Bootstraps seminars to begin on Wednesday  

Project Bootstraps, the 2010 version, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. in the seminar room of the St. Joseph Center on the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Jessica Sherman, regional coordinator for the Muskingum County Business Incubator, will be the featured speaker for the first of four Project Bootstraps seminars, designed to assist local citizens that own or are considering starting a small business.

She will unveil “The Roadmap for Establishing a Successful Small Business” during her presentation.

Additional seminars will be held on Feb. 3, Feb. 10 and Feb. 17.

The seminars are sponsored by the Students in Free Enterprise chapter at Franciscan in cooperation with the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Progress Alliance, the Community Foundation of Jefferson County, Valley Ventures and The Steubenville Herald Star.

Dr. Thomas Kelly, SIFE advisor, noted the seminars are free of charge to the general public.

TechGROWTH bringing program to county

TechGROWTH Ohio has announced a month-long series of seminars focusing on business growth in southeast Ohio, featuring keynote addresses by U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson. This unprecedented event will bring together the largest assembly of resources in the region, making it an invaluable opportunity for businesses and individuals.

Jefferson County will host a seminar called Re-Inventing Small Business in Appalachia on Monday, Feb. 8.   This program will provide participants with resources from state and local organizations designed to foster technology development and innovation.

Through interactive discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities with exhibitors, participants will discover the realm of possibilities Appalachia Ohio offers new and existing businesses.

The Jefferson County program will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pugliese Training Center on the campus of Eastern Gateway Community College. The program is free of charge and a light lunch will be served.  Pre-registration is highly encouraged and can be done by visiting www.techgrowthohio.com or by calling (740) 593-9588.

Domenick arranges meeting with Severstal

Ohio Rep. John Domenick, D-Smithfield, has announced plans to hold a community forum with Severstal officials to discuss future plans for operations in Jefferson and Belmont counties.

The meeting is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. It will be held in Lecture Hall 2102 at the Jefferson County Campus of Eastern Gateway Community College.

Domenick’s office has confirmed several officials from Severstal will attend the session.

‘Big Idea’ contest is taking shape

Details regarding the first “Big Idea” contest in Jefferson County will be announced early next week.

The contest, sponsored locally by Progress Alliance, is designed to encourage local residents to pursue their ideas regarding the launch of a new business or the expansion of a current one. The Jefferson County winners will compete regionally for additional recognition.

The MCBI Regional Incubator for Entrepreneurs is sponsoring the contest on a regional basis. MCBI oversees the operation of “The Hub” program in nine eastern Ohio counties, including Jefferson.

In 2009, MCBI conducted the contest in Muskingum County only. Susan Hoskinson of Designs by You took the top prize.

“Hoskinson developed a software program that will revolutionize the client experience for a florist customer,” Jessica Sherman, regional coordinator for the MCBI, said. “In the beginning, she only had a concept. MCBI connected her with a computer programmer who had the vision and the expertise to develop her concept into a product that could be taken to market. Designs by You soon will be attending trade shows with a final product.”

Nominations sought for BOC awards

Progress Alliance currently is accepting nominations for Best of the County awards. The organization will hold its second annual BOC dinner on Monday, March 29, starting at 6 p.m. in Wintersville’s St. Florian Hall.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams has accepted an invitation to deliver the keynote address.

Nomination forms for the awards are available on the Progress Alliance web site, www.theburb.org.  They also are available at the Progress Alliance office, located inside the Jefferson County Center for Economic Development, 630 Market St. in Steubenville.

“Our event is all about defining dedication, accomplishment, commitment and recognition,” said Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance. “Our awards are designed to recognize efforts involving business growth, community growth and the best use of human and natural resources. Award nominees should personify the best effort, the best determination, the best achievement and the best of Jefferson County.”

Tickets for the event are priced at $65. A table of eight can be reserved for $500. For more information, please contact Progress Alliance at 283-2476.

Fatula will speak at chamber event

"Building a Culture of Customer Service" will be the topic for the first Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce quarterly luncheon session of 2010, to be held Wednesday at the Steubenville Country Club.

The keynote speaker will be Dave Fatula, events coordinator for the Franciscan University of Steubenville, who has been conducting customer service training for the past 12 years.

The event begins at noon.

"Dave is an amazing, entertaining individual and we are delighted to have him as our January speaker," said Sue Hershey, chamber president.

For information, contact the chamber at (740) 282-6226.

EPA seeks applications for community grants

The U.S. EPA is making $2 million available in 2010 to reduce pollution at the
local level through the Community Action for a Renewed Environment
(CARE) program.

 CARE is a community-based program that works with county
and local governments, non-profit organizations and universities
to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks from numerous
sources.  Since 2005, the grants have reached 68 communities in 34
states and territories.

EPA will award CARE cooperative agreements in two levels. Level I awards
range from $75,000 to $100,000 and will help establish community-based
partnerships to develop local environmental priorities. Level II awards,
ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, will support communities that
have established broad-based partnerships.

Applications for the CARE grants are due March 9. For more information about the grants visit: http://www.epa.gov/care/