It’s Your Business
Uniontown Program offers free tax help
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help to people who cannot afford professional assistance. The program will operate on the following schedule during tax filing season. Listed are the locations, times and days the sites will be open:
– Bullskin Senior Center, 52 Medsger Road, Bullskin Township, appointments only from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Call 724-887-0655.
– Center in the Woods, Route 88, California, appointments only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 724-938-3354.
– Luzerne Tax Office, appointments only, Monday through Thursday through March 30. Call 724-246-0329 for more information.
– Masontown Senior Center, 22 S. Main St., Masontown, appointments only, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 20, March 6 and March 20. Sign-up is at the center. Call 724-583-7822 for more information.
– Republic Senior Center, North and Fairgarden streets, appointments only, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Call 724-246-7740 for more information.
– St. Mary’s Church, 118 Church St., Brownsville, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Call 724-437-6050, extension 2227, for information.
– Uniontown Mall, next to Roomful Express, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Sign in at the site.
– Fayette County Community Action Agency Inc., 140 N. Beeson Ave., second floor, Tech Center, Uniontown, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. unless indicated, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for e-filing only. Call 724-437-8888 for an appointment.
Latrobe
Seminar focuses on contracting
St. Vincent College will host a free workshop for small business owners who are interested in learning about contracting opportunities with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It will be held from 9 a.m. to noon April 12.
The workshop is being hosted by the St. Vincent College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and co-sponsored by Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify along with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities.
Workshop topics will include how the state purchases goods and services, how to find and bid on state contracts, state programs to help small businesses make use of contracting and subcontracting opportunities and how to obtain certification as a minority-owned and women-owned business.
The owners of such businesses are especially urged to attend.
Gayle Nuppnau from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities will present the workshop. The bureau is part of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, the main purchasing branch of state government. Its main functions are to certify minority-owned businesses and to help small businesses become involved in state contracting.
The St. Vincent College SBDC is part of a statewide system of university-based economic development organizations, whose mission is to provide high-quality education and consulting to entrepreneurs, to help them start and grow their businesses in the competitive global economy.
To register or to obtain more information about this or any of our other programs or services, call the St. Vincent College SBDC at 724-537-4572.
Pittsburgh
SCORE schedules workshop
SCORE will present “Marketing and Finance for Small Business,’ from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday in the JVC Auditorium at Point Park University, Third Avenue and Wood Street, in downtown Pittsburgh.
The workshop is designed to help people develop an effective and successful marketing strategy in starting a new business or growing an existing business. In addition, a PNC banking executive will outline preparatory steps entrepreneurs must take to maximize the probability of successfully obtaining needed funds to sustain or grow their businesses. The workshop also will feature hands-on demonstrations of Internet marketing tools search optimization, pay-per-click advertising and e-mail marketing.
Free one-on-one introductory counseling will also be available immediately following the workshop and at later mutually agreed times.
There is a fee that includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Reduced rates are available for group registrations.
For more information, call SCORE at 412-395-6560, extension 130 or 131 or visit SCORE at www.scorepittsburgh.com
Waynesburg
Extension plans food seminar
Penn State Cooperative Extension will offer “Food for Profit in Fayette County’ from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Foodservice Rentals, Republic.
A fee will be charged. A brochure and registration information is available by calling 724-627-3745 or visiting http://beaver.extension.psu.edu/Nutrition/FoodSafetyPrograms.html.
This workshop will provide the information necessary to help people determine if they would like to start a small food business and/or expand and add value to an existing enterprise. It is especially directed to individuals or groups who will be making and packaging their products for resale through grocery stores, farm markets, restaurants or craft shows.
Sessions dealing with business planning, legal requirements, food safety, marketing and pricing will help entrepreneurs lay the ground work for a long, profitable business experience, Carolyn Wissenbach, extension educator, said.