10 Latino Entrepreneurs will Graduate this Saturday from Business Trainings Program

Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on October 16, 2008

Rural Enterprise Center to Graduate 10 Latino Entrepreneurs from Business Trainings

NORTHFIELD, Minn., October 16, 2008 – Ten Latino entrepreneurs will graduate from the Rural Enterprise Center’s business training program this Saturday, Oct 18. The training program, the CORE FOUR^® Business Planning Course, was offered in Spanish for the first time in this area. Sponsored by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation in partnership with the Northfield Area Community Action Center, First National Bank, Community Resource Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, the training is part of a larger regional strategy to build technical, management and planning skills with Latino entrepreneurs in rural Minnesota.

A graduation ceremony will be held at Community Resource Bank Community Room (basement, 1605 Heritage Dr Northfield, MN 55057), this Saturday at 4:00pm. Representatives from each sponsoring bank will be present as the President of SMIF, Tim Penny, presents the certificates of completion to the graduating class. This will be a good opportunity for folks to come and interact with the entrepreneurs.

According to trainers, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, director of the Rural Enterprise Center, and José Pacas, also with the Center, graduates will understand the basic components of business planning, such as cash flow planning, operations planning and marketing. As part of the program, most participants worked on plans for new businesses, while others improved plans for businesses already in operation.

“What’s unique about this kind of program,” said Marroquin, “ is that we’ll continue to work with these entrepreneurs throughout the development of their business plans and provide assistance once businesses have been launched. We’re focused on their success – not just on providing the training.”

The Rural Enterprise Center, a program of Main Street Project, plans to offer additional business training sessions in Spanish next year.

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The Rural Enterprise Center (formerly Latino Enterprise Center) is a program of Main Street Project. The Rural Enterprise Center’s mission is to strengthen communities by organizing programs, resources and the support infrastructure needed to maximize the success potential of rural Latin@ entrepreneurs. Visit our blog at ruralec.com.

Main Street Project is a grassroots cultural organizing, media justice and economic development initiative working to help rural communities face today’s realities with hope. Visit us at MainStreetProject.org.