February 27, 2020
Hannibal, MO. – Corey Mehaffy, Executive Director of the Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council (HREDC) announced today that HREDC and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be hosting several events in April in support of businesses in the Northeast region. The first event includes a two-part MO Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) workshop to assist businesses interested in procuring government contracts at the city, state and federal level. Second, the 2nd annual Rural Strong event, designed to introduce businesses to the federal programs from SBA and USDA that are available to assist them, has been scheduled in Hannibal, MO.
According to SBDC Entrepreneurship Specialist Brittany Weldy, the two-part PTAC workshop can assist small businesses, including disadvantaged, veteran-owned and women-owned companies to obtain federal, state and government contracts and boost their bottom-line performance. Weldy added, “The morning session entitled First Steps to Government Contracting will introduce participants to the world of government contracting and provide a step by step process owners can register their businesses with the necessary agencies, and to position themselves to bid on contract opportunities. The afternoon session entitled Marketing to the Government will assist businesses in creating a unique capability statement to capture the audience of the world’s largest customer, our Federal Government.
According to Mehaffy, the 2019 Hannibal Rural Strong was very well attended. Businesses provided positive feedback on the event overall. Mehaffy added, “Several of the businesses that attended last year requested additional information. We also had a number of local stakeholders that were unable to attend and requested that we schedule another session.” The SBA is eager to present in Hannibal again, and looking forward to sharing valuable resources with the Hannibal area again.
According to Weldy, the workshop is designed to inform entrepreneurs, small business owners and stakeholders, including government and community organizations, about several federal services and programs. This includes lending products and resources powered by the SBA that are available in our area from the SBA and USDA’s Rural Development Agency. Weldy continued, “Participants will learn about loan guarantee programs, government contracting opportunities, small business counseling services and more. This information is valuable for business owners, lenders, elected officials and other community stakeholders. We are grateful to our partners from SBA, USDA and MO PTAC for their willingness to bring this important workshop to Hannibal.”
If you are interested in registering for these events visit the following links to learn more.
Rural Strong Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/172702830841864/
PTAC Events: https://www.facebook.com/events/190087135703346/
