GLOVERSVILLE – The Fulton County Center for Regional Growth has $185,000 in funding available to award small companies through another year of its Microenterprise Grant Program.
CRG President and CEO Ron Peters said Thursday this year’s outreach program is taking shape, and the CRG hopes to award money by July.
The Microenterprise Grant Program – funded by the state through a successful Consolidated Funding Application – is administered by the CRG.
Small businesses can receive grants of up to $25,000 to help pay for start-ups or expansions that create jobs. The program offers federal Community Development Block Grant funding, filtered through the state Office of Community Renewal to be administered to local businesses.
The CRG has advertised its Microenterprise Grant Program as being helpful for small start-up businesses and young companies. The program helps businesses with seed money grow. A microenterprise is defined as a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer full-time employees, one or more of which owns the enterprise at the time of application.
Companies participating in the application process must go through a training process at the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce office on North Main Street. Participation in the business training program is required of all Microenterprise program participants. A cost of $100 per attendee is an eligible expense covered through Microenterprise Grant funds. The training program syllabus includes: a general overview of business; accounting, taxes, and finance; marketing and e-commerce; and development of a business plan.
One CRG training process was held already this year, and a second one is coming up.
“We actually had eight businesses go through the [initial] training process,” Peters said.
Peters said the second training session of training will be June 15-16, and June 22-23. He is estimating five to seven businesses will take advantage of the next training session.
Several companies received Microenterprise Grant Program funding in 2015. They included LaVilla Dog Works, 11 S. Market St., Johnstown – $25,000; SW Skin Care & Cosmetics, Inc. of 86 Briggs St., Johnstown – $15,000; and L&L Embroidery of 258 County Highway 142, town of Johnstown – $25,000.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected].
