For anyone contemplating starting a small business, the thought alone can be daunting.
However, advice and assistance are available.

Steen Stovall and Deb Farris will discuss the basics of starting a business during
a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network workshop titled “Start
Your Own Business and Finance Your Business” Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 6-7:30 p.m.
at the Natrona County Library, located at 307 E. Second St. in Casper. The presentation
will take place in the Crawford Room. To register, go here. Registration is free.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think
about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is
hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council
and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA).

The first portion of the workshop will help potential new business owners explore
the pros and cons of owning a business and evaluate the skills and knowledge necessary
for success. Stovall and Farris will cover investigating the potential of business
ideas; how small-business owners can identify their target markets; and identify free
resources to assist small-business owners. The second part of the workshop will cover
financing options from $500 to $5 million and where to access the capital needed to
start or grow your business.

Stovall is the Wyoming SBDC Network regional director for Converse, Natrona, Niobrara
and Platte counties. He has been involved in the small-business and workforce development
sectors for more than 25 years. A business veteran, he has co-founded companies in
the oil, gas, retail and construction industries. He also has extensive instructional
experience.

Farris is deputy district director for the U.S. SBA.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database
manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.