McNeese Offers Free Classes for Small Business Owners

Six workshops. Zero cost. That's the September lineup from the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University, according to McNeese.

The LSBDC at McNeese built the series for both established small business owners and new entrepreneurs, the university said. Some sessions run online. Others meet in person in DeRidder and Lake Charles.

The series opens Sept. 1 with "Finish the Year Strong: Your Q4 Plan," an online class, per McNeese. The next day starts PAVE — Pathway to Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs — with a session on finding customers and spotting market opportunity, also online.

PAVE continues Sept. 9 with a class on reaching the right customers through marketing. It wraps Sept. 16 with a session on financial planning for veteran-owned businesses, according to the university.

Sept. 9 also brings an in-person option in DeRidder: "AI Agents for Small Business Efficiency." The series ends Sept. 17 in Lake Charles with "Capitalize 2026: Funding Your Small Business," per McNeese.

Owners can register at louisianasbdc.org. Click "Services," then "View Calendar," the university said. Questions go to the LSBDC at McNeese at 337-475-5529 or lsbdc.msu@louisianasbdc.org.

People requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact McNeese's Office of Campus Compliance and Civility at least 72 hours before an event, the university noted. That office sits in the Burton Business Center, Suite 407, and can be reached at 337-475-5428 or compliance@mcneese.edu, according to McNeese.

All SBA programs are open to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis, McNeese said, and federal funding supports the program. Full funding disclosure is available at louisianasbdc.org/funding-source, per the university.