RELEASE: Immediate
CONTACT: Public
Affairs
DATE: March 18,
2005
PHONE: (919) 807-6963
Small Business Center at Forsyth Technical Community College named Statewide Center of Excellence
RALEIGH: "Small Business" is big business in North Carolina. Between 1998 and 2002, small businesses created 27,000 jobs and added $2.3 billion dollars to their payrolls. At the same time, businesses with 100 or more employees lost 42,000 jobs. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees accounted for 99% of all business growth in this same time period. Nationally, 96% of all American firms employ less than 50 workers.
Willa Dickens, Small Business Center Network Director, gave these impressive statistics to the State Board of Community Colleges today as she presented the regional and statewide Small Business Centers of Excellence. This is the fifth year of the awards and according to Dickens, a year when the SBCs are doing so much with less than adequate funding.
The three centers recognized each have contributed much to their local communities. The directors and two of the college presidents were on hand to accept the recognition. The awards were judged on innovative programs, how well they met the needs of the small business communities, and outstanding business stories they offered for consideration.
Forsyth Technical Community College is the Statewide Center of Excellence and Central Region winner. The center organized an "Entrepreneurial Opportunities Conference" that attracted 40 participants from surrounding counties to attend workshops and receive counseling. The Center also obtained a Golden LEAF grant that allowed them to help tobacco-dependent families develop strategies to better cope with changing economic realities. The center helped a retired principal develop and open a very successful indoor recreational facility in Winston-Salem. Accepting for Forsyth Technical Community College was FTCC President Dr. Gary Green and Vice President Sue Marion.
Craven Community College is the Eastern Region Center of Excellence. New SBC Director Bob Erickson became certified as a Micro-Loan Intake Professional in the Rural Center’s Micro-Enterprise loan program so he could help individuals obtain loans, his work led to a $250,000 commercial bank loan for a client. Erickson has successfully recruited clients at a church located in an economically depressed area of New Bern. He worked with two individuals who opened a water sports equipment business and were voted "Entrepreneurs of the Year" by the New Bern Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Scott Ralls, Craven Community College President, joined Erickson to accept the Regional Award.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is the Western Regional Center of Excellence. "Jump Start Day," held twice a year, brings together as many service providers as possible to share important and free business-related information to start-up companies and existing businesses. Information on many areas including bookkeeping, insurance, legal, and licensing is offered. The SBC also helped the local Goodwill Industries develop a plan to help handicapped individuals produce and sell their artwork. They helped The Floor Show create a strategy that set the carpet and flooring business apart from other similar businesses in the area. The company is owned and operated by women. It capitalized on the fact that women make most of the flooring decisions for a home. SBC Director Russ Yelton and former SBC Director Harry Ponder accepted the award.
Dickens reminded the State Board that current funding for the 58 Small Business Centers is grossly inadequate. Legislation sponsored by Sen. A.B. Swindell (D-11th District) and Rep. Joe Tolson (D-23rd District), co-sponsored by several other legislators, would provide $1.8 million to increase funding for small business centers at community colleges.
Discussion later in the meeting demonstrated that Dickens’ request might be a tall order. System President H. Martin Lancaster told the Board that the revenue picture is not encouraging. A $1.2 billion revenue shortfall may result in a four-percent across the board reduction in the Community College Continuation Budget with none of the much-needed Expansion Budget items funded. He told the members that legislators have emphasized there will be no new taxes, which means no new revenue stream.
"A cut of four percent would be devastating to our community colleges," said Lancaster. He encouraged the Board to help make the case for community colleges and the role they play in the economic growth of the state.
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