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Time for Learning
Posted September 11, 2008
It’s school time. The days of learning have begun for children all across the state. And, for some adults as well. The college crowd is getting back into the swing of things with some students arriving on campus for the first time and others anticipating their last year and the career that lies ahead.
This time of year also brings several learning opportunities for me. Our state chamber executives conference was back at the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina and back-to-back was the national chamber executives conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both provided great opportunities to get re-connected with friends and hear the latest and greatest information in the chamber world.
My buddy, Jim Blasingame, the Small Business Advocate, and one of the folks I look forward to seeing every year at the national conference, always has something new. A Florence, Alabama native that touts chamber membership for small businesses, Jim was one of the first folks I ever met at the big national conference. He remembers my name, where I’m from and the correct name of the chamber I work for.
And, this year was no different for Jim’s ideas. As we begin planning for next year, our focus once again will be on business. Jim, the Small Business Advocate, has the perfect solution for all the small business and entrepreneurial questions anyone could ask and one that will make me look like a hero!
As a new link to our website, you’ll find the “Ask Jim” link. Just a click away, you’ll find the answers to most of your small business questions. While some are generic, no city or state specific, small business wannbes will be guided in the right direction for the information, either at local or state levels. And, the information, thanks to some great sponsors, is free. Here’s another great example of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce providing you with the resources to help you with the American dream of owning your own company. The rest is up to you by putting the pieces together.
I am working with a group of entrepreneurs on putting a plan together for a business venture. Members of the group certainly are diverse and bring a different set of skills to the table. In the “due diligence” part, it’s interesting to see, that if you ask enough questions and have been around Mississippi for any length of time, you will be connected. Six degrees is the going standard. For the group of entrepreneurs, it’s been less stressful because some in the group has a contact somewhere in the State.
And, while much of the school talk is about winning football teams, it would be great to see in the headlines, educational breakthroughs in medical, science, technology, and new products prototype development at our colleges and universities. That’s also good news….those things that will have a lasting impact on the lives and the ability to make a decent living for all Mississippians.
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