T’Keyah Williams (left) and Michael McElroy, owners of Mama Nature’s Juice Bar, offer samples of their juices and plant-based food to guests at the opening of the City of Jackson Small Business Development Center. Submitted photo
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Small Business Development Center has opened a new center in partnership with the city of Jackson. The City of Jackson Small Business Development Center is among eight full service centers across the Magnolia State.
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through the University of Mississippi, the MSBDC plays an important role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the state, helping more than 230 businesses open that provided more than 900 new jobs in the 2018-19 fiscal year.
At the grand opening ceremony Dec. 6, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba; Janita Stewart, Small Business Administration district director; and Sharon Nichols, MSBDC state director, all spoke about the possibilities and positive impact the center and its services can have on the small business community of the Jackson metro area.
“I would like to thank the MSBDC for the opportunity to partner together and offer this resource to our community for people who are looking for assistance to get their business off the ground,” Lumumba said. “I tell people that as the rest of the country has been in a race to get the second home of Amazon, that we should focus on building the next Amazon right here.”
Janita Stewart (left), Small Business Administration district director, and Sharon Nichols, MSBDC state director, greet Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba at the opening of the City of Jackson Small Business Development Center. Submitted photo
The reception also featured one of the MSBDC’s clients, Mama Nature’s Juice Bar, which has two locations in the Jackson area. Owner T’Keyah Williams and partner Michael McElroy set up at the event and offered guests samples of their juices and plant-based food.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our partnership with the city of Jackson and our newest MSBSC location,” Nichols said. “Jackson’s entrepreneurial culture is dynamic and growing, and we are delighted to be a part of that growth.”
The MSBDC is the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, with locations from Southaven to Biloxi. At each center, experienced business counselors provide one-on-one business counseling and workshops at no cost to any Mississippian who wants to start a business or already has a business.
The new center, at 200 South President St. in downtown Jackson, is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact information and a list of no-cost workshops offered by the City of Jackson MSBDC is available at http://www.mssbdc.org.