The Mercer County Latino Business Institute serves as a core county resource connecting existing Latino business owners to one another as an informational sharing network, to resources that will help improve business practices to achieve financial success, as well as providing services and programs for start-up businesses to obtain information, guidance and support throughout the entire start-up process. Future business owners can take advantage of a full-course workshop program.

County Executive Brian M. Hughes and the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, which oversees the Latino Business Institute, maintain their goal of helping small business owners of Latino heritage succeed in today's competitive environment.

"The Latino business community is an important cornerstone of economic growth and vitality here in Mercer County, and we in county government look forward to seeing this community grow even more in the years to come," Mr. Hughes said.

The Institute conducts workshops throughout the year spanning all topics relative to small business start-up and expansion.

• Workshops are designed to provide tools and resources to individuals who are in business or thinking of starting a business.
• Workshops serve as training programs to help entrepreneurs learn the basics of creating a business plan, securing financial funding and support, and business operations.
• All workshops are conducted through bilingual instruction that encourages participants to engage in their native language in order to acquire and comprehend business concepts in English, to further develop business practice skills.

Start-up companies participating in the Latino Business Institute course workshop program must complete the following steps:

• Attend free informational workshop
• Attend at least 75% of the classes
• Complete the registration and assessment
• Complete all homework assignments
• Complete a business plan (business plan workshops consist of 8 workshops)
• Present business plan to panel of business professionals

Mercer County Latino Business Institute
NJ Small Business Development Center
Phone: 609-771-2947
Fax: 609-637-5217