1st Bergen Federal Credit Union and Greater Bergen Community Action’s (GBCA) Financial and Housing Counseling Program partnered with America’s Small Business Development Center of New Jersey to provide small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs a free workshop that promised to help grow their business acumen.
The four-part certificate program was instructed by Vincent Vicari, Regional Director of America’s Small Business Development Center of New Jersey, and provided comprehensive small business development workshops covering topics such as: learning whether you’re truly ready to own a business, how to prepare yourself (and your finances) for starting a business, and writing a business plan and free software to help you do it.
All the workshops reached their maximum capacities with students varying from already established business owners to aspiring entrepreneurs. The classes are designed to provide valuable knowledge as well as resources to take business ventures to the next level. In total, 46 students completed the program and received their certificates, exceeding the grant expectation.
Program Director Alison DuBois said: “All of the students are in different stages of their business, whether it be planning to or actually running a business, they all come together to bounce ideas off of one another in a very productive way, with the help of a very knowledgeable instructor. The workshop staff is extremely pleased with each session’s outcome, but more importantly, the students have found it to be valuable.”