New Program to Help Small Business

Governor Bev Perdue has announced a new JobsNOW small business lending initiative to help more small businesses get the loans they need to grow or stay in business.

“North Carolina’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating more than two-thirds of all new jobs,” Gov. Perdue said at a press conference last week in Winston-Salem. “Small businesses will power North Carolina’s economic recovery.”

Because of the recession and new federal regulation of bank lending, small and medium-sized businesses are having a hard time obtaining credit. Gov. Perdue’s initiative will help more North Carolina businesses get access to credit by increasing participation in Small Business Administration loans and by helping North Carolina small businesses strengthen their loan applications.

In the next six months, the state will hold a series of “banker boot camps” across North Carolina to coach loan officers and community banks on how to take advantage of SBA loans.

The initiative is a partnership between the Governor’s Office, the N.C. Small Business Commissioner as part of the N.C. Department of Commerce, the N.C. Bankers Association, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the N.C. Commissioner of Banks.

Kel Landis, former head of RBC Centura in North Carolina, will chair a leadership steering committee to support the initiative. Visit JobsNOW to learn more.

Take a Walk on the Mall Side

It’s not just about shopping. It’s also about physical fitness. Although, you know, it’s not a bad way to do some window shopping while you get fit!

Cary Towne Center is home to the Cary Towne Cruisers, a mall-walking group that meets the third Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. in the food court.

Sponsored by Duke Heart Center and Duke University Medical Center, the Cary Towne Cruisers offer a free walking program open to all mall patrons.

For more information on the program, call Cary Towne Center at 919-467-0145.

How SMART women beat stress

Are you feeling overworked and overwhelmed? Is taking care of yourself last on our list of things to do?

You can find out how to take better care of yourself and take care of business at the Cary Chamber’s Business of Women luncheon March 18 at noon at Prestonwood Golf & Country Club, as guest speaker Dr. Barnsley Brown tackles the problem of balance head on, with her SMART method, targeted to simplify your work, beat stress and burnout and create time to recharge your batteries.

Dr. Brown is a self-described “steel magnolia” in a long line of Southern women.  She graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University and studied in France and England before earning her MSc from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to launching her company, Spirited Solutions, she taught at Wake Forest, Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.

As a professional speaker, trainer, coach and president of Spirited Solutions, Dr. Brown gives her audiences wings to soar, personally and professionally.

The program is $15 in advance or $20 at the door and is sponsored by WBON-Cary, Hall & Burns Wealth Manageme3nt and Woodland Terrace.

For information or to make a reservation, call 467-1016 or visit the chamber’s website at www.carychamber.com.

News from the Cary Chamber

• BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: Cambria Suites RDU at 3090 Airgate Drive, Morrisville, will host this month’s Business After Hours on Wednesday, March 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join in the fun at this networking and social event.

• CELEBRATING GREAT BUSINESSES: Nominations are open for the Cary Chamber of Commerce 2010 Small Business Awards, which include the Small Business of the Year, Community Service, Employer of the Year, Innovation Award, Entrepreneurial Award in Education and Charitable Partners Award. Presenting sponsor Crescent State Bank encourages you to nominate a business by visiting the chamber site, www.carychamber.com, and filling out the nomination form. The awards will be presented at a special luncheon May 13 at noon at Embassy Suites in Cary. Keep an eye on the chamber site for more details.

• NEW MEMBER DRIVE UNDER WAY: The Chamber’s annual membership drive is under way. If you’d like to help boost the membership base of your chamber, give Delancy Carroll a call, 467-1015, and let her know you’d like to help. There are great prizes to be won for those volunteers who participate.

What’s Your News?

If you have business news you’d like to share with carycitizen.com readers, please email Brenda Larson. We’d love to hear from you!

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This week’s CaryCitizen news is sponsored by FrantzForHouse.org.