26 Aug SBC Micro Loan Program

SMALL BUSINESS CENTER OFFERS MICRO LOAN PROGRAM

Morehead City, N.C. (August 26, 2021) – The Carteret Community College Small Business Center has established a Micro Loan Program in collaboration with the First Rung Foundation to provide seed capital to entrepreneurs leading startup or early-stage businesses in Carteret County.  Low-interest loans up to $10,000 are available for business-related costs such as space, inventory, equipment, advertising, marketing, and technology.

“We are very excited to partner with FirstRung on this exciting initiative,” said Vice President of Corporate and Community Education Perry Harker. “Access to capital is a challenge for many of our small start-ups and this partnership will help many overcome this challenge.”

Walt Sliva and Laura Benson created the First Rung Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, as a way to make Carteret County more attractive to young entrepreneurs and new business owners.

In sharing their family’s motivation, Benson said, “We know that access to capital is critical in the early stages of a start-up. We want to make it possible for people in our community to turn their passions into sustainable profits by growing a business here, not only with funding, but also with education, coaching, and ongoing support. Linking First Rung’s micro-loans with the College’s expertise and resources was the perfect collaboration to grow our local small-business economy.”

To qualify for a loan, borrowers must complete the Small Business Academy and Money Management Basics course, meet with the Small Business Center Director for business counseling, and complete or update a business plan. The Small Business Academy course assists business owners with the completion of a business plan, marketing strategy, pricing structure, and basic bookkeeping and accounting practices.

Those interested in learning more or applying to the program should contact the Small Business Center Director at (252) 222-6123 or sbc@carteret.edu.

To register for the Micro Loan required courses visit https://bit.ly/MicroLoanProgramRequiredCourses.

###