If the amount of entrepreneurial activity going on at the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center is any indication, there are lots of aspiring business owners working hard to launch new business ventures in the Rowan County area.
Economic recessions often bring out the entrepreneurial spirit in people particularly if they have lost their jobs or always wanted to start their own business.
The Business Resource Center opened in conjunction with the new Gateway Building in 2001 and the center has always had steady traffic.
Counseling services are provided on site or at the customer’s business by representatives of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Small Business Center, U.S. Small Business Administration and University of North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center.
One Rowan County resident who is looking at starting a vending company and came in for counseling said, “The counseling session gave me fresh ideas on how to obtain certain information on starting my business that I really need.” He says the Rowan County area is “fertile” for new business development.
Another entrepreneur was looking for start-up funding for a new Web site venture. The same person cited “great cost of living and uncrowded access to resources” as some of the positive aspects of starting a business in Rowan County.
A “cyber” company is the dream of another Salisbury resident who wanted advice on financing the start-up. Protecting intellectual property also was important to their success. The client was appreciative of the Chamber’s support and “received direction on where to go and who to talk to about the dollars needed to start the business.”
Other recent users of the chamber’s Business Resource Center have included those wanting information on business plan development, business strategy, zoning, licensing, pricing, organization structure and marketing. All have been successful in getting advice on how to go forward, based on exit interviews conducted with each of them.
One particularly satisfied customer said, “The chamber has availed me of business counselors that have taken the weight off of me with their help. My meeting went straight to the core of my most pressing needs. The counselor put me on track with issues that will make my business more successful ó more quickly.”
The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center is open to the public free of charge Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.ń5 p.m. The Gateway Building is at 204 E. Innes St. and interested individuals may call 704-633-4221 for more information or to make an appointment with a counselor.
The electronic portion of the business Resource Center can be accessed by visiting www. rowanchamber.com.