Page 46 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

HELP FOR
story by Lynn Lofton WOMEN-OWNED
BUSINESSES
Another source for business assistance is the Mississippi Development Authority at www.mississippi.org.
NG Consulting LLC
985.445.7270 www.natalieguess.org
Assistance can be obtained by contacting the SBA Mississippi District Office at 601.965.4378 or the Mississippi Gulfport Branch Office at 228.863.4449. More information on what SBA is and does, may be found at www.sba.gov/ms.
For the federal government contracting programs, an additional source of assistance is the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers at www.mscpc.com.
Thinking of starting or expanding a business? Overall, women are the fastest growing demographic in business start-ups, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. Of the 264,858 small businesses in Mississippi, 104,159, – almost 40 percent – of them are majority woman-owned, with even more that are equally male and female owned. And if you're looking for help, there's plenty available.
“From the standpoint of available assistance, I believe this is a great time for a woman who aspires to be in business to take the necessary steps to do so,” says Janita R. Stewart, district director of the Mississippi District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration. “I’ve not seen anything specifically that may dissuade someone who has a viable business plan, the required management and technical skills, access to the right resources (there are many), and the energy and passion to start a business even in the current environment.”
Stewart says the application process for these
programs is not difficult, and help is provided free and confidentially. “Small businesses and entrepreneurs need assistance and access to various resources to do what they do best, which is to create, make, sell something or provide a viable service. The first right step should be receiving the necessary counseling and training to get on track and head in the right direction,” she explains. “SBA, through its funded entrepreneurial development resource partners, offers counseling, training, management and technical assistance to start-ups and to existing small businesses”
Natalie Guess, who formerly worked with the Magnolia Business Alliance, started her own company, NG Consulting in June 2021 to assist with the Blue Economy, the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
46 | September 2022
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