Wesley Steckler

The Natchez Democrat

FERRIDAY &8212; A few people came in from the rain Thursday to attend the first day of classes in the Louisiana Business and Technology Center&8217;s mobile classroom on Louisiana Avenue.

But Senior Director Vic Johnson said those that came should have walked away with a positive outlook on Ferriday&8217;s economic development.

&8220;If they have learned one thing, it is that resources are out there to help them. And that is a good thing,&8221; Johnson said.

According the LBTC Web site, the LBTC is part of the Louisiana State University&8217;s E.J. Ourso College of Business and is traveling around rural Louisiana to help stimulate small business growth and economic development by offering business owners classes on how to improve existing businesses or start new ones.

Classes for Thursday included Gulf Opportunity Zone &8212; Special Hurricane Provisions, Small Business Innovative Research Program Overview and Guerilla Marketing.

Training Coordinator Allison Sheffield also counseled Ferriday business owners one-on-one about lean manufacturing.

Lean manufacturing, Sheffield said is how to make a business more efficient through organization.

&8220;It can be something as simple as organizing your desk or investigating where you can afford to cut costs,&8221; Sheffield said.

The mobile classroom is only in Ferriday Thursday and Friday, but Sheffield said in her past experience she has seen a lot of impact happen in two days.

&8220;When the classroom was in Donaldsonville, one man attended all the classes and we helped him with his work and now he is opening up his own trucking company,&8221; Sheffield said.

Ferriday Mayor Gene Allen and a few local business owners attended Johnson&8217;s class on Small Business Innovative Research, but Allen said the lesson was redirected to how Ferriday can capitalize on things the town already has.

&8220;It was a very pleasant hour and a half and it was time well spent,&8221; Allen said.

&8220;We talked of how the mayor, town leaders and business owners can promote Lake St. John and Concordia as great fishing lakes for fishing enthusiasts out-of-state,&8221; Johnson said.

Johnson used the coming of Bass Pro Shop to Baton Rouge as a promotional tool.

&8220;This is a multi-billion dollar industry and its employees will be recommending area lakes that their customers can fish,&8221; Johnson said. &8220;Why not go to Lake St. John or Concordia?&8221;

Johnson also said the city should try and promote the Delta Music Museum more.

&8220;There is a resurgence of Jerry Lee Lewis&8217;s and Little Richard&8217;s music with the younger generation,&8221; Johnson said. &8220;Ferriday should find a way to attract younger audiences to visit their museum.&8221;

Allen said Ferriday&8217;s Downtown Historic Commission would meet in the mobile classroom Friday at 10 a.m. to discuss how the town can preserve its 21 historic buildings.

Sheffield said the LBTC and the mobile classroom would definitely return to Ferriday in the future.

&8220;We will be back as many times and as long as it takes until business owners start to improve their businesses,&8221; Sheffield said.