AUBURN – The Corporate and Community Services Department at Central Maine Community College will offer a free preview of its fall Small Business Institute from 9-11 a.m. on Sept. 12 at the college. Call 755-5280 for a reservation.

The Small Business Institute is a program of the Corporate and Community Services Department of Central Maine Community College and the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce. The Institute is designed for people wishing to start their own business and consists of six modules which may be taken separately or as a package. The series runs from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 26-Oct. 31. Topics include: Understanding tax and legal structure, managing cash flow, effective marketing strategies, financing your small business, managing your small business and writing a business plan.

The SBI workshops will be presented by local experts Van Perry and Bob Kasputes. Perry is regional vice president for Northeast Bank, responsible for commercial loan development in Lewiston and Auburn. He has been in the commercial lending field for more than 16 years with prior positions at FAME, Farm Credit of Maine and Key Bank.

Kasputes is business counselor and center director for the Maine SBDC Service Center at Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments in Lewiston and Auburn. His area of expertise includes forecasting, capital asset purchasing, improving operational efficiency, negotiation and working with government and regulatory agencies. He has managed accounting and operations for an $8 million grain storage, fertilizer and feed operation in Minnesota and founded Birdwatcher and Gardner Inc., a specialty retail business in Freeport.

For more information or to register for the Small Business Institute, contact Jennifer Lyons at 755-5280, 1-800-891-2002 ext. 280 or email [email protected].