CAZENOVIA — Recently, Melissa L. Zomro Davis from the Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been working two days a week out of Caz CoWorks to provide free assistance to small business owners in Madison County.
The Onondaga SBDC is a CNY based organization that provides confidential business consulting, at no cost, to both start-up and existing businesses in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, and Seneca counties.
In her role as an advanced NYSBDC certified business advisor, Zomro Davis provides assistance in a variety of areas, including business plan development, financial projections, organizational structures, exporting, cost analysis, marketing plans, market research, financial management, financial strategies, training programs, business expansion/sale, and research through the SBDC Research Network. A complete list of SBDC services is available at onondagasbdc.org.
Caz CoWorks is a membership-based coworking space located on the second floor at 87 Albany St. in downtown Cazenovia.
Launched in January 2018 by the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) in consultation with Syracuse CoWorks, Caz CoWorks provides a well-equipped, flexible and affordable remote workspace for professionals in Cazenovia, Manlius, Chittenango, Morrisville and surrounding areas.
“Several years ago, Cazenovia College provided office space to both CACDA and the Onondaga SBDC at 1 Liberty St.,” said CACDA Executive Director Lauren Lines. “A great outcome of sharing that space was that Melissa and I had opportunities to discuss overlapping priorities. More recently, Melissa has dedicated two days a week to working at Caz CoWorks. This location is convenient for meeting with clients and also offers an added service to members of Caz CoWorks.”
Zomro Davis, who has been meeting clients in Cazenovia for the past eight years, started using the CoWorks space this past summer.
So far, she has worked with businesses in a variety of industries, including food products, restaurants, retail, manufacturing, consulting, agriculture, engineering and construction. She recently worked with H. Grey Supply Co., a modern day general store and outfitter at 53 Albany St.
“There is an article I just did on them that was published in the Business Journal,” Zomro Davis said.
According to the SBDC, the Cazenovia satellite location has made an economic impact of $6,996,270.00 and created/saved 117 jobs since its establishment in 2015.
A Cazenovia resident herself, Zomro Davis said she is committed to the community and understands the needs of its small businesses.
“I am one of them,” she said. “When I started here eight years ago, we didn’t have much of a presence, but I attended events, put on presentations, and began advertising our services to Madison County. I feel strongly about providing the best service I can to this area. Our center is based out of Onondaga, but we cover six counties.”
The small business advisor added that the days she works out of Cazenovia (Mondays and Thursdays) are typically stacked with back-to-back appointments.
“Being on Main Street is such a huge bonus for our clients, [both in terms of] finding us and being able to conveniently come into the office,” she said. “I hope to continue the outreach and be at the office additional days during the week. With the growth and the potential for growth with entrepreneurship being so promising, I can see the need to be here on a more full-time basis happening sooner rather than later.”
To sign up for an appointment with Zomro Davis or to read SBDC client stories in Madison County, visit onondagasbdc.org/caz-coworks.html.
For more information on Caz CoWorks, contact Lines at [email protected] or 315-655-7651.
