New free business counseling begins this month from Oakland County

Budding entrepreneurs whose business will be headquartered in Oakland County are invited to attend the new, free Walk-In Business Counseling Service beginning Thursday, May 9, in the Oakland County One Stop Shop Business Center. During Walk-In "Start-Up" Thursdays, entrepreneurs who want to start a business but do not know where to begin can receive confidential, one-on-one advice from an experienced business counselor in a supportive atmosphere with no appointment necessary. Counselors will provide direct answers to start-up questions, suggest next steps and provide guidance on business planning tools. "Our One Stop Shop Business Center was designed to assist entrepreneurs who needed guidance getting their business to the next step," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "Now we're expanding our services to include those entrepreneurs who are just beginning and have questions about getting their business off the ground." The first walk-in counseling day is set for Thursday, May 9, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and again from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sessions will be available on a first come, first served basis; no appointment is necessary. Initial counseling sessions are limited to 15 minutes. "We usually operate on an appointment-only basis but many entrepreneurs walk into our One Stop Shop with questions on how to get started with their business idea," said Greg Doyle, One Stop Shop Business Center supervisor. "By designating special walk-in days, we hope to reach more entrepreneurs and help them understand their next steps as well as present the resources we can make available to them. Our aim is to get them started quickly in a way that makes the most sense to their unique situation." All sessions will be held at the Oakland County Executive Office Building, One Stop Shop Business Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Building 41W, in Waterford. The center is located on the first floor. For additional information, contact the One Stop Shop Business Center at 248-858-0783 or visit AdvantageOakland.com/expand. Published: Wed, May 8, 2013