SBDC, Chamber of Commerce Present M-3 Conference

VALDOSTA — The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State University and the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce SEEDS Business Resource Center are teaming up to present the M-3: Micros, Makers, and Mentors Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18.

The M-3 Conference is open to micro business owners with five or fewer employees, artists, crafters, jewelry designers, home-based business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to learn more about starting, sustaining, and/or growing their business.

Registration is $49 per person and includes all course materials and lunch.

The M-3 Conference will teach attendees how to sell their products online and how to get their products in boutiques and stores, offer them tips on product pricing and packing, introduce them to the legal aspects of being an entrepreneur, and much more.  

All M-3 Conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet privately with consultants from the UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU and the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce SEEDS Business Resource Center Center to discuss any specific business issues or challenges they may be facing.

Headquartered in Athens, the Small Business Development Center is a partnership between the University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, the University of West Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, Clayton State University, and Kennesaw State University. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the United States Small Business Administration, boasts 17 offices across the state, and strives to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, including no-cost, confidential consulting services.

The UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU serves the citizens of Atkinson, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, and Thomas counties and is considered an essential resource for small businesses in South Georgia. 

Located at the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, the SEEDS (Sowing Entrepreneur and Economic Development Success) Business Resource Center provides customized research, data, and assistance to start-up and seasoned entrepreneurs.

Please contact Betty Morgan, vice president of the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, at (229) 247-8100 ext. 234 to reserve a seat or learn more about the M-3 Conference for the SEEDS Business Resource Center.

Anyone interested in learning more about the UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU should contact Cindy Corgan, program coordinator, at cmcorgan@valdosta.edu or (229) 245-3738.

Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/2DDDiph . 

The M-3 Conference will be held in VSU’s University, which is located at 1215 N. Patterson St.

The M-3 Conference is sponsored by Perfectly Priscilla, a Valdosta-based online plus size clothing boutique. The business opened in 2014 in the foyer of Deidre Thompson’s home and has since expanded to an 18,000-square-foot warehouse.