VEC Partners with the Connecticut SBDC to Provide Services to Area Businesses

Manchester, Conn. (February 18, 2016) – Thanks to a new partnership with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), the Viscogliosi Entrepreneurship Center (VEC), which officially opened in 2014, will now offer a full range of services to entrepreneurs and people considering their own businesses in the greater Manchester area.

VEC, college, town and CTSBDC officials will celebrate the new partnership in a dedication ceremony Thursday, February 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the Manchester Community College Arts and Education Center at 903 Main Street, also known as MCC on Main. The event is free and open to the public. Guest speakers will include Anthony and Paula Viscogliosi, whose institutional support has been vital; Jay Moran, Manchester mayor; Doug Dorsey, VEC director; and Emily Carter, CTSBDC state director.

A reception will follow the dedication ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring light fare from Brown Sugar Catering and cocktails by Onyx Moonshine, two locally owned and operated entrepreneurial enterprises.

“It is important to be embedded within the communities we serve,” Carter said. “The VEC and CTSBDC share an entrepreneurial vision for the greater Manchester community and that is why we partnered. Together, we are better able to understand the unique needs of the Manchester-area small business owners and can help them to solve problems and create opportunities furthering their business or idea. Helping new and existing businesses leads to their increased productivity and profitability in this area.”

Dorsey, who is also a MCC professor of business administration, added, “This beneficial affiliation ensures that our community’s small businesses have access to necessary resources ready to assist regionally based entrepreneurs .This allows for economic growth and job creation in our area.”

The event is part of the VEC’s weeklong observation of National Entrepreneurship Week, which runs February 22 through 26. For more information on the VEC and a full calendar of events that week, visit www.manchestercc.edu/vec.

About the Connecticut Small Business Development Center

The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) provides no-cost, confidential business advising services to small business owners and entrepreneurs in every stage of business development and growth in the state of Connecticut.

CTSBDC business advisors are prepared to assist with a range of business issues including investigating capital opportunities, loan preparation, international trade, growth strategies, market research, marketing plans, disaster preparedness and more. This program operates under the guidance of the lead office at the University of Connecticut School of Business and features 35 locations, plus offers access to Virtual CTSBDC at 27 public libraries statewide.

CTSBDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Connecticut, and is a member of America’s SBDC, celebrating 35 years of providing proven technical assistance to small businesses in over 1000 centers nationwide.

For more information or to register for business advising, visit www.GrowCT.com, Facebook.com/GrowCT, Twitter.com/GrowCT and LinkedIn.com/company/ctsbdc.