Seminar to focus on small business

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — State agencies will have a free seminar Friday to create and expand awareness of programs and resources to help create and grow small and minority-owned businesses.

The seminar begins at 11 a.m. and will be in Youngstown City Council chambers on the sixth floor of city hall, 26 S. Phelps St.

The first Ohio Urban Outreach seminar was Thursday in Akron. Overall, there are seven outreach seminars statewide.

Next week’s seminar in Youngstown is the only one that will be in the Mahoning Valley.

The seminars give attendees the opportunity to choose from two tracks: for individuals or for businesses.

The track for individuals will focus on Ohio Benefit Bank resources, displaced worker assistance, health care and foreclosure assistance programs.

The business track will address federal stimulus package and state stimulus opportunities, capital and bonding access, minority business certification, and work-force assistance for small and minority-owned businesses.

Representatives from various divisions of the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services’ Equal Opportunity Division and the Ohio Department of Transportation will conduct the seminars.