Oakland County to Offer Free, Walk-In Business Counseling

Entrepreneurs looking to open a business in Oakland County can get free, walk-in business counseling on Thursdays at the county's One Stop Shop Business Center in Waterford.

The new Walk-In Business Counseling Service starts May 9 and will offer entrepreneurs free, confidential one-on-one advice from experienced business counselors.

“Our One Stop Shop Business Center was designed to assist entrepreneurs who needed guidance getting their business to the next step,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said in a press release. "Now we’re expanding our services to include those entrepreneurs who are just beginning and have questions about getting their business off the ground.”

Counselors will provide direct answers to start-up questions, suggest next steps and provide guidance on business planning tools, according to the release.

The first walk-in counseling day is set for 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9. Sessions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; no appointment is necessary. Initial counseling sessions are limited to 15 minutes.

“We usually operate on an appointment-only basis but many entrepreneurs walk into our One Stop Shop with questions on how to get started with their business idea,” Greg Doyle, One Stop Shop Business Center supervisor, said in the release. "By designating special walk-in days, we hope to reach more entrepreneurs and help them understand their next steps as well as present the resources we can make available to them. Our aim is to get them started quickly in a way that makes the most sense to their unique situation.”

Sessions will be held at business center, located at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Building 41W, in Waterford. The center is located on the first floor.

For more information, call 248-858-0783 or visit AdvantageOakland.com/expand.