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Charleroi Hosts Small Business Development Center Experts in October

$10,000 for a new or expanding business can be a deal maker, and thanks to the SMAART Business Planning Contest it is now within reach. Sustainable Marketplace for Artist, Artisans and Trending businesses (SMAART) is an ongoing effort in river town communities throughout the Mon Valley to assist entrepreneurs by offering both technical assistance and financial incentives.

The pilot program is funded by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development and their “Discovered and Developed in PA” program, also known as D2PA.
Training programs have been offered throughout the summer designed to assist businesses in with seeking funding and developing a business plan. The training seminars are ongoing and available to any interested parties, while people who plan on applying for the grant receive credits for attending. A “Know Your Customer” seminar will be held on October 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Charleroi Borough Building.

Recently the program has teamed up with the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center to expand its offering to include one-on-one consultation time. An expert with the Small Business Development Center will be in Charleroi every Wednesday in October between 10 and 3 p.m. You should contact Charleroi Borough at 724-483-6011 for available times or email bcso@charleroiboro.org. The program has extended the deadline for grant applications to October 30th.

Cathy McCollom is a consultant who heads up the river towns initiative and says the expanded offering is free and can help prospects get questions answered in a more private setting. “Some people don’t want to ask questions in an open seminar setting so now they will be take the next step in a more personal setting,” she stated. “We have partners that have expertise and funding sources so now is the time to start or expand your business in any of our river towns,” she added.

River Towns is an initiative to expand recreation opportunities and to use the Monongahela River as more of an economic engine toward the goal of community revitalization. People can find details and dates regarding SMAART at the contest web site www.smaartbusiness.com.

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