> Advocate
SEEDS Center
keeps growing
By Daniel DeMersseman
“If you want to buy a book, you go to a library; if
you want to buy groceries, you go to a store — but if
you want to start a business, where do you go?” asked
Jeff Hanson, chair of the Valdosta Area Business Incu-
bator advisory board.
From the aspiring to the established business
owner, entrepreneurs of all kinds can find answers and
resources at their local SEEDS Resource Center.
SEEDS stands for Sowing Economic Development
and Entrepreneur Success
In 2004, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber
of Commerce partnered with Georgia Power to create
the SEEDS center.
The SEEDS Center connects businesses with other
businesses and provides a variety of services, work-
shops and classes, chamber officials said.
Visitors can learn about everything from how to
form a limited liability corporation to where and how
to apply for a business license, said Betty Morgan, Val-
dosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce vice president
for business development.
“Accountants, lawyers, business owners. We have
all those business connections right here,” Morgan said.
Along with offering business connections, the
SEEDS Resource Center provides access to information
from several databases.
“I can give you a demographic report for an area
of the city. I can tell you how many cars go down a
street in a certain hour. If you need a business com-
parison, I can tell you how much money a business is
spending on advertising so you can know how much
you need to spend to compete,” Morgan said.
Since 2006, the SEEDS Resource Center has part-
nered with local businesses for its annual business plan
competition.
The competition is a six-month challenge that in-
cludes writing a business plan and pitching the plan to
a panel of judges. The winner receives a $10,000 check
and $20,000 in-kind contributions.
10
Trendsetters | Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce
The SEEDS Center connects
businesses with other
businesses and provides
a variety of services,
workshops and classes.
“Accountants, lawyers,
business owners. We
have all those business
connections right here.”