RALEIGH – Small business owners affected by Hurricane Floyd can get important information about Disaster Business loans and more at sessions presented at several community colleges on October 6 and 7. The Small Business Center Network of the North Carolina Community College System is coordinating the sessions.

Representatives from the Small Business Administration will participate in two separate teleconferences. They will provide information about available assistance, eligibility requirements and the SBA application process. There will be a question and answer period after the SBA presentation.

"These businesses need tremendous help on the road to recovery," said NCCCS President H. Martin Lancaster. "Our Small Business Centers traditionally provide the first line of support and counseling in local communities to those persons who start their own business and we want to help them rebuild."

The Small Business Center directors at most of the North Carolina community colleges in areas affected by Hurricane Floyd will be at the information sessions to provide one-on-one service to persons with questions after the teleconferences.

Representatives from the local Business Recovery Assistance centers will also be on hand to provide information about loan advances available to small businesses.

The first information teleconference will be downlinked to Brunswick, Edgecombe and Pitt Community Colleges on Wednesday, October 6.

The second information teleconference will be downlinked to James Sprunt, Lenoir and Martin Community Colleges on Thursday, October 7.

Both teleconferences will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Information Highway Room at each community college, weather permitting.

For more information about the information sessions, contact Gayle Harvey, Small Business State Director at the North Carolina Community Colleges System Office.

Ms. Harvey can be reached at (919) 733-7051, ext. 409. You may also call the specific community college.

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