Centenary SBDC Manages Veteran Program for the Northeast, Plus Hosts Entrepreneur Exposé and Job Fair

Hackettstown, N.J., April 9, 2010 – The Centenary College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has branched out this year by sponsoring new programs for budding entrepreneurs, plus is the coordinating office for veterans who are interested in starting their own businesses in the Northeast region of the United States through the Tip of the Arrow Foundation.

Second Annual Job Fair with the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce

The SBDC is a sponsor of the Second Annual Job Fair with the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 28, 2010 at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph.  Attendees will have the opportunity for a formal resume review, networking and career counseling.  For more information, visit  www.employmentoutreach.org or call (973) 402-6400.  Interested parties can also e-mail employment@parsippanychamber.org.  

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 1, 2010, the SBDC will be co-sponsoring an Entrepreneur Exposé for women with varying degrees of experience and needs at Dolce Conference Center in Basking Ridge, N.J. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in break-out sessions that include information for startup businesses, a debate about the necessity of including social media in a marketing plan and its applicability to stages of a business development, human resource issues and finding capital.

Entrepreneur Exposé was developed in an effort to support women who are currently business owners who want to get to the next level or who want to start their own business or.  The event will position entrepreneurship as a solution to our economic challenges and offer real options to help women in business thrive in this recession.

For more information, please call (908) 852-4200.  Attendee cost is $89.  More information is also available on the following website: www.entrepreneurexpose.com.  

Veterans returning from fields of combat have a central resource to help them decide if returning to work or school is the most desirable option for them.  NJSBDC through its affiliation with Centenary College is coordinating the third option to the veterans: the option of starting their own business.  The Centenary SBDC, working in conjunction with Tip of the Arrow Foundation and Ft. Dix, has been named the organization to go to for information for starting a new business for all veterans in the Northeast region of the United States.  Veterans who contact the Centenary’s SBDC will be referred to other SBDC branches within New Jersey and beyond.  The SBDC staff will follow up with interested vets to ensure that they receive service satisfaction.

“The mission of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation is to help veterans transition to civilian work life successfully and provide them with guidance to help them navigate the process of finding a new career,” says Dolores Stammer, Regional Director for the NJSBDC.  “This mission is in accordance with the goals of the NJSBDC making this business relationship a perfect fit.  To date, we have counseled more than a dozen veterans, expecting the volume to increase exponentially as more veterans are redeployed through Ft. Dix.  We hope to continue making a positive impact on this important segment population.”

The New Jersey Small Business Development Center, which services Warren, Morris and Sussex counties, became part of the Centenary College community in 2006 and helps more than 600 people per year who may be facing significant business and economic issues of by providing individuals with information on starting their own businesses.

The NJSBDC network is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration nationally to provide management advisory services to current and prospective small business owners.  SBDCs are located across the country and offer comprehensive assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations.

The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network has 11 centers throughout the Garden State, with state funding from the Department of Treasury and Economic Development Authority.  

To contact the SBDC, please call (908) 852-1400, ext. 2127.