EDF partners with Oxford School District for business workshops

Published 4:03 pm Friday, January 21, 2022

The Oxford School District’s Department of College and Career Readiness (CCR) is partnering with the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation to put on a free, four-part series of workshops about entrepreneurship and starting a small business in Mississippi.

The Entrepreneurial Development Series is open to the community and will occur each Tuesday evening in February from 5 to 6 PM in the Oxford High School Library.  Allen Kurr and Derek Stephens, both certified counselors with the Mississippi Small Business Development Center (SBDC), will facilitate the workshops.

 

Kurr, who is the Vice President of the Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation, said he was “very excited to partner with the Oxford School District and SBDC to deliver entrepreneurial education to our best and brightest students. Possessing the knowledge and tools of small business development not just helps future entrepreneurs, but also enhances the capabilities and potential of new employees entering into the workforce.  Concepts like risk, buildership, and process are applicable across the board and that’s why we are excited to bring this program to the students and parents of the district.”
The four session topics will be:
  • February 1- Starting a Business: First Steps
  • February 8- How to Develop a Business Plan
  • February 15- 10 steps to Establish Your Business in Mississippi
  • February 22- 5 Do’s and Dont’s of Successful Business
The sessions are open to anyone in the community who has an interest in learning more about any of these aspects of starting a business in the community.
Dr. Duncan Gray, the Asst. Director of College and Career Readiness in the OSD, explained how working with the Economic Development Foundation was a natural fit for the CCR department. “We have a very strong Business, Marketing, and Finance program in OSD, and with February being CTE awareness month, it’s a great opportunity for us to highlight how the work Mrs. Murchison does with her BMF programs is connected to students’ pathways after high school. These SBDC sessions bring relevance to coursework and also provide high-quality information to community members who are looking to start a business or who have recently started a small business. The partnership is a win-win for everyone involved.”
Due to space limitations, please use the link below to register for sessions of interest. Sessions will also be streamed through the OSD social media platforms.  For more information, please contact Dr. Gray at dmgray@oxfordsd.org.