A week to elevate and celebrate small businesses

Photo courtesy: famu.edu

Since 1983, the Big Bend Regional Small Business Week has served to elevate and celebrate small businesses. This year, amidst National Small Business Week, the Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at FAMU will host a three-day event to honor the businesses that serve as the backbone to Tallahassee’s local economy.

“The purpose of Small Business Week is to help companies and small businesses reignite their fire and give them some direction in terms of support and services they will need to help their businesses grow and succeed,” said Pamela Johnson, a business consultant for the FSBDC at FAMU. “It is a learning opportunity, a networking opportunity, it’s a way to also be inspired as we are going to have great speakers but also a way to help them do business better and build a stronger business for themselves.”

To kick off the festivities, the FSBDC at FAMU will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of its Small Business Incubator Program, made possible by a $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo. Guests will be taken on a tour of the facility located in the FAMU Foundation building on East Tennessee Street.

On the second day, CVS Health and the FSBDC at FAMU will host a series of workshops in the Turnbull Conference Center. Finally, the small business week reception will also be held at the conference center hosted by the Jim Moran Institute at Florida State University. This will include a luncheon featuring guest speaker Lisa Price, the founder of Carol’s Daughter.

FSBDC at FAMU Interim Regional Director Aundra’ McGlockton encourages entrepreneurs to take advantage of the different opportunities offered during Small Business Week through workshops presented by the FSBDC at FAMU and CVS Health. Small business owners will get information about franchising opportunities, doing business with the federal government, getting funding, and much more.

“I’m challenging everyone to come out and support small business week because it is going to be a grand event,” said McGlockton. “There is going to be tons of information provided and that’s information you don’t need to miss.”