources policies, financial forecasts and marketing strategies.
The SBDC will also assist aspiring entrepreneurs and newly emerging businesses via one-on-one counseling, training sessions, management advice and technical assistance on business plan development, accounting, export assistance, marketing, financial planning, cost-analysis, training programs and organizational structure.
For additional information, call (985) 449-7092.