The Northwest ISBDC is marking National Small Business Week with a luncheon celebration and no-cost workshops, including one focused on veterans.
Celebrate Small Business will honor SBA’s Indiana Young Entrepreneur of the Year Wade Breitzke, president of 27 Entertainment Inc. in Valparaiso. Breitzke was recognized as the region’s entrepreneur of the year during the NW-ISBDC’s annual E-Day event in 2012.
Breitzke, along with Indiana Small Business Person of the Year Dan Schmidtendorff, will be honored at the event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday June 18 at the Hilton Garden Inn South Bend, 53995 Indiana State Route 933, in South Bend.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting www.nwisbdc.org and following the “Celebrate Small Business Event” link. Registration is requested by June 11.
The event also includes presentations by Joe Abraham, an author and founder of bosiDNA.com on the big deal about small business as well as by Tom Ross, vice president, Commercial Middle Market Division manager, Fifth Third Bank, on SmallBizU.
Small Business Administration District Director Gail Gesell will present the honorees with their awards.
“We are excited to see our E-Day honoree in the state spotlight,” said Lorri Feldt, regional director of the NW-ISBDC. “Wade is so talented and is now also running a second company, We Create Media, making a mark in the region and beyond.”
Also, two no-cost workshops will be offered at the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana, 9800 Connecticut Drive, in Crown Point.
Launch your own Business will be presented at no cost from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday June 19.
Business Opportunities for Veterans will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday June 21 with registration and networking beginning at 8:30 a.m. A light breakfast will be provided by sponsor Fifth Third Bank.
This seminar is for veterans and members of the military community who would like to start or grow their small businesses.
Workshop topics include: how to evaluate your business idea, tools to help create a working business plan, sources of money to start or expand your business, special loans for veterans - Patriot Express Loans and how to cultivate a relationship with a banker.
While there is no cost, registration is required for both workshops by phone at (219) 644-3513 or email at northwest@isbdc.org.
For more information on any of these events, contact the NW-ISBDC at (219) 644-3513.
Serving seven counties in the region, the NWI SBDC offers no-cost assistance for entrepreneurs starting or expanding their businesses. Through one-on-one consulting, the NWI SBDC helps guide small businesses toward their goals by offering referrals, workshops, training opportunities and other essential business tools. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration, the State of Indiana and other local partners.
For more information, visit www.nwisbdc.org.