Louisiana Small Business Development Center

Welcome!

Since 1984, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) has provided the tools and resources necessary to help businesses grow and compete in an increasingly challenging global economy. We offer no-cost business consulting and low to no-cost training seminars designed to help you attract customers, improve operations, increase sales, and successfully access capital. Our interactions may be brief or long-term, but our ultimate objective is to improve Louisiana’s economy through job creation and increased tax revenues. Our center is funded by the US Small Business Administration Louisiana Economic Development and Southeastern Louisiana University.

Our Services

Our broad mission is to help start-up and existing businesses grow and prosper. Our center serves individuals interested in starting or expanding a business within the five Florida Parishes: Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington.

The Louisiana Small Business Development Center is organized into two departments:

Business Consulting

The LSBDC Consulting Department provides FREE confidential one-on-one counseling services to potential and existing small business owners. Counseling sessions are scheduled on an appointment basis with the initial meeting lasting approximately one hour. Call our office at (985) 549-3831 for an appointment in Hammond.

The Consulting Department offers SBA handouts, business plan outlines, financial forecasting worksheets, demographic information and business start-up guides. Our center also provides marketing and advertising resources and a “tool box” containing clipped articles, studies and information on various industries and small business topics.

Our center typically assists with the following:

• Business Plans
• Loan Proposals
• Feasibility Studies
• Marketing Plans
• Advertising Plans
• Financial Analysis
• Cash Flow Projections
• Financial Projections
• Buying/Selling a Business
• Accounting Systems
• Location Studies
• Sources of Suppliers
• Inventory Control
• Cost Analysis

Training

The LSBDC hosts 50 + no-cost workshops on a wide range of subjects each year to keep small businesses informed of current practices and changing trends in the workplace.  Typical topics include but are not limited to:

• Financial Statements
• Self-Employment Taxes
• How to write a Business Plan
• Payroll Taxes
• How to write a Loan Proposal
• Income Tax Laws for Small Businesses
• Marketing
• Quickbooks
• Selling to the Government
• Creative Problem Solving
• Human Resource Management
• Social Media
• Legal Compliance
• And more!

Additional topics are added to the schedule as they develop in the business environment. Customized training is also available for special groups. Seminar presenters are usually business leaders, industry experts, or university professors. Most seminars are provided at no charge; others require a payment to cover the presentation expenses.

Resource Partners

1. Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network
2. U.S. Small Business Administration
3. Louisiana Economic Development
4. Southeastern Department of Economic & Business Development
5. Southeastern College of Business & Technology
6. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
7. Parish Economic Development Organizations
8. Area Chambers of Commerce
9. U.S.D.A. Rural Development
10. Louisiana Department of Labor
11. Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center
12. Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana
13. And more!

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday
7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.