Starting a business isn't easy, especially with the current state of our economy. But if you have the right tools and are educated on what it takes to be a small business owner, the likelihood of achieving your goals is that much greater. "I meet with clients to help them start their business," said Jacquie Spearman, Business Advisor at the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (NWI SBDC) in Merrillville. "I help them fill out paperwork, apply for loans, and make sure they are following the proper guidelines. Also, we help them to understand if this something worth while, something they can afford," explained Spearman.

Spearman works with individuals looking to start a business, and those looking to expand their current clientele. She's also a bilingual advisor, and wants to make the Latino community aware that can help break down any language barriers that may have prevented them from starting their own business. "We know that there are a lot of bilingual people looking to start up, but a lot of them don't know we are here," said Spearman. "We want to help them build a viable business and we want them to know that our services are free," she added.

For Latinos in particular, Spearman said having a successful business could be as easy as being involved with your community and networking. "Go out to an event, present yourself at a Grand Opening, let them know you're there," Spearman explained. "Networking plays a big role in having a successful business and businesses grow on word of mouth," she added.

The NWI SBDC started in the mid 1990's, but went stagnant for a few months in 2007, and according to Spearman, they are just now really getting started again. In February, Purdue took over the sponsoring of the office to align with the state move to Higher Education backing the program. Now, with new counselors and a new director the hope is to make the NWI SBDC bigger and better than ever. "In 2006 the NWI SBDC met with 550 clients and to date only 10% are still in business," Spearman said. "So now we really just want to get out the word to the community, and try to meet their needs," she added.

The NWI SBDC is located at the Purdue Technology Center on Broadway in Merrillville. They also have an office in Michigan City.

For more information on what the SBDC has to offer, you can log onto www.isbdc.org. The regional site of www.nwisbdc.org will be up later this summer.