ELLENVILLE – Nearly 50 people, many from the village's business community, made their way to the Government Center on Monday night to participate in a panel discussion hosted by Dan Hauspurg, the village's economic development officer.

Hauspurg discussed the microenterprise loan project, which makes available low-interests loans that range from $300 to $20,000, and which can be used to improve existing small businesses of five employees or fewer, or to help get a new small business off the ground. He also talked about other funding options to help businesses, such as the Ellenville Local Development Corporation's revolving loan fund, and the Main Street Grant, the latter of which is designed to aid businesses in revamping their facades.

Hauspurg also mentioned that one of Ellenville's major strengths is its diversity, pointing out the many ethnically diverse restaurants that can be found in close proximity to each other. He said that utilizing this diversity of food and types of business was key to helping the village's economic fortunes return. Encouraging small, diverse businesses would be far more helpful than depending on one single type of business, such as the manufacturers of Schrade and Hydro, whose departures a few years ago crippled the local economy.

"If we put all our eggs in one basket, and the basket breaks, the community suffers," he said.

Also contributing to the discussion were Dr. Arnaldo Schewert, director of the Mid-Hudson Valley Small Business Development Center; Melinda Beuf, director of retention and project management at Ulster County Development Corporation; and local real-estate agent Carolyn Peters-Baker.

Schewert talked about the different benefits that the Small Business Development Center, or SBDC could provide, such as free business advice and guidance, services that Hauspurg has compared to "basically having a Price Waterhouse Coopers available to the small businessman for free." Furthermore, Schewert talked about how the United States Small Business Administration, the federal agency that funded the SBDC, would guarantee loan payments from banks to small businesses, thereby lowering the risk for banks who finance such endeavors, as well as freeing up credit and funding options for businesses looking to move forward.

On the whole, it seemed as though many of those in attendance were happy to find out about the different services and funding options that they'd heard about that night. As the floor was opened to people in the audience, local business owner Barbara Hoff, of Top Shelf Jewelry, related the story of how she was a recipient of funding from the village's revolving loan fund 29 years ago, when she first started her business. She talked about the fact that this funding was a major boon when it came to getting her business started, and that business owners today could similarly benefit.

Hauspurg can be reached in his office in the village government center Monday through Thursday mornings, at 647-7080, extension 328.

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