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September 7, 2012

Small business development forum set Sept. 17-18

Staff Reports Palestine Herald-Press

PALESTINE — The Palestine Economic Development Corp is hosting a two-day Small Business Development Forum Sept. 17-18 in Palestine.

With the help of grant money from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and a partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission, the East Texas region will learn from state and nationally recognized experts how to develop practical plans for their business. Business owners will leave with beneficial business tools in hand.

“Small business is the cornerstone of the American economy, yet there are very few tangible resources available to assist them in what they do,” PEDC Economic Development Director Wendy Ellis said. “We hope by bringing this forum to town, we’re providing something of value and substance for small businesses not only in Palestine, but throughout the region.”

The opening session of the forum will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at Ben E. Keith Community Room, located at 2019 W. Oak St.

State Sen. Robert Nichols and State Rep. Byron Cook will give a legislative update and talk about how these changes affect small business. They also will share insights on what they have learned through their time as small business owners. Tickets for this portion of the forum are $20, which includes dinner.

“Receiving a grant from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Texas Workforce Commission allowed the PEDC to host this small business forum,” Ellis said. “We took advantage of the opportunity, because it provides our area businesses with access to industry experts that would otherwise be unattainable without the expense and inconvenience of travel. One of our goals is to continually find new ways to support and expand our local business economy. This forum is one more tool to help us provide a valuable service to our businesses that mean so much to the future of our region.”

The forum will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lakeview Methodist Conference Center located at 400 Private Road 6036 in Palestine. Topics to be discussed are: ways to find new customers, valuable human resource insight, how to bid on government contracts and who to contact when bidding, developing a roadmap for retail success and social media resources with a hand-on lab. The social media lab will not only tell you how to use social media, but will allow you to build and implement changes to your social media pages before you leave.

Tickets for Tuesday’s sessions are $50 and include breakfast, lunch and beverages. Those who wish to register for both the opening session on Monday and the forum on Tuesday will receive both for a total cost of $60.

To register for the Small Business Development Forum or to get more information regarding the event, contact Tara Thompson at the PEDC at 903-729-4100 or tdulock@palestine-tx.org.

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