Business First Stop Will Assist Appalachian Entrepreneurs in Three-State Region

A new resource for tech-based businesses in rural Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia was launched last week. The Appalachian Regional Entrepreneurship Initiative (AREI) is expanding its efforts to support growth of a technology-based entrepreneurial economy in Appalachia Ohio and neighboring states through a new website, http://www.bizfirststop.com

Business First Stop enables users to locate information and resources, seek out other area entrepreneurs, identify and solve problems, and find out about relevant area events. Contact information for business services and assistance in the areas of finance, management, business tools, marketing, and government can be found on the site for each state. Listings of informational sessions on financial, international trade, internet/e-commerce, management, sales and marketing, and technology topics comprise part of the Ohio information.



In addition, AREI will assist businesses to take advantage of newly available venture capital funding through the Appalachian Ohio Development Fund. Based at Ohio University, AREI also supports regional economic development organizations interested in providing technology-related training and technical assistance to local businesses. As part of this endeavor, an e-commerce curriculum is being developed which can be used by economic development organizations to assist their small business clients in development of their own e-commerce strategy and web sites.

For more information about Business First Stop or the Appalachian Regional Entrepreneurship Initiative, visit http://www.arei.org