Louisiana SBDC at LSU Alexandria

10/22/2026

The Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual Women in Business Conference is happening soon!

Don't forget to make sure you're in the room!

One week away from inspiration, empowerment, and connections that matter!

The 2026 Women in Business Conference is bringing together women who lead, inspire, and make a difference.

https://cenlabusinessdirectory.cenlachamber.org/events/details/2026-women-in-business-conference-271?fbclid=IwY2xjawVEg6xleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMUVVc2U4WGFVSzZGMFJSSzVzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEemGjIviYQi-nodp1k5LTE6jzvnH8mWf3-r1kVNCEKHPtn9AERcP8CIAs0IYk_aem_8jq5G44-EaNHxFdohgixiQ

10/19/2026

Happening this Thursday, October 22, in Alexandria!

12 likes. 2 comments. One was your mom.

Zero sales.

You're not bad at social media. You're talking to people who will never buy from you.

Likes don't pay rent.
Followers don't buy coffee.
Buyers do.

On Thursday, October 22nd, Tance Hughes will hand you a 90-minute plan to turn your posts into paying customers.

Who's Tance?

He owns a PJ's Coffee and a self storage facility in Natchez, MS (population: about 14,480). He's opening a second PJ's and a Flying Dolly's Ice Cream next year.

He was named PJ's Coffee Franchisee of the Year. He made Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Inc. 5000 with his first company. He runs marketing for a newsletter growth agency.

He's not a guru with a ring light. He's a small-town business owner who figured out how to turn attention into revenue. In a town where everybody already knows everybody.

If it works in Natchez, it'll work for you.

You'll walk out with:

✅ A clean setup for your business social accounts (or a cleanup plan if they're a mess)
✅ Positioning that makes the right customers find you
✅ A simple system to stop chasing likes and start attracting buyers
✅ Clear next steps you can run the morning after the class

Not theory.
Not "post more."
A plan.

This is NOT for people who want to go viral, chase hacks, or keep posting into the void.

This IS for business owners tired of content that doesn't sell, and for anyone starting from zero who wants to do it right the first time.

📅 Thursday, October 22nd
⏰ 8:30 to 10:00 AM
📍 In person at Louisiana Central (1302 Murray St, Alexandria)
💻 Or join live on Zoom

90 minutes. Free. $0.

A Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur hands you his playbook. Your only cost is showing up.

In-person seats are limited.
When the room's full, it's full.
Zoom still needs a reserved spot.

👉 Claim your free seat before it's gone: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdml0E2vOhg2AlDbDl8dkVpovS1tT3Mo-MglBpPrmlfd8aNNQ/viewform

10/15/2026

⏳ ONE WEEK AWAY: Looking for funding to start or grow your business?

Many business owners don’t get stuck because of a lack of ideas. They get stuck because they don’t know which funding fits, what lenders want to see, or who to talk to first. I-49 Connects: The Road to Capital is designed to help solve exactly that.

Coordinated by our colleagues at the LSBDC at Southern University Shreveport, this event brings entrepreneurs and small business owners together with the information, resources, and relationships needed to access capital. We’re happy to be part of the effort.

In just two hours, you’ll learn:
✅ Your options: loans, investors, and alternative funding
✅ What lenders and investors look for when reviewing a business
✅ How credit, cash flow, and financial statements impact your funding potential
✅ Who’s in your corner: local lenders and resource partners
✅ Practical next steps to position your business for capital and growth

📅 Thursday, October 22, 2026 | ⏰ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Merci Beaucoup, 127 Church Street, Natchitoches

Serving Central Louisiana and beyond, this is a conversation worth having whether you need funding now or are planning for the year ahead.

👉 Register today: https://www2.lsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=5460057

Want help getting your financials or business plan funding-ready afterward? Our consultants are here for no-cost, confidential advising.

10/13/2026

🤖 Business Owners: Ready to Put AI to Work in Your Business?

The LSBDC at LSUA is excited to share an upcoming opportunity through LSUA Continuing Education that can help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals learn practical ways to leverage artificial intelligence for growth and efficiency.

