Forum on small business ownership at Southern Vermont College

A free forum on entrepreneurship and small business ownership will be offered at Southern Vermont College on Monday, Feb. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the College’s Everett Mansion. The forum is targeted towards aspiring individuals and small business owners from the southern Vermont region who are interested in exploring business ownership or seeking expansion ideas for a current business.

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Forum will include an informational panel of area professionals who work with small businesses, a keynote expert on social media marketing and takeaway resources. The College has organized this event in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. Sponsors of the event include Chittenden Bank, offering business banking solutions and Bluehouse Group, offering Web site design, Internet marketing and database development for businesses large and small.

President Barack Obama recently outlined plans to support small businesses in the coming months, including valuable tax credits and incentives. During National Entrepreneurship Week (Feb. 20 to 27), the Forum is geared to show small business ownership as an enticing career option.

The expert panel will discuss topics such as starting a new business, purchasing an existing business or owning a franchise, various forms of financing, legal issues and the mindset of an entrepreneur. The members of the panel are: Bernie Villemaire of U.S. Small Business Administration; Robert Plunkett of Vermont Small Business Development Center and Counselor for Bennington County; Kathy Leech of Chittenden Bank; Bryan Jones of SCORE, an organization of retired executives who offer free counseling for business owners; Scott Murphy of Bennington Economic Community Development and Peter Odierna of Bennington County Industrial Corporation.

SVC graduate Harry Gold, CEO and Founder of Overdrive, Inc., in Boston, Mass., will address the audience with a presentation entitled “Promoting Your Own Business through Social Media.”

The event is hosted by SVC’s McCormick Division of Business, which offers majors in Business Administration/Management, Business Administration/Sports Management and Entrepreneurship and Management with real-world exposure through class projects for local businesses and internships. Refreshments will be available.

Due to space limitation, preregistration is appreciated by February 18. For reservations or more information about the forum, contact Drouart at 802-681-2898 or e-mail businessprograms@svc.edu or visit the SVC Web site at www.svc.edu.