Free Business Advice Offered for Hillsborough Shops

Small businesses are invited to meet with small business counselors from Raritan Valley Community College’s Small Business Development Center from 1 to 5 p.m. April 11 at Affinity Federal Credit Union in the Hillsborough Promenade.

The aim of the free counseling sessions is to assist business owners with business operations, whether it’s marketing, book keeping or business plan, according to Dawn Desmelyk, Business Solutions Officer for Affinity Federal Credit Union.  The partnership with the two-year college and counseling sessions began in 2009 and remained popular since their inception.

“We wanted to provide it fro our business members,” Desmelyk said.  “As a bonus, we added other businesses.  We started in one branch (of the credit union) and it ahs grown to include other branches.”

Representatives from the business center will meet with business owners in one-hour appointments throughout the day, for questions regarding a variety of business subjects.  Often, some of the business owners will come for one session, then realize they would also like to address another part of their business plan too.

“We have people come in for QuickBooks and then return to discuss their marketing plan,” Desmelyk said.  “They come in and then they find something else to address.”

“Anything a small business needs, we offer,” she added.

Information about starting a business is one of the most popular topics during the counseling sessions.

“There’s been a lot of requests for start-up assistance,” Desmelyk said.  “People who are working full-time also want to start a business.”

While the session counselors hail from a variety of backgrounds, each either owned a small business in the past or owns a small business currently.  And, the advice is so popular it draws business owners back to the counseling sessions.

“Hillsborough’s a nice little tight-knit community,” she said.  “We have repeat members who will come just to talk.  It definitely has been very popular and the feedback has been positive.