ISBDC’s Feasability Workshop Shows Small Business Owners How to Successfully Run a Business

RonGiffordSmall businesses employ local friends and family and feed the local economy. Everyone in our community knows someone that owns a small business. Many people have even thought about owning their own business. For some it is a far off dream of a future to be, and for others it is already a work in progress. No matter where you are in the process of starting a company, the steps to take to are often unknown. People just don’t know where or how to start.

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) can help find the answers needed to start on the right path to owning and operating a small business. This team of Business Advisors is available to “help make business smarter”. The online survey at ISBDC.org can be the first step taken to gauge where a person is on the path and where to go next.

Ron Gifford is one of the Business Advisors at ISBDC and on January 30th he was teaching the Feasibility -Launching Your Own Business workshop. Gifford and his colleagues spend a lot of time reaching out to people and showing them that starting and running a successful business is achievable, however not easy. The process needs to be well organized and thought out before just diving in.

The Feasibility workshop was put on by the ISBDC and The Starke County Economic Development Foundation. The workshop looked at all of the things to consider before you get too far into launching a business. Gifford gave all of the attendees a workbook and a case scenario to explore what things to think about before starting. The class worked through the book, quickly realizing where they were in the process of “taking the plunge” and hopefully seeing that starting a business takes time, effort and patience.

The ISBDC has many areas of consulting including: strategic planning, business start-up, loan packaging, marketing and sales, operations, accounting and record keeping, and cash flow analysis. Many workshops are also offered through the ISBDC such as, QuickBooks and Preparing a Business Plan. These along with the help of an Advisor like Gifford can be great support in the battle to achieve your dream of owning your own business.