Harlem to hold business breakfast

In an effort to boost economic development, the Harlem City Council will host a Harlem Business Breakfast.

Planned for Saturday at 8 a.m., the business breakfast will take place at BG's Deli and Fine Catering, 179 N. Louisville St. in Harlem.

Harlem's small-business owners, or people interested in starting a small business, are invited to the free breakfast to see short presentations from the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Development Center, the Harlem Planning and Zoning Committee, the Columbia County Development Authority and others.

"One of the things I campaigned on was filling up our storefronts," said Harlem Mayor Scott Dean. "And that's what we're trying to work, getting those ideas out there to help spur the businesses out here."

Harlem's entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to find out what help is available to them and examine the possibility of starting or expanding a business.

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Dean said that he hopes the breakfast will be a economic brainstorming session where small business experts and owners will share ideas and exchange information.

"Someone might say, 'I would expand if I had $25,000 to do this.' And the regional development guys can say, 'Well, you can get it here, here and here, and this is how you do it,"' said Dean. " Some of our businesses don't know how to do that. We want to bring folks to the table that have something to offer our businesses."

Dean expects that 20 to 25 business owners will attend the breakfast and that it will last about two hours.