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The Leadership EXCEL Advisory Board is pleased to announce the conclusion of their 2022 year.  The 27th Graduating Leadership EXCEL Class met at The New Fezzo’s of Crowley on Wednesday, November 9th for a reception and graduation ceremony. The evening began with an informal reception prior to the graduation where graduates, sponsors, and families of theRead more

BATON ROUGE, La. —  The recruitment process has started for LED’s  SEBD Roundtables, the innovative peer-to-peer learning program that brings small and emerging business leaders together for a yearlong experience of collaborative learning, problem solving and professional development. SEBD Roundtables is based on the PeerSpectives™ Roundtable System developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation and consideredRead more

As the new year draws near, small businesses are celebrating with employees and families alike. Holiday preparations go beyond planning parties and gatherings though as the new year lurks just around the corner and brings new opportunities that can be capitalized upon. Working within our community has shown that creating a marketing plan is theRead more

The Leadership EXCEL Advisory Board is pleased to announce the conclusion of their 2020-21 year.  The 26th Graduating Leadership EXCEL Class met at Grand Opera House of the South on Wednesday, November 17 for a reception and graduation ceremony. The evening began with an informal reception prior to the graduation where graduates, sponsors, and families ofRead more

The COVID small business crisis and prolonged and uneven, inflicting a disproportionate toll on microbusinesses in underserved communities that are the lifeblood of their local economies. While much attention has been paid to small business closures in urban communities across the country, the same dynamic is unfolding in underserved rural areas, with dire consequences. StillRead more

Everyone is looking to grow in the beginning of the year. Individuals make New Year’s resolutions and try to better themselves in whatever way they choose. Businesses are no different! Many of our local small businesses will be taking stock of what they can do to create growth for the next year. What better placeRead more

Due to the pandemic, the way businesses have had to conduct themselves and their business has altered dramatically. The digital age has indeed come full force upon us, with Zoom conferences, online classes, and digital marketing being utilized by every industry. Yet even with this emphasis on digital means of connecting, local businesses still relyRead more

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us begin to get in gear for one (if not THE) of the biggest shopping days of the year: Black Friday. Also, with the rise of ecommerce and the success of sites like Amazon and other online retailers, Cyber Monday has become a hot day of those internet-savvy individuals whoRead more

Opportunity Machine is partnering with local subject matter experts to bring small business owners and startup founders a new video series titled ‘Click to STARTup.’ These experts will answer entrepreneurs’ most frequently asked questions via quick and easy how-to videos. “The demand for business education content offered through virtual channels has skyrocketed over the lastRead more

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday, April 27 that he is extending his stay-at-home order through May 15, saying some regions of Louisiana haven’t shown enough progress in fighting the coronavirus outbreak to lessen widespread restrictions on businesses and public gatherings. But if the state’s rate of infections continues to decline, Governor Edwards said heRead more