SUNY Canton SBDC Seeks Agencies, Prime Contractors and Small Businesses for Oct. 28 Matchmaker Event

CANTON, NY (09/30/2014)(readMedia)-- The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SUNY Canton will be matchmaking government agencies with businesses and prime contractors who want to purchase goods and services.

The St. Lawrence County Matchmaker event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center's Woodcock Conference Suites.

Matchmaking is like speed dating. Business owners sign up for 10-minute meetings with purchasing officers, and then are given a short time to network and share marketing materials. When time is up, the business owner moves to the next agency. The goal is that agencies will learn about what is available locally, and a potential match can be made between supplier and purchaser.

The event presents a unique opportunity for area small businesses to meet one-on-one with purchasing officers from colleges, federal agencies, state and local governments, large regional institutions and major industries in the North Country. It is also chance to share marketing materials and inquire about the products and services needed. The goal is to find a match and eventually secure a contract to sell to the private or public entity.

The SUNY Canton SBDC held their first Matchmaker in St. Lawrence County last fall. It resulted in many successful connections between local small businesses, agencies and prime contractors who attended. The SBDC hopes to continue that success by co-hosting the event with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and with sponsorship from the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC), North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), and the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency.

For agencies and prime contractors, the Matchmaker is a great opportunity to support regional economic development by increasing knowledge of local products and services and by giving local companies the opportunity to expand their client base and grow their business.

Registration for the event is free for purchasing officers. The registration deadline is Oct. 13.

Businesses looking to expand their markets and have one-on-one contact with purchasing officers can register for a $10 fee. Pre-registered business participants will be given priority scheduling.

For more information, to register, or to set up a meeting, contact the SUNY Canton SBDC at (315) 386-7312 or email sbdc@canton.edu.

About the Small Business Development Center

The SUNY Canton SBDC offers free direct counseling and a wide range of management and technical assistance services. Small business advisors help start-up companies develop business plans, assist existing businesses prepare to expand or offer resources for industry-specific topics. Business planning services are provided free of charge. It is one of 1,000 Small Business Development Centers to provide no-cost business consulting and training to more than a million existing and startup small businesses each year, creating and retaining 156,000 jobs. More information is available at www.canton.edu/sbdc.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-