State seminars offer assistance

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — There are opportunities for small and minority- owned businesses to be created and grow with the help of state programs.

The challenge is making those business owners aware of the programs, said Philip G. Shotwell, director of the Ohio Department of Development’s minority business enterprise division.

To help get the word out, officials with various state agencies are traveling primarily to urban cities in July and August for what they’re calling Ohio Urban Outreach Seminars. The officials conducted a two-plus-hour seminar Friday in Youngstown City Council chambers in city hall with about 75 people in attendance.

The focus was on federal stimulus package and state stimulus opportunities, capital and bonding access, minority-business certification, and work-force assistance for small and minority-owned businesses.

“We’re educating folks on business resources,” Shotwell said. “It is challenging. It is a lot of information. We’re drilling down to the important stuff. It is a lot in a short period of time, but this is just the beginning. We’ll be back in the fall. There are a lot of people unaware of the opportunities offered by the state.”

Casey Pitts, who operates an anti- identification-theft business in Warren, said the seminar was “very helpful” for him. In particular, Pitts said, learning about the various loans the state can provide to small and minority-owned businesses could be a great benefit to his company, Go Small Business.

Luebertha Greer, owner and chief executive officer for a home health-care business in Youngstown, said he was pleased to learn the state can provide her business, Loving & Dependable Healthcare Providers, with low-interest loans.

“This will help me with technical assistance,” she said.

Bill Williams, who runs a document-imaging business in Youngstown, said the session was “OK. They didn’t give me a lot of information that’s useful. There needed to be more details.”

Representatives from various divisions of the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and the Ohio Department of Transportation spoke at the seminar.