Corona Learning Center becomes facilitator
for Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, Inc.

 Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, Inc. recently contracted with the Corona Learning Center to provide facilitator services for their organization which serves Grant, Roberts and Day Counties of Northeastern South Dakota. The resource group supports business development in rural communities of this region by providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small business operators with forming businesses from concept to completion as well as a resources for continuing and expanding businesses.

Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, through the Corona Learning Center, is a useful tool for economic development in northeast South Dakota during this struggling economic time. The organization serves as a resource to grow individual interest into cottage industries and home based businesses and aids those already making products and providing services to grow and strengthen their enterprise. With layoffs and business cut backs, area residents need assistance now more than ever before to develop business strategies for a successful launch or expansion. 

Additions to the services Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities has provided in past years will be to offer their current and future clients a web link for their business on the Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities website. The link will provide information on their products and services as well as contact information to network with other in the region.

Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, through the Corona Learning Center, will also sponsor specialized training aimed at assisting current or future business owner in their day to day operation. These classes, free or at a reduced charge, will be available for anyone interested in starting a business or industry, expanding a current business, or helping with a struggling business.

Some class topics planned are: Pre-Business Decision Making; Business Planning and Writing; Marketing and the Marketplace; Recordkeeping and Professional Assistance; Financing and Budgets; The Web and New Technologies for Business; and E-commerce.

Another new area for the Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities will be to assist in grantwriting for organizations and small municipalities. With this service, Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, through Corona Learning Center, will work with smaller communities of the counties to assist in their community needs. They will also inventory the area assets which can be used to network resources and give support and assistance to local businesses.

Cheryl Rondeau-Bassett, director of the Corona Learning Center, will serve as the ?Community Facilitator? with services available free of charge. The Community Facilitator provides personal assistance, advising, researching, and planning with clients and may also guide clients to professionals who provide paid consultation relevant to respective business ventures. In addition, the Community Facilitator will assist in networking clients with others seeking cooperative business developers such as suppliers, contractors, potential business partners, and venture capitalists.

Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities networks with the Dakota Rising project, sponsored by the Northwest Area Foundation; the Corona Learning Center; Small Business Development Center; Miner County Revitalization Center; NESDAK; and South Dakota Economic Development. 

Whetstone Valley Business Opportunities, Inc. a non-profit corporation since 2007, is not a lending institution. They encourage economic growth in northeastern South Dakota through support and resource assistance to citizens with a desire to own and operate a business. If you have a product, service or skill which can be combined with management and marketing, we are here to help you take that dream from thought to reality. All services are free and confidential. For more information, contact Cheryl Rondeau-Bassett at the Corona Learning Center, 605-434-8150 or go online to www.whetstonevalleybiz.org.