Are you an entrepreneur or do you already own a small business? If yes, the state wants to help, courtesy of the governor's small business outreach initiative, coming to a city near you. Our Erin Vannella reports.
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. -- "We're a very young studio, so capital and cash flow is our biggest challenge on an everyday basis," said Anthology Studio Owner Evan Euripidou.
Euripidou opened Anthology Studio in Schenectady almost five years ago with a dream bigger than his bouquets.
"We started at a young age, so we didn't have credit behind us and it just continues to be the same issue," he said.
Euripidou is one of 28,000 New Yorker's trying to grow a small business in the Capital Region and can't find help.
"I've been trying for five years with the business and I really haven't gotten too far," he said. "So finding help and finding answers is not that easy."
Then comes this, the first of 18 visits by Governor Cuomo's small business outreach initiative headlined by six state agency representatives.
"We want to demystify this idea that if you open up a business it's so difficult that you may as well not open one," said Deputy Secretary of Civil Rights Alphonso David. "It's not that difficult and we have a lot of services and resources."
The initiative broadcasts the opportunities, resources and programs available to small business owners and how to find them including everything from financial assistance programs to workers compensation insurance.
"There's more than $100 million in programs, services, financial assistance, credit support that are available to small businesses," said David. "And we want to make sure they know about those resources and take advantage."
It's better late than never said Euripidou, who's happy at least to have somewhere else to turn.
"It's just our goals of where we wanted to be and where we've ended up being," said Euripidou. "While we haven't been doing bad, we always want to do more and dream to do bigger things."
To learn more about the services available and to find other useful links, visit the following websites:
www.governor.ny.gov
www.nyfirst.ny.gov
www.esd.ny.gov