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By Holly Duchmann Anyone from a church to a Fortune 500 company can establish a Qualified Opportunity Fund to take advantage of the Opportunity Zone program, established through the 2017 federal tax law to encourage private, long-term investments in underserved areas. “Nearly any business can set this up, said Robert Boehringer, tax managing director ofRead more

Tropical Storm Barry has made landfall and is projected to send Acadia Parish quite a lot of heavy rain and wind. However, after the flooding of August 2016, we learned a few tips that worked for our local businesses that might help alleviate your worry. Because, after all, we care about your business. In addition,Read more

Church Point Residents should bring shovels. Sandbags and sand will be provided free of charge. Limit three per door. Must show ID and reside in Church Point city limits. City barn will be open 7-11-19 from 8am-7pm 7-12-19 from 8am-7pm   Crowley Public Works Building, Starting Wednesday, July 10 at 8 a.m. 6 bags/driver’s licenseRead more

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards proclaimed February 2019 as Rural Outreach & Assistance Month for small businesses in Louisiana (ROAM), an effort founded and led by the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) to ignite economic development and small business growth and expansion in Louisiana’s rural parishes. This is the second year Governor Edwards hasRead more

The application period for LED’s CEO Roundtables is now open through March 31st for CEO Roundtables commencing in July 2019. LED’s regional CEO Roundtables convene 15 to 18 qualified, key decision-makers from Louisiana-based small businesses 10 times over the course of a year, for peer-to-peer learning and support through growth-oriented, collaborative roundtable sessions. CEO RoundtablesRead more

Opportunity Machine’s Small Business Boot Camp is designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing a framework to learn about the basics of running a business.  Classes will take place every Tuesday (except Mardi Gras) from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm for nine weeks (February 5 – April 9) in the Opportunity MachineRead more

By Chris Christoff​, co-founder of MonsterInsights   It’s about time for New Year’s resolutions to start popping up again. As 2018 comes to a close, how many of your resolutions did you complete from the start of the year? If your answer is “not many” or “none,” perhaps it’s time to start thinking about how you can reach your business and personalRead more

How can making people laugh help inspire customer loyalty? These five strategies—from making friends to giving back to your community—may help keep customers happy, and invested in your success. Bringing new customers into your business can be crucial—but it can also cost money and time to find them. And you’ve got competition out there workingRead more

For many businesses, holidays are the make-or-break season, but this crucial time of year can easily sneak up on you. It’s time to get ready now, before you get overwhelmed by the day-to-day holiday rush. Remember, more than a third of shoppers begin their holiday purchases by Halloween, so get in front of customers andRead more