ELKTON: The Cecil County Chamber of Commerce is launching a new program to help small business owners of all experience levels continue to improve and grow.
The program, called “The Entrepreneur Zone,” is divided into three, four-week parts depending on the length of time a business has been in operation. Dividing the program into three sections allows business owners to get help with specific problems they face at each stage of growth, said Bonnie Grady, president and CEO of the chamber.
“Businesses go through phases and different periods of growth,” she said. “Businesses are different from the day they begin to the day they reach one year in business to when they reach five years in business.”
The idea to start the program came about because most chamber members are businesses with less than 10 employees and the chamber wanted to offer something that would be useful to the majority of its members, Grady said. The program is also intended to take the place of a similar program that used to be run by the Small Business Technology Development Center but is no longer being offered, she added.
All the programs take place at the chamber’s office at 106 E. Main St. in Elkton and run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. The program is open to both chamber members and the general public and costs $195.
Part one, which starts Sept. 15, is called “Dimension One: The Emerging Entrepreneur” and is geared toward those with little or no business experience but who have an idea they want to turn into a business. The goal of this part is to make sure entrepreneurs take the right steps in the beginning to get off to a good start, Grady said.
Part two starts Oct. 13 and is called “Dimension Two: The Experienced Entrepreneur.” This part is directed toward those already in business but who are facing growth related obstacles such as cash flow, profitability and customer retention, Grady said.
