MID-CITY AREA : Training in the Bag for Budding Grocers

The Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment is offering free training courses for small grocers and budding entrepreneurs as well as a program to assist business owners seeking earthquake recovery loans.

The courses and programs are:

* A 10-week, 40-hour course beginning April 18 in the management and operation of small grocery stores, for current or aspiring store owners who live or work in areas affected by the 1992 riots.

The free training course will cover grocery operations including marketing and merchandising, business mathematics, pricing and inventory, bookkeeping, advertising, customer relations, taxes, insurance, security and business planning. The course will be taught in English and includes five hours of free technical assistance to all graduates.

* An entrepreneur class for low-income individuals who want to start a business or expand an existing one. The next class begins May 2. Applications for the free course are being accepted for the 15 available spots.

Information and applications for the grocer and entrepreneur courses: Tim Maschler or Harry Depp at (213) 389-8483.

* PACE’s Business Development Center is offering free assistance to business owners who are seeking loans to repair damage suffered during the Jan. 17 earthquake. Staff members who speak Spanish or Korean are available.

Assistance includes filling out forms, compiling or constructing financial data required by the Small Business Administration, and basic information regarding SBA response time, repayment periods and reporting requirements.

Information: Lauren Park or Isabel Duran at (213) 382-2936.