The Escanaba Downtown Development Authority and the Delta County Economic Development Alliance have launched a new initiative, Project Point: Guiding Businesses to Success. (Photo provided by Craig Woerpol)
ESCANABA — A new monthly workshop series being offered by the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Delta County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) is designed to support established business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs gather information that may be useful to operate or start a business.
The new initiative, called “Project Point: Guiding Businesses to Success,” will take place on the second Wednesday of each month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Escanaba City Hall. All sessions are free to attend.
Each month will focus on a different aspect of business operations or the fundamentals of starting a business. The goal is to create a consistent, accessible resource for those looking to grow, strengthen or launch their business ventures in Delta County.
Ed Legault, executive director of the Delta County EDA, emphasized the importance of ongoing education for business leaders.
“Taking time for workshops is crucial for business owners to stay competitive and adapt to evolving market trends,” Legault said. “These sessions provide actionable strategies from experts while offering valuable networking opportunities.”
The kickoff workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 11 will feature general information and services provided by the Michigan Small Business Development Center.
The session will be led by Nicole Young Potvin, an SBDC consultant with a rich background in entrepreneurship, hospitality business ownership, and corporate marketing. Potvin serves as a marketing specialist with the SBDC and is currently pursuing an MBA from Michigan Technological University.
Topics covered in this session include information on how businesses can take advantage of SBDC services such as one-on-one consulting, writing a business plan, pricing strategies, marketing consulting & research and buying or selling a business. She will address other services as well.
Craig Woerpel, executive director of the Escanaba DDA, said the program is designed to help business owners gain new insights that help them start or improve their business.
“The workshops are meant to help business owners step back from day-to-day tasks to gain a different perspective on running their business from those who may be able to help,” Woerpel said. “It’s like attending a business conference every month.”
Participants are welcome to attend without pre-registering, though early registration is available and encouraged at escanabadda.org/project-point.
The DDA’s Business Partners Committee will meet at city hall following the workshops at 5 p.m. The committee has met monthly at 6 p.m. at Leigh’s Garden Winery. It is an opportunity for business owners in the DDA District to learn more about downtown activities. The committee is involved in Black Friday on Tuesday and has been instrumental in starting the Walking in Winter Windowland promotion and Escanaba ArtWalk.