The Louisiana Small Business Development Center, housed at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will offer a series of workshops through April aimed at helping area small businesses startup and stay healthy.

Workshops include the following:

“Starting and Financing a Small Business,” which will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., Feb. 7 and April 18, and from 6 to 8 p.m., March 12. The course is recommended for individuals who want to know how feasible their small business plans are, and for those who want to expand their businesses. The course also explores how to obtain a small business loan, and offers information on planning and development.

“Managing a Business During a Recession,” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Feb. 17. The workshop will cover issues related to managing a business during a recession, including cash-flow management concerns. Time will be available to address specific problems that an individual business may be experiencing.

“Taking Care of Your Credit” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., March 10, and will cover how to read a credit report and what to do to improve scores or correct errors found on the report.

“Small Business Sales and Use Tax” will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., March 18, and will cover the key definitions of state tax law, with an overview of exemptions and exclusions. How to complete a sales tax return will also be included.

All workshops cost $10, except for the Small Business Sales and Use Tax Workshop, which is free to participants.

Courses are scheduled in the ULM Administration Building, Room 2-105, with the exception of Small Business Sales and Use Tax Workshop, which will be held in Room 2-49 of the ULM Administration Building.

In addition to the low-cost workshops, the LSBDC at ULM offers free and confidential one-on-one counseling services to potential and existing business owners, free management and technical assistance services by appointment.

Call 318-342-1224 or visit www.lsbdc.org for more information, or to register for a workshop.