[StBernard] Disaster Relief Update From State Senator Walter Boasso

[Westley Annis]

Disaster Relief Update From State Senator Walter Boasso

October 27, 2005

Just wanted to provide assistance tips and information for our area's small
businesses:

* * * As a reminder, Louisiana's Department of Economic Development has a
wide variety of resources for assisting our stricken businesses in
Plaquemines, St. Bernard and eastern St. Tammany Parishes. The subjects
cover FEMA trailers available for businesses, financing your business
recovery and obtaining contractor work, etc. If you have computer access,
click on http://www.ledforward.louisiana.gov/faqs.html for a summary of
available assistance and programs. If you don't have computer access, you
may call toll-free 1-866-310-7617 and press "1" for business support, and
LED can fax the information to you. This vital Louisiana department is
certainly trying to get our businesses back on their feet - don't hesitate
to visit that website or to call the toll-free number !

* * * Louisiana's small businesses have another great asset for their road
to recovery. LABI (Louisiana Association of Business & Industry) has a Small
Business Disaster Relief Fund available for the benefit of businesses
affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. If you are the owner/proprietor of
a small Louisiana business (fewer than 100 employees at the time of the
storm), then please click on
http://www.labi.org/assets/docs/news/SBDRFAPPLICATIONFORM.pdf to access the
application and rules of eligibility.

* * * Here's valuable info on not one but TWO seminars to help the
post-disaster recovery for small businesses and the admission is absolutely
FREE ! The first is titled "Louisiana . . . Ready, Set, Grow!" and its
sponsored by the Shaw Group, Inc. The date is this Monday, October 31
(Halloween) from 8am - 2pm at the New Orleans Marriott, 555 Canal Street.
The main objective of the seminar is to teach small businesses how to do
business with the state and federal government, especially in this age of
post-Katrina government contracts. Space is limited, so register online at
http://louisiana-ready-set-grow.shawgrp.com. You don't have to be registered
with the Small Business Administration program to participate, but it is
encouraged. For those of you without internet access, please contact Rebecca
Bernhard with the Shaw Group for more information - 225-987-7229.

The second FREE seminar offered in coming days to small businesses is the
Small Business Disaster Recovery Seminar being sponsored by the Society of
Louisiana CPA's in conjunction with Hibernia National Bank. The dates and
locations are Wednesday, November 2 at Metairie's Eastbank Regional Library,
Rm B from 5pm - 8:30 pm at 4747 W. Napoleon. The seminar will also be held
on Thursday, November 3 at Mandeville's branch of Hibernia from 5pm - 8:30
pm at 3840 Emerald Rd (Hwy. 22). To register and/or to receive additional
information, please call Alex Suffrin, CPA at 504-904-1125 or write Alex at
asuffrin at lcpa.org

Sincerely,
Senator Walter J. Boasso
Louisiana State Senate District
boassow at legis.state.la.us
(225) 342-2415