ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603150050
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
Radford University and the New Century Council on Thursday launched the university's Business Assistance Center, promising a one-stop shop for small firms and budding entrepreneurs.
The center, which has a full- and part-time staff of 10, will be a central point for small- to medium-sized businesses in the New River and Roanoke valleys to gain training, resources and counseling.
Radford University provided half the funding for the center, which means businesses will have access to university libraries and computers. State and federal grants accounted for the other half, said Jerry Kopf, the center's director. He declined to provide budget figures.
Also, during any semester, 20 to 30 teams of students will be available to work as consultants on projects ranging from marketing studies to computer assistance. Radford's career development office also will be linked to the business assistance center.
"The center has consolidated a lot of different types of resources that traditionally were scattered throughout the region," Kopf said.
Part of that consolidation means two organizations also will be housed at the center's Norwood Plaza location in Radford: Virginia Economic Bridge, a marketing link between Southwest and Northern Virginia, and the New River Valley Small Business Development Center.
The small-business development center had been at Virginia Tech but was transferred to this new center in January.
"Tech literally gave up something they'd had for awhile for the betterment of the New Century region," said Bev Fitzpatrick, director of the New Century Council. Fitzpatrick was at the business assistance center Thursday for its formal opening.
The New Century Council, which covers the New River and Roanoke valleys and Alleghany Highlands, identified a need for a central business resource center during its 1994 effort to determine the region's economic development needs.
The council also concluded that small businesses, rather than large corporations, would be responsible for Southwest Virginia's growth.
Bruce Blaylock, dean of Radford University's college of business and economics, said the university decided to combine its educational mission with outreach to small- and medium-sized businesses.
"Businesses can come to one spot and have a fairly good chance of reaching conclusions to their problems and taking advantage of their opportunities," Blaylock said.
The center will include several Internet-connected computers, a telephone service that would supply information on starting and managing a small business and various training programs.
One training program, which is a joint effort with Virginia Tech, will provide an eight-week business course, counseling and financing help to people who have lost their jobs to defense industry downsizing or are economically disadvantaged.
The center plans to offer international trade programs that will help businesses bring their products to foreign markets.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB