Applications open for new MAP class for entrepreneurs

ALBION – Applications are now being accepted for a new class offering 10 weeks of instruction for small business owners or people looking to start a new business in Orleans County.

The Orleans Microenterprise Assistance Program can accommodate 15 students each class. A new class will run on Thursday evenings from April 3 to June 5 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension on Route 31 in Knowlesville.

The most recent class from the fall 2024 included 14 graduates, which brings the total to 558 people who have completed MAP since it started in 2002. More than 200 have started a variety of businesses in the county.

The 10-week program covers topics such as legal requirements for starting a business, forms of ownership, business plan development, taxation for sole proprietors, marketing and advertising strategies, bookkeeping and record keeping, banking essentials, pricing goods and services, and cost analysis.

To see the application to be in the program, click here. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on March 14.

Prospective entrepreneurs aged 18 and older, who maintain a permanent residence or business physically located in Orleans County, are encouraged to apply.

The course fee is $300. However, financial aid is available for qualifying applicants based on financial need. Interested individuals can complete the application online in under 10 minutes or contact OEDA with further program questions at (585) 589-7060 ext. 1 or MHolland@orleansdevelopment.org.