Kiesha Haughton’s Advice To Small Business Owners


Kiesha Haughton, director of Maryland Small Business Development Center, gives an interview to advice small business owners.

Kiesha Haughton Smoots has taught dozens of low-income women in Baltimore how to write a business plan and get their ventures off  the ground. She has bid on federal contracts for a woman-owned information technology company and run her own small-business consulting firm. In Prince George’s County, she helped entrepreneurs get loans, land government contracts, increase sales and create jobs.

But these days, banks are less willing to lend, consumers are cutting back and many small businesses are struggling from week to week to stay afloat.

Smoots, now a regional director of the Maryland Small Business Development Center, says it’s more important than ever for small-business owners to think outside the box. She urges people thinking of starting their own business to critically assess whether they have the entrepreneurial drive, discipline and personality before forging ahead. And maybe most of all, she advises business owners who encounter tough times to seek help before problems get out of hand.

Late last year, Smoots became director of the MSBDC’s central region, which includes Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Howard counties. MSBDC, which operates out of host universities with state and federal funding, is part of a national network that helps businesses grow and find capital. Smoots discussed her work and the climate for small businesses in an interview last week with The Baltimore Sun.



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