St. Thomas business — St. Croix
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V.I. Small Business Week Honors Small Businesses
The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (VI SBDC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration will honor small businesses during Virgin Islands Small Business Week, which is scheduled to take place May 28-June 2. The week will provide small businesses with the opportunity to participate in an array of specialized trainings to foster business growth, with the week’s highlight being the awards ceremonies.
“I am honored to have three major financial institutions, both private and public, assisting us this year to offer specialized trainings to small businesses,” said VI SBDC State Director Leonor Dottin. “It demonstrates their interest in furthering their commitment to the territory’s small business owners.”
Trainings include: Steps in acquiring a business loan offered by FirstBank Virgin Islands. Low Cost – No Cost Marketing Ideas; How to Identify Small Business Opportunities; How to Aggressively Market to the Federal Government (offered by Andrew Patricio, owner of BizLaunch.com and sponsored by ScotiaBank). As the keynote address for the awards ceremony, Patricio will share his “Seven Secrets to Building a Successful Business.”
The efforts of Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (VI SBDC) clients who have achieved business milestones will be recognized during Small Business Week. This year, among the business owners whom the VI SBDC will honor are Dr. Audria Thomas, June Archibald, Eldon Providence, Natalie N. Ballantine and Rhea R. Stevens, Salvador Alvarez, Alan Brady and Adeyemi O. Richards. Special recognition will also be given to two Small Business Advocates of the Year, Dr. Anita Roberts and Addie Ottley. Dottin said Dr. Roberts “has increased awareness in the Virgin Islands of Government Procurement Opportunities growing the territories preparedness for contractors to become HubZone and 8(a) certified.” Ottley, owner of WSTA-AM 1340 ‘Lucky 13,’ “has assisted a grand number of Virgin Islands small businesses and has devoted his communication expertise so that Virgin Islanders can make use of his radio station to further their potential to reach a broader segment of our community.”
The Government Development Bank will also be recognized as the VI SBDC Financial Advocate of the Year for being the financial organization who has approved the greatest number of loans to clients assisted by the VI SBDC.
The U.S. Small Business Administration also recognizes the accomplishments of two businesses as SBA Small Business Persons of the Year: on St. Croix Gerard A. James proprietor of James Memorial Funeral Home, and on St. Thomas Glenford R. Carty, Jr. owner of Simple Technology DBA Tech Box. U.S. Small Business Administration Bank of the Year is Borrego Springs Bank based in Panama City, Fla.
Small Business Week awards will be held on St. Thomas on Thursday, May 31, and on St. Croix on Friday, June 1. For additional information on all the activities that will take place during Small Business Week, contact the VI SBDC at 776-3206 on St. Thomas and 692-5270 on St. Croix or the U.S. Small Business Administration at 718-5381.
The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center is a partnership program of the University of the Virgin Islands and the U. S. Small Business Administration.
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