Business Connect Launches at Upcounty Regional Services Center

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Montgomery County business owners and entrepreneurs in the Upcounty will be getting additional support through the new Business Connect program launched by County Executive Marc Elrich at the Upcounty Regional Services Center.

Business Connect is a business assistance hub where small business owners can get information, support and training to start or grow their companies. The Germantown location was selected to make it more convenient for thousands of Upcounty businesses to connect with County services. Assistance is available by appointment. The Upcounty Regional Services Center is located at 12900 Middlebrook Road.

“Growing the economy is one of my priorities and I have also made a commitment to ensure that services are delivered fairly throughout the County,” said Elrich. “Piloting this effort in the Upcounty Regional Services Center addresses both of those objectives. This program provides counseling, classes and connections to local business owners in their own communities to help them succeed and grow.”

The new program was launched Wednesday, May 8, during Small Business Week. Results from the Upcounty pilot will be used to design a Countywide Business Connect program available at all of the regional services centers over the next year.

“Montgomery County’s new Business Connect program is a terrific complement to the state-level efforts to transform Maryland’s business climate,” said Maryland Commerce Deputy Secretary Ben Wu. “This innovative program shows that Montgomery County is working hard to make sure government provides great customer service and ensures that Maryland is a welcoming, supportive place to launch and grow a business.”

The Montgomery County Business Solutions Group, which includes the small business navigator and business liaison officers, is working on site at the Upcounty Regional Services Center.

Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Jerome Fletcher said the County is committed to helping small businesses.

“We want businesses to know that assistance is available throughout the County,” said Fletcher. “We will start with offering training and navigation and look forward to hearing from the business community about what other types of services would be helpful.”

Business Connect will offer workshops on County processes such as procurement and permitting and will work with local chambers of commerce to provide informative “lunch and learn” sessions from subject matter experts.

For information and resources related to starting and growing a business in Montgomery County, visit the Montgomery County Business Portal.

When visiting the Montgomery County Business Portal, click on Training Workshops (at the top right of the website) to register for these upcoming classes at the Upcounty Regional Services Center:

• Wednesday, May 29 - Legal Risk Management for Business Owners, 10 a.m. - noon (Room B)
• Thursday, May 30 - Montgomery County Procurement Programs and State of Maryland Certifications, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Room A)
• Tuesday, June 4 - How to Launch Your Food Venture, 10 a.m. – noon (Room B)
• Tuesday, June 4 - One-on-One Business Counseling, 1 - 4 p.m. (Room 1)

To book an appointment with the County’s Business Solutions Group, email bizportal@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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Release ID: 19-153
Media Contact: Sonya Burke 240-777-6531