HUNTINGTON PARK : Free Workshops for Small Businesses

A center to help small businesses get a head start will open this week in the Pacific Avenue business district.

The city-sponsored Business Assistance Center will offer businesses and residents within the city free counseling and workshops on how to start a business, crisis management, financing and loan packaging, inventory control and other topics.

Businesses outside the city may use the center but will be charged for services, said program administrator Susanne Hoffman. Established businesses are also invited to use the center.

The nonprofit center, funded with $87,000 in federal grant money, is one of several established by the Los Angeles Business Development Corp. The nonprofit contractor has set up facilities in South-Central, East Los Angeles, Compton, Koreatown and other areas.

“Our assistance centers fill a vital need, particularly in a tight economy for companies that cannot afford a management consultant and who may have a special need,” said Jonathan Goldhill, program director. The Van Nuys-based development corporation has provided technical assistance to more than 3,000 companies since 1987, creating more than 400 jobs, Goldhill said.

An opening reception is scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The center is in the Pacific Arcade at 6330 Pacific Ave., Suite 209.

Information: (213) 585-3856.