Randolph County Department of Economic Development to host Small Business Development Center Thursday, June 14

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Randolph County Department of Economic Development (DED) will host the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Thursday, June 14. Appointments begin at 9:00 a.m.

"We approach economic development in a number of ways," said Chris Martin, coordinator of economic development for Randolph County. "We help our existing businesses expand, we work very hard at attracting new businesses to Randolph County, we market our community as a tourism destination, and we help start new small businesses. We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with the Small Business Development Center of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Together, we help folks who are interested in starting a new small business, or expanding an existing business."

According to Martin, the SBDC can assist with some of the most difficult hurdles to starting a business. Those include composing a marketing plan, sales projections, and access to startup capital.

The DED is sponsoring a gap-financing program to help raise the funds necessary to start a business and that will be explained during the appointment. "We have more options than ever for access to capital," said Martin. "In addition to our own fund, we have the Small Business Administration, USDA Rural Development and many other possibilities for financing." A complete list of funding options can be found at the Randolph County Economic Development website on the Business Assistance page. www.edrandolphcounty.com.

There is never a charge for counseling sessions. For more information on services available or to sign up for an appointment on June 14, contact the SBDC at Southern Illinois University. 618-536-2424. Email sbdc@siu.edu