Orleans EDA to survey recent grads of small business training program, may tweak MAP
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency expects it will be surveying recent graduates of small business training program to hear from the entrepreneurs the strengths and weaknesses of the eight-week class, and hear if they have ideas to make it better.
The EDA has been offering the program for since 1999, with 567 people completing the Microenterprise Assistance Program.
Matt Holland is the new leader of MAP following the retirement last month of Diane Blanchard, who was the coordinator of the program for about two decades.
The EDA is open to tweaking the program, perhaps expanding it to 10 weeks. The organization wants to hear from MAP grads on how well the program prepared them to run a business and if there are any topics that could use more attention.
“We want to set them up to succeed,” said John Misiti, chairman of the Orleans EDA board of directors.
He praised Blanchard for her long-term commitment to the program. He said the EDA is always looking for continuous improvement.
The EDA expects it will reach out to graduates from the program in the past five years. The EDA wants to hear how many of those grads are in business, how many started a business but closed, and how many opted not to venture out with a business.
Some of the class sessions focused on:
- Development of comprehensive business plans
- Marketing and advertising
- Business organization
- Tax, accounting, insurance and financing
- Specialized computer application
- Creating effective leadership
The EDA may want to add a session on developing an online presence and online marketing, said Gabrielle Barone, the EDA vice president for business development. She believes an online presence makes a big difference for many small businesses.
Michael Dobell, the EDA executive director, said the change in leadership with MAP is a chance to take stock of the program and look for ways to make it better – with lots of input from the recent graduates.
“Let’s talk to them and see how MAP could have helped them even more,” he said at today EDA board meeting.
The survey should provide lots of feedback for the EDA as it looks to upgrade the program, board members said.
“Let’s see if there are any common stumbling blocks that we could address in MAP,” said board member Ed Urbanik. He said running a small business right now is “a tough environment.”
The program also has made grants available to some of the recent grads to help with equipment or to be used as working capital.
The EDA was awarded a $300,000 state grant about a year ago to help small businesses. The grants have ranged from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $35,000. The grants can be used to buy equipment or be used as working capital. About $33,000 remains to be disbursed from that grant. The EDA also received a previous $200,000 grant to assist small businesses.
The EDA would like to apply again for that grant program, Dobell said.
The agency isn’t offering the training class this fall, but will get back to offering the classroom instruction in the spring. There are usually 10 to 20 students in each class.
The EDA is directing people interested in small business training to try an on-line course offered through Niagara County Community College this fall. Those grads are eligible to apply for the grants offering through the EDA.
