The Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation (ECDC) has been offering a number of business training courses designed to enhance entrepreneurial skills.

The classes also teach the skills necessary to enable small businesses in the county to operate more effectively and make them more productive. Some of the classes offered are designed help in the area of computer knowledge through the offering of classes in Quickbooks and Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher; other classes are designed to assist in creativity and stress the importance of a comprehensive business plan.

Individuals who successfully complete the classes then qualify for low interest micro-loans through the ECDC.

Lisa and Dan Edwards recently completed the series of classes and applied for one of the micro-loans.

“The classes are very beneficial. I would recommend them to anyone, whether you own your own business or not,” Lisa Edwards said.

The Edwards are the new owners of a business in Milroy, formerly called Sam’s Trophies.

“Although not official yet, we hope to rename the business “Winning Spirit,” Edwards’ husband Dan said.

Both feel the classes offered locally played a large part in developing their business skills and they were glad to receive one of the loans offered through the ECDC.

ECDC executive director Greg Griffin and business specialist Mark Sloan were on hand to personally present the Edwards with their loan check.

In recent months the ECDC and the ECDC board have been active in putting into place an economic development strategy for the county.

On another note, Sloan reports that the county recently received another $10,000 of Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) monies. The monies may be utilized as low interest loans to existing or emerging businesses which have fewer than 50 employees. The money must be used to purchase equipment, inventory, and/or can be used as working capital for the business. The application explicitly states the money cannot be used to purchase real property.

The amount of money a business may expect from the grant money will vary between $5,000 and $25,000, and the term of the loan will range from three to five years, with a fixed rate.

Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@cnhimedia.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Website at www.rushvillerepublican.com.