Whether you're looking to improve marketing, automate routine tasks, create content faster, or explore new business opportunities, this hands-on AI Master Class Series can help you gain the skills to stay competitive in today's business environment.

📅 AI Master Class Series

October 30 | AI Foundations & Creative Media Learn how to write effective AI prompts and create images, videos, and audio content that can support your marketing and communications efforts.

November 13 | Build It & Launch It Discover how to build AI-powered applications using ChatGPT and publish them online, with no coding experience required.

December 4 | AI for Business Automation Learn how AI agents and automation tools can streamline operations, organize information, and improve productivity.

📍 Location: LSU Alexandria, Mulder Hall
⏰ Check-in: 8:00 a.m. | Classes begin at 8:15 a.m.
🍽️ Lunch Included

💲 $145 per class
💲 $399 for the complete three-class series

Links to register are in the comments!

AI is quickly becoming a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're a startup, an established small business, or simply interested in understanding emerging technology, this series offers practical, hands-on learning you can immediately apply.

📞 Questions? Contact LSUA Continuing Education at 318-427-4441 or 318-427-4498.

Learn it. Create it. Build it.

10/09/2026

NATCHITOCHES we're coming to you!

💰 Need funding to start or grow your business?

Join us for I-49 Connects: The Road to Capital and learn how to position your business for funding success.

📅 October 22, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Merci Beaucoup in Natchitoches

During this session, you'll learn how to:

✅ Understand your capital options, including loans, investors, and alternative funding sources
✅ Prepare a strong loan or investment package
✅ Assess your financial readiness and understand the role of credit, cash flow, and financial statements
✅ Connect with lenders, financial partners, and business resource providers
✅ Develop a personalized action plan to pursue the funding your business needs

Whether you're launching a new venture or preparing for growth, this training will help you take the next step with confidence.

Register here! https://www2.lsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=5460057

10/06/2026

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10/05/2026

Looking for practical ways to strengthen your business operations, save time, and reduce stress?

We're happy to share this upcoming training series offered in Alexandria through Louisiana Central's Small Business Opportunity Program and powered by the Business Acceleration System (BAS).

Although the first session has already passed, there's still time to join the remaining workshops:

📌 October 7 – Legal Basics for Starting a Business
📌 October 20 – Preparing Your Business to Hire
📌 October 22 – Getting Your Business Started on Social Media (In-Person & Virtual)

These sessions are designed to provide actionable tools that small business owners can put to work immediately.

Learn more and register here: www.louisianacentralprograms.com/sbopevents

09/22/2026

🚨 Date Change Alert! 🚨

Today's Natchitoches Small Business Training Day has been rescheduled to November 3.

If you're an entrepreneur, small business owner, side hustler, or future business owner, we still want to see you there! Join us for expert-led trainings, practical business strategies, and no-cost one-on-one counseling from the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at LSU Alexandria.

✅ Registration is now open for the November 3 event.

Thank you for your flexibility, and we look forward to helping you build, grow, and strengthen your business this fall.

🔗 Registration links are in the comments.

09/18/2026

Pricing for Profit. 📈

We had a full room of small business owners and entrepreneurs last night, along with virtual attendees, for Pricing for Profit: How to Set Prices That Support Your Business with Clarke Woods.

Clarke shared practical strategies for evaluating pricing, understanding profit margins, considering market conditions, and making sure your prices support the business you're building.

We were also glad to welcome Charles Kight, Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Valerie from the LSUA College of Business. We are fortunate to have supportive stakeholders and an engaged College of Business team supporting our small business owners and entrepreneurs.

A big thank-you to Ugly Mug Marketing for providing the space and to Clarke for another great training! Everyone always compliments this space and enjoys their time here. Thank you for being hospitable and accommodating.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and committed an evening to learning and improving their business. Showing up, continuing to learn, and refining your approach are all part of building a stronger business.

We’re proud to support the small businesses that contribute so much to the Central Louisiana economy and beyond.

Through the support of SBA, Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC), and LSU Alexandria, we’re able to provide no-cost training and counseling to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout our region.

If you have a business challenge you're working through, we're here to help.
www.louisianasbdc.org

09/16/2026

We are proud to serve Central Louisiana's small business and entrepreneurial community!