Workshop on Starting Your Own Business Jan. 23 in Hilo

A workshop on “Starting Your Own Business” will be offered by the Hawaii Small Business Development Center from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 23.

The class will be held in Building 379-1 at Hawaii Community College in Hilo.

Taught by Constance Cate, director of the East Hawaii HISBDC, attendees will learn about entrepreneurship and key ingredients for business success, as well as finding sources of capital.

Cate will also discuss the steps involved in starting your own business.

“The class is a chance to get acquainted with the whole idea of starting a business,” says Cate, who in addition to being a licensed CPA earned her BA in Business from UH-Hilo and her MBA from Grand Valley State University, Michigan.

“I give people an overview of what it means to be an entrepreneur.”

Cate says that the east Hawaii office offers the class on a near-monthly basis, except during the summer and in November and December.

“It’s a popular class that often fills up.”

“We talk about the actual business formation, and what kind of legal entity they want to choose, whether a sole proprietor or C-corp,” she said. “We discuss business plans and we also talk about the fact that they are going to need capital.

“I find that people are amazed that they have to put in some of their own money into their business. They think they’re going to use the bank’s money.”

Fee for the class is $25. Because class space is limited, early registration is recommended.

For more information or to register for the class, contact Lydia Santiago 933-0776 or email lydia.santiago@hisbdc.org.

For those unable to attend, the next “Starting Your Own Business” class in Hilo will be offered Feb. 20.

The SBDC West Hawaii office will be offering a similar class in the coming months.

West Hawaii residents can call the Kailua-Kona HISBDC office at 327-3680 for more information on upcoming business classes offered on the Westside.