Starting a business can be a daunting task, as can finding resources and opportunities that benefit established entrepreneurs and community organizations. Where do I start? Whom do I contact in government for permits and permissions? Where can I find available space to lease? How can I find financial assistance? These are just some of the questions that burgeoning entrepreneurs and organizations in the Cazenovia area need answered.
And this is exactly the type of help that the new Cazenovia College Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development offers — and offers free of charge.
Located in the new center, which is housed at 1 Liberty St. in the village, are offices for Melissa L. Zomro-Davis, certified small business advisor with the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College, and Lauren Lines, executive director for the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA).
Zomro-Davis supports inspiring entrepreneurs, one-to-one, to determine needs, answer questions and establish a plan of action to create a profitable business, while Lines works with municipalities and community organizations to enhance economic vitality and preserve the rural, historic character of the region through education, consensus-building and project implementation.
“There’s been a big county initiative to get people in business and community development on the same page, and this is just one small step in that direction,” said Zomro-Davis. “Lauren and I already collaborate a lot, and it’s been nice to have that daily interaction, right in the same building.”
“It’s a nice connection,” Lines said. “Melissa provides a huge resource for entrepreneurs, and when I see grants for start-up businesses, which can be hard to qualify for, I let Melissa know about the opportunities.”
Lines has had a CACDA office in a different Cazenovia College building for years, while Zomro-Davis has not had a local office to work from; placing them together in a joint office just “made sense,” said David Bergh, vice president for planning and institutional effectiveness at Cazenovia College.
“We all benefit from a vibrant, sustainable community with a diverse range of successful businesses, and this center is a place to bring together people in economic and local community development,” said Bergh. “It also makes it easier for the college to attract potential students and be a place where students want to stay, live and work after graduation.”
The center opened last fall, and Lines moved in this past January. Recently, the official sign for the center was erected by the college.
In addition to serving the Cazenovia-area community, the center will also serve a resource for Cazenovia College students to do research, gain assistance and utilize for their own entrepreneurial endeavors, Zomro-Davis said.
“I already go into college classes to talk, but now we can take things further and students can come here,” she said. “We are developing an entry center here for the college and the community.”
Karin Bump, full professor in equine business management at Cazenovia College, said she and Zomro-Davis have worked together for a number of years, and for the past 2 or 3 years have talked about finding a way to have a campus location for her. Late last fall, with the support of new college President Ron Chesbrough, Bump organized and facilitated a working session with a number of community leaders to talk about needs and opportunities for the college to play a larger role in entrepreneurial development.
“With the new president, the timing came together between the initial entrepreneurial-themed work I was engaged in and what he had shared about his interest in creating more opportunities for community engagement,” Bump said. “It’s been wonderful to see this grow from an idea to something that is beginning to happen in practice.”
Zomro-Davis and Lines offer not only information at the new center, but also help entrepreneurs and organizations with financial planning and grant funding, writing business plans, connecting with municipal officials and other community leaders to get through the start-up process. “Sometimes it can be hard to navigate through the bureaucracy,” Lines said. “Our assistance can even help these people choose Cazenovia over other communities when starting their business.”
The Cazenovia College Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, located at 1 Liberty St., currently is open by appointment. Contact Melissa Zomro-Davis at 315-498-6066 or email to [email protected]; contact Lauren Lines at 315-655-7650 or email [email protected].
