MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Nov. 8, 2018) — Entrepreneurs, start-ups and established business owners can access up to 20 local business resources from financial, marketing, workforce recruiting/training and small business development industries at Manatee County’s fourth annual Small Business Expo next Thursday, Nov. 15.
The free event is open to the public and offers information about products and services that could help anyone launch a business or operate an established business more effectively. The expo gives business owners a chance to network and promote their products and services to each other.
The County’s Redevelopment & Economic Opportunity Department Economic Development Division will host the event on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 9:30 to noon at Downtown Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard West, Bradenton.
Local organizations with booths at the expo will include Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) Florida, Career Source Suncoast, Manasota SCORE, Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Manatee Community Federal Credit Union, Manasota County Black Chamber of Commerce, Spark Growth Station 2 Innovation, State College of Florida, Suncoast Community Capital, Manatee County Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity, Manatee County Whole Child, Manatee County Veterans Services, Manatee Sheriff's Office, Manatee County Library Services, the Bradenton Area Convention Bureau and United Way Suncoast
In addition, all attendees will have a chance to use the Library’s business services including:
- The Small Business Conference and Meeting Area
- Extensive business reference collection
- Mergent Intellect, a market research database powered by Hoover’s and Dun & Bradstreet and other online tools
The expo is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 12 - 18) which brings together more than 15,000 partners worldwide to inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and investors. The event is also a precursor to Small Business Saturday held annually on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving which encourages consumers to shop at locally owned businesses.
Manatee County Government will also offer free registration for companies into the Business Recovery Database in the case of a disaster.
The Manatee County Economic Development Division is committed to the development of local entrepreneurs, ensuring they have access to the connections and resources necessary to help them launch new startups or retain and expand existing businesses that provide jobs, generate wealth and support our local communities.
For more information about Manatee County Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity, call (941) 749-3029.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.