The Kosciusko Development Inc. board decided to pay more rather than decrease the access to development services for local small businesses Wednesday.
Joy McCarthy-Sessing, president of the Warsaw Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, told the board she had received a letter informing her that the Small Business Development Center in South Bend will raise the price of its small business consulting service. The increase will represent almost twice KDI's annual budget for the service.The SBDC provides development services to small businesses in Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. Each month, an SBDC representative travels to Warsaw for one-on-one meetings with small business owners or those in the process of starting a business. The meetings are free of charge for the business owners and, McCarthy-Sessing said, the SBDC representative usually has a full day of meetings scheduled.
"We have lots of people who are thinking of going into business and they want to know about a variety of questions," McCarthy-Sessing said.
She said business owners and entrepreneurs discuss things like business plans, marketing strategies and inventory systems with the SBDC representative.
KDI pays to cover the cost of the consulting and travel. In the past, KDI has budgeted about $1,700 for the services. The increased cost will be more than $3,100.
Sessing told the board they could look into the possibility of paying for the counseling service every other month instead of each month. However, several board members expressed a reluctance to decrease the frequency of the service.
"I see this as a very valuable thing," said board member Jim Tinkey. "I think it's one of the most important things we do."
Board member Bob Sanders agreed. Sanders suggested KDI pay for the service until the amount budgeted for it has run out, then approve an additional allocation for the service from KDI's general fund.
