Through new grant funds, the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network will be reaching out to a new market starting next week.
With the grant, from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the NJSBDC is hosting a six-week training course to the jobless interested in starting their own businesses.
“Existing and established businesses of all sizes comprise about 50 percent of the network’s client portfolio,” said Brenda Hopper, NJSBDC CEO, in an announcement. “This special grant will enable us to serve other markets, including those who are unemployed.”
The “Entrepreneurial Training Program for the Unemployed” will begin Oct. 24 at Centenary College’s Parsippany learning center, and will rotate sites to provide assistance around the state.
Topics that will be covered include writing a business plan, marketing strategies, legal and financial aspects to running a business, and franchising. The program features one-on-one counseling for those who are accepted.
“We want to provide training, counseling, support services and increased opportunities for those individuals who meet the definition of a ‘dislocated worker’ and are seeking to become self-employed,” said Ed Kurocka, project manager for the program.
According to NJSBDC, registered participants who complete the 60 hours of training will also receive assistance securing startup financing, if appropriate.
