Page 47 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

In Mississippi the resource partners include the Network of Small Business Development Centers; SCORE – America’s Counselors; the Veterans Business Outreach Center; the two Women’s Business Centers at Alcorn State University and Jackson State University; and the Community Navigator (CN) hosted by Community Students Learning Center. These resource partners primarily serve the entire state and provide vital information to clients one-on-one, free and confidentially.
Easy access to these organizations can be found at:
www.mississippisbdc.org 800.725.7232 www.mississippi.score.org 601.589.0949 www.vboc.msstate.edu 662.325.4990 www.jsums.edu/wbc 601.979.4186 www.alcorn.edu/wbc 601.304.4342 www.communitystudentlearning.org 662.834.0905
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
September 2022 | 47
“BlueTech jobs include technologically-advanced activities and methods used to solve water-related issues and traditional maritime jobs that include BlueTech
in their work,” she says. “We are able to promote
the unique qualities of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to encourage relocation of talent and industry.
“The Gulf Blue Initiative spans the entire Gulf Coast, however, we reside in the Gulf & Ship Island Building in Gulfport which provides a co-working membership space for those with innovation and interest in the blue technology space. If anyone is interested, we are happy to support them in finding a home and a career in blue tech. Some opportunities are in unscrewed systems, aquaculture, manufacturing, smart ports, ocean-friendly plastics, coastal data, and space-to-sea-floor systems”
Guess adds that there are always 100 percent opportunities for women with BlueTech jobs. “There are a number of ways and opportunities I, and those I work with, can support business owners. From setting up their small business, their online presence to business partnering, we can help.”
One of the programs Guess is working with is Gulf Blue, a program of The University of Southern Mississippi Research Foundation. “We are supporting smart new companies and attracting a highly technical workforce that will bring big ideas out of the blue. We are capitalizing on existing, world-class ocean research capabilities and connecting entrepreneurs and startups with government agencies and capital investments,” she said.
All of SBA relevant programs are available for minority and women-owned small businesses, a key part of SBA’s target markets. “In addition to the assistance provided by our entrepreneurial development resource partners, small businesses in general and small businesses that are minority, woman-owned, veteran-owned,
SBA HUBZone certified, etc., may obtain assistance
via SBA’s wide array of small business loan programs, federal government contracting, and more,” Stewart says.