Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference slated June 27

Arkansas Press Association Paid News Distribution Service

Providing small and emerging business owners in rural communities and their support networks with the innovative skills, tools, and contacts needed to create and grow their enterprises, and better engage in job creation activities are the goals of an upcoming regional business conference to be held in Camden, Arkansas.

Funded by the Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC) and USDA RD, with support from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the 2024 Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference, with a theme of “Reimagining Rural Arkansas: Pathways to Growth and Success”, will bring together approximately twenty (20) private, quasi-state, state, federal and non-profit organizations to provide participants with needed resources to grow their existing businesses and support their local communities.

Confirmed and/or invited partners include Arkansas APEX Accelerator, Camden Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development, Southern Arkansas University – Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (SAU-ASBTDC), SBA, and more.

The conference will be held on Thursday, June 27, 2024, from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm via Zoom and in-person. In-person participation will be limited to seventy-five (75) at the conference site, located on the campus of Camden’s First United Methodist Church, 121 Harrison Street, Camden, AR 71701. Topics will include but are not limited to, building strategic partnerships, evaluating and securing capital, obtaining technical assistance for small businesses, and selling goods and services to the government and corporate sector.

Please join us at 8:30 am for a “Breakfast with the Lenders Roundtable,” where conference participants will network with local, regional and statewide lenders. Current lenders confirmed and/or invited to participate include Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, Communities Unlimited, FORGE Community Loan Fund, Generations Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and USDA Rural Development-Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. The Lenders Roundtable will be facilitated by Mr. Christian Pennington, Lender Relations Specialist, SBA. Mrs. Esperanza Massana-Crane, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, will be the luncheon speaker.

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