Indiana Small Business Development Center and Ball State University Partner to Assist Entrepreneurs in East Central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) and Ball State University are creating a partnership to benefit economic development and entrepreneurship activities and opportunities in east central Indiana. In March, Ball State officially became the east central regional office host for the state agency.

The ISBDC offers entrepreneurs expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources for little or no cost. Services include one-on-one consulting, strategic planning, market research, needs assessments and loan assistance.

“We are excited to welcome Ball State University as the host partner for the East Central ISBDC regional office located in Muncie,” said ISBDC State Director Jacob Schpok. “With Ball State providing programmatic and capacity building assistance for the region, this further enhances the impact on small business development and entrepreneurial opportunities the ISBDC has on the area.”

The East Central ISBDC serves Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union and Wayne counties.

“Ball State University looks forward to working with members of the East Central ISBDC team as this region of the state further diversifies its economic base and looks to retain and support entrepreneurs in the area,” said Julie Halbig, the university’s vice president of government relations and community engagement.

“We are excited about the new relationship and look forward to strengthening ties between Ball State University, the East Central ISBDC and the entrepreneurial community. We know that working with the university will help us as we continue to serve East Central Indiana’s small businesses and their owners,” added Peggy Cenova who has led the East Central ISBDC team since 2011. Previously, she owned a small business, Straight Status, which was on Inc. 500’s fastest growing business list.

The East Central ISBDC office resides in Muncie’s Innovation Connector located at 1208 W. White River Blvd, Suite 129 and maintains satellite offices in:

• Anderson: Anderson Economic Development Commission Office, 120 E. Eighth St.
• New Castle: New Castle Henry County Economic Development Corp. office, 100 S. Main St.
• Richmond: Innovation Center, 814 E. Main St.

For more information about its offices, visit http://www.isbdc.org/locations/east-central-isbdc/ or email eastcentral@isbdc.org.