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Small Business Loan Seminar Set

Small business loans have been tough to come by in recent years.  But the market has changed and  Tallahassee area businesses will learn how to tap into it during a free seminar this Thursday (6/13)morning.

The seminar is being hosted by First Commerce Credit Union, where Mary Estes is senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“It’s about the main loan programs that are offered by the Small Business Administration and those are the 7A Program and the 504 Program.  They are used for purchasing real estate, refinancing loans, working capital, equipment, machinery…it’s used to stimulate business and help them grow.”

Estes says those are exactly the kind of small business financial resources that have been so hard to find since the 2008 economic downturn.
 

“Lending has been really tight over the past several years, but it’s starting to loosen up now and we’re seeing more players coming back into the market to offer financing for these things and with the assistance of the Small Business Administration loans it makes it all the more attractive for lenders.”

While so many business seminars have just one or two presenters, Estes says this one will feature several subject matter experts.
 

"Representatives from First Commerce Credit Union that can talk about their assistance with the application process.  We’ll have Rosalyn Bryant from the North Florida District Office of Small Business Administration and she’ll be talking about the 7A Loan Program.  We’ll have James Hoffman from Florida First Capital Finance Corporation who is an SBA Community Development corporation and they’ll be speaking about the 504 Program.   And to round it all up, we’ll have Andra McLaughlin who is with the FAMU Small Business Development Center will be speaking about the technical assistance that they can provide as far as helping to develop business plans and projections.”
 

The seminar is free.  In fact, the only price is the cost of getting up pretty early in the morning to attend it.
“We’re cognizant of the fact that most business people, once they get into their office don’t have the opportunity to get pulled away for educational purposes, so we’re having this one bright and early at seven o’clock Thursday morning, June 13th at our Summit East location.”

That’s just east of the Mahan Drive I-10 interchange.  And Estes says breakfast is included in the free admission.

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories. here.