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Business Assistance

Façade Improvement Grant Program

Renaissance is now offering a second round of the façade improvement grant program for businesses in the historic business district of New Bethlehem with a total of $5,000 available to award in 2011. Click below for the Façade Improvements Grant Program Manual. It is hoped that with increased donations, success and a waiting list of façade applicants, we may be able to apply for state funding to expand the program in the future.

• Façade Program Manual - PDF

• RRI Grant Application - PDF | MS Word

**Wanted**

Are you a business looking for a great location on a busy highway? New Bethlehem lies at the intersection of Routes 66 and 28, only 16-18 miles from Interstate 80. We have many low-cost available properties of varied sizes that might suit your business. We need a bike shop and sporting goods store to support recreational opportunities that abound, the Peanut Butter Festival Mountain Bike Race participants, the new Redbank Valley Rails to Trails that will be coming soon, as well as the many soccer and school sports teams in the area. We’re looking for more accounting services, shops and unique retail stores. The beautiful Redbank Valley along Red Bank Creek provides great inspiration for artists and crafts persons and is a great place to live, work and play. Come for a visit, you’ll want to stay.

Available Properties:

Redbank Renaissance is keeping track of available business and residential properties in Redbank Valley and Realtors who are working in the area.  You can view our compilation here and see links to local realtors.

Upcoming Programs:

The First Step: Starting a Small Business, a 3 ½ hour one-day workshop by SBDC Clarion University is offered in several local counties. This program is useful for existing businesses and may qualify you for additional hours of one-on-one consultation. The cost is only $20 per person. 

Topics –

• What to consider before starting a business
• How and why to prepare a business plan
• Guidelines on how to finance your business
• License and tax information
• Regulations governing a business
• Other resources you can use to help you plan and succeed
  
  Please check with the SBDC to confirm meeting times and dates and to register.
  
  You can visit the SBDC on the web at: http://www.clarion.edu/SBDC/.

Information and assistance is available from Redbank Renaissance, Inc. on Business Transitions and Succession Planning for those business owners who are approaching retirement or considering sale of their businesses. For information or requests for other workshops, please contact the Economic Restructuring Committee or a Board member.

Small Business Administration Introduces 2 New Online Finance Courses for Small Business Owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has introduced 2 new free online finance courses to help small business owners with the basic principles of finance and borrowing.

The self-paced courses are:

• Finance Primer: Guide to SBA’s Loan Guaranty Programs
  http://app1.sba.gov/sbtn/registration/index.cfm?CourseId=29
   

• How to Prepare a Loan Package
  http://app1.sba.gov/sbtn/registration/index.cfm?CourseId=28

These courses walk business owners through steps that answer questions about debt financing, available loan programs, what small businesses should know about borrowing money, how to prepare a loan package and how loan requests are reviewed by lenders. The finance primer gives an overview of the SBA’s loan guaranty programs to help small businesses understand the variety of financial resources, including those from the SBA. The finance courses can help entrepreneurs avoid such common mistakes as securing the wrong type of financing, miscalculating the amount of financing required, and underestimating the cost of borrowing money. The loan package course includes small business links to related information, and refers course participants for direct support in preparing a loan request to appropriate resources that include SBA’s district offices, SBA resource partners and lenders. Course participants who complete the 30-minute online training programs can earn a certificate of completion from the SBA.

These courses have been added to a menu of more than 26 online tutorials offered by the SBA through its virtual training campus at the Small Business Training Network (SBTN) (http://www.sba.gov/training)

DEP’s Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program

Please check the Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program for ways to limit your energy costs.

About the program: Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program, provides a 25 percent reimbursement grant (up to a maximum of $25,000) to enable Pennsylvania small businesses (businesses with 100 employees or fewer) to acquire certain pieces of equipment or adopt certain processes that promote energy efficiency.

Well-designed energy efficiency projects can help small businesses cut operating costs and increase competitiveness, while simultaneously reducing Pennsylvania's energy demand. The reimbursement grants can be applied toward the cost of purchasing and installing numerous
energy efficient items and systems, including geothermal heat pumps; energy efficient HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration systems; insulation and air sealing projects; etc.

Click on the following link into your browser to download the application and guidelines:

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energindependent/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=543714

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Also, there are some useful links to assist you.


 

Monday, February 6th, 2012
 

	Projects for 2010-2011 Current Fundraiser - Pens made of wood from the 1883 New Bethlehem Dam. Click here for info Redbank Valley Trails Information Click here for info New Bethlehem Trail Town Community Needs Survey by Mackin Engineering Company & McCollom Development Strategies Click Here Groups looking for local mission projects and community service work are welcome to call 814-275-1718 or scmateer1@comcast.net for possible coordination of future projects. Artists' and Crafters' Cooperative Click here for info 2011 Initiatives First Fridays in the Park Enjoy music and food in Gumtown Park on 1st Fridays in June through September and join us for the Music & Arts Festival on July 2nd! Click here for more Click Here for Artists/Crafters July 2nd Registration Form Arts & Crafts Show - December 3rd Registration Form More Info Trail Town Planning with New Bethlehem Borough PA Wilds Initiative Visit Trail Town page above for details YouTube Video High School Students: Need an idea for a graduation project that will benefit both you and the community? Click Here! More Info on Fundraisers and Events
	Full Community Calendar

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