DUNKIRK - The State University at Fredonia Technology Incubator and Chadwick Bay Properties LLC will host the first in a series of educational events for new and emerging small businesses.
The Small Business Forum will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21, at the incubator, 214 Central Ave., Dunkirk. It will feature specialists in small-business administration, small-business development, industrial development, taxation and finance, the state Department of Labor and workers compensation.
The forum will be led by Steve Ingraham, Internal Revenue Service senior liaison. It is free, although pre-registration is required, as lunch will be provided.
The workshop topics vary from a general overview of taxes to more specific topics such as financial assistance, government contracting programs and recordkeeping.
"Warren Buffett once said, 'In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield,'" said Bob Fritzinger, incubator director. "This is why we continue to foster a social atmosphere among entrepreneurs. Businesses that overcame challenges can be of great value to other businesses facing those same challenges."
Fritzinger says entrepreneurs are faced with many challenges, including understanding and fulfilling their federal tax responsibilities, raising money and networking to find the resources they need to be successful. Being a successful small business owner requires research-based information, technology, educational preparation and business skills. The forum will bring together industry specialists and professionals to actively address these concerns.
"To succeed as a business owner, you have to have the right tools. This series of workshops is aimed at giving new and emerging businesses the right tools, knowledge and direction to succeed right here in Chautauqua County," said Tracie Haskin, president of Chadwick Bay Properties, which provides commercial office space to a number of businesses in downtown Dunkirk. "The workshops will also provide a networking opportunity for like-minded entrepreneurs to share ideas, successes, struggles, questions and solutions with others in the same position."
For registration or to learn more, please contact the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator at 680-6009, or email Jennifer Colon at colon@fredonia.edu.