Business memo 02/03/03

Business group holding counseling sessions

The Small Business Development Center of Southeast Missouri State University will be conducting counseling sessions for area small-business people. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 19. The chamber is at 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road. The counseling sessions are free of charge and last about an hour. For an appointment, call 335-3312.

Degenhardt will also be available in Perryville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20. He will be at the Southeast Regional Planning Commission at 1 W. St. Joseph. Call (573) 547-8357.

Economic outlook conference scheduled

Southeast Missouri State University will host the fifth annual Economic Confernce Friday, focusing on the effects of the economy on state and local governmental budgets.

The conference will be held in Glenn Auditorium in Dempster Hall. It is sponsored by the Center for Economic and Business Reearch, which is with the Department of Economics and Finance at the university.

Speakers will include Dr. Ed Robb, director of the Economic and Policy Analysis Research Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Robb will explain why the budget situation in the state of Missouri deteriorated so quickly and prospects for improvement in the future.

Also speaking will be state Rep. Rod Jetton and Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson. The conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An informal luncheon will follow. The cost of the conference is $12, which includes lunch.

Reservations are required by Tuesday by calling the university at 651-2181 or 651-2013.-- From staff reports