Braswell Memorial Public Library is pleased to announce the establishment of BICOS, Business Information Center Outreach Services. Funded this year by the Golden Leaf Foundation and coordinated by Braswell Memorial Library, six libraries partner to help entrepreneurs develop and grow their business. The program provides business development programs and services within the communities to make it more feasible for the entrepreneur to find resources in closer proximity to where they live or do business. The libraries are located in Nash, Edgecombe and Halifax Counties which include: Braswell Memorial Library, Rocky Mount, NC; Spring Hope Public Library, Spring Hope, NC; Edgecombe County Memorial Library, Tarboro, NC; Halifax County Library, Halifax, NC; Scotland Neck Memorial Library, Scotland Neck, NC; and Roanoke Rapids Public Library, Roanoke Rapids, NC. Each of these libraries provides:

• A collection of new books and AV materials on business topics
• Business resource training for library staff and business owners
• Free workshops on business topics
• Referrals to small business agencies
• Loaner laptops and DVD Writer (policy agreement required)

This is a unique project in that it serves to bridge an existing gap between entrepreneurs and traditional library services to provide education, technical assistance and referrals. It goes a step further by bringing resources, technology, mentoring and business counseling directly to entrepreneurs and out into rural communities where isolation is a barrier.

Each BICOS library works closely with SCORE to assure scheduling for counseling at the libraries and other community sites. SCORE is a national, non-profit, volunteer organization which provides free, expert, and confidential business counseling to small business owners and anyone who would like to start their own business. It is an anchor provided at Braswell Memorial Library and that network of business professionals is available throughout the five-county region of Wilson, Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax and Northampton counties stretching outside of the BICOS boundary.

Each BICOS library also works closely with the Small Business Center directors to provide business instruction to clients as well as collaborating with other community agencies that provide services to entrepreneurs. This forms a network of available services so that the whole array of available services is made widely known to the business community through the local library.

The BICOS program invites small business owners to use this valuable FREE service offered by their local library, "the very best place to start.