Bits of Business | Expo teaches home design on a budget
Eight interior designers will decorate individual rooms in a local home to show visitors how they use big ideas and not a big budget to furnish it.
A new event called Home Stage will be based on the designers’ end products from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 14. Visitors will donate $10 to see the home, and proceeds will go to the State College Community Land Trust, a nonprofit housing-assistatnce organization.
“They’re challenged to decorate a room in a budget-friendly way and emphasize that you can decorate in a budget-friendly way,” said Sue Hiester, chairwoman for Home Stage and a volunteer for the trust. “We’re encouraging them to reuse things, repurpose things, paint a used piece while keeping budget in mind. Each product will have a tag of its source and the price of it.”
Hiester said the trust has bought existing properties since 1996, rehabbed them up to code and sold them to income-qualified first-time home buyers. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to future rehab and sale projects.
The event will take place at 239 Sunrise Terrace, a home that the trust recently converted into a duplex.
Program for female entrepreneurs launched
Female entrepreneurs from Centre and Clearfield counties may want to consider applying for a new program available to them.
Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify launched its ATHENAPowerLink program, which is designed to increase and accelerate growth and profitability by pairing business owners with a customized board of advisers.
The board will offer financial advice, networking and additional assistance for business practices, services and technical needs.
The program operates in more than 30 other cities across the country.
According to E-Magnify, businesses increased sales by 88 percent, business income by 37 percent and personal income by 56 percent.
E-Magnify Director Jayne Huston said at least one female-owned business will be accepted from Centre or Clearfield based on its goals and potential growth for the program’s first year.
Huston said the business owner would pay a fee, likely ranging from $2,100 to $5,600 based on the business’ gross revenue, though she said the collective value of the advisers’ guidance would be $15,000 to $20,000.
The application criteria include:
The deadline to apply is Sept. 15. Application are available on e-magnify.com/athena.
New companies get boost
Six local companies got a little deeper in the pockets when Ben Franklin Technology partners invested $2.4 million in 20 Pennsylvania start-up companies.
ArgentumCidalElectrics, Atopix, BioMagnetic Solutions, Novasntis and VideoMining Corp., all based in State College, and FyreRok Reservoir Consulting, based in Bellefonte, benefited from the investment. The 14 other companies that received an investment are based throughout the state.
This story was originally published August 30, 2014 at 10:33 PM with the headline "Bits of Business | Expo teaches home design on a budget."