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Aspiring, current business owners learning to thrive in Southeast Texas at LSC-PA's Small Business Development Center

The goal is to generate economic growth in Southeast Texas.

PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A center at Lamar State College-Port Arthur is giving aspiring business owners a head start by offering advice on how to thrive in Southeast Texas.

The Small Business Development Center at Lamar State College-Port Arthur launched the first of its four-part series. The series is aimed at helping anyone who needs guidance for their small business, and the goal is to generate economic growth in Southeast Texas. 

The Small Business Development Center partnered with Motiva to put on the series. Organizers believe that from start to finish, proper guidance can make the difference between the success and failure of a business. 

Tuesday’s free event was the first of many.

“The first of four workshops that we have partnered with Motiva on for small businesses to help those aspects of owning a small business right,” Dana Espinal, Small Business Development Center director said. “We are going to focus on the topics of what it takes to have a financially healthy business.”

Tolitha Jackson is an area logistics company owner. She believes workshops like Tuesdays are beneficial.

"They will guide you and, you know,  give you the steps that you need as you need them along the way," Jackson said. "So the workshops are very helpful. Once you reach a certain point, you move to the next workshop to help build the business as you grow."

Some of the keynote speakers at Tuesday’s lesson included area bank and loan officers. The lesson touched on the topic, "is your business financially healthy?"

The panelists were encouraged openly ask questions to see how they could better help each other and network amongst other community members.

"As a business owner you branch out, off into other opportunities and that's kind of what I'm here today," Jackson said. "I'm just excited to meet everyone else and see what they have going on and see how we can collaborate in the future."

For those who want to attend but missed Tuesday's session, Espinal said there are plenty more coming.

"We have a retail, then we are going to have another workshop that is during to the small business symposium that we started last year, and then we're wrapping up the series later in November," Espinal said.

The workshops are free to everyone and will continue through November 2023.

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