Offering important resources to help grow the region
By Angela Rogalski, The Bolivar Bullet
Delta State’s Business Assistance Center is committed to providing multiple resources to qualified entrepreneurs and small businesses around the area. The Center offers business planning, financial literacy, and a network of business connections that can help move a small business in the Mississippi Delta forward.
Tavarris Cross is the director of the Center and Tarrik Moore is the associate director. Both men are passionate about the work the Center does and the importance of providing these resources.
“The Business Assistance Center was started a few years ago at the Center for Community and Economic Development on the campus of Delta State,” said Cross. “The Business Assistance Center was created to provide business assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Delta communities from Tunica County all the way to Leflore and Washington Counties. We provide resources for clients, such as working with the SBA (Small Business Administration) and the MDA (Mississippi Development Authority) to get certain certifications or to qualify for business loan opportunities and things of that nature. And the Business Assistance Center is connected to the business program here at Delta State.”
Cross said to take advantage of the resources the Center offers, small business owners and entrepreneurs should go to Delta State’s website, under the Business Assistance Center’s page and register to become a member.
“There is a technical assistance form that businesses have to fill out, we want to make sure that they’re registered with the state of Mississippi,” added Cross. “And see if they have a footprint on social media and/or a website to promote themselves. And of course, we can provide them assistance with that as well. Once they fill out the form, we’ll contact them and set up a one-on-one consultation. From there we assess their needs and put them in contact with our different resources, again such as the SBA or the MDA, and other CDFIs, which are community development financial institutions.”
Cross added that at the moment the Center is offering a free service to clients, developing a business professional Facebook page, that can be most helpful to their businesses.
“This is a free service to clients that we’re offering right now,” he said. “And this is something that really benefit a business. I would encourage businesses in the area to contact us and take advantage of all of our services. There has been a recent entrepreneurial boom in our country and we’re looking forward to having one here in the Delta too. So as people start or grow their businesses, we just want them to know we’re here to help them.”
Associate Director Tarrik Moore said that during his own professional journey, he wished the Center had been available then to help him.
“As both a successful and unsuccessful entrepreneur myself, I wish this resource had been around to give me more insight into development of a more sustainable business model. We have an excellent and qualified professional team to help small business owners or startups or online-based, social media-based companies establish their business models. There is no business too small or too large for us to offer resources and provide assistance to. And in different industries as well.”
For more information about Delta State’s Business Assistance Center, visit: www.deltastate.edu/cced/business-assistance-center or call 662- 846-4302