The public is invited to an outreach event hosted by Palm Beach County Mayor Melissa McKinlay on Wednesday, June 13, 5:30 p.m., at the Belle Glade Library and Civic Center.

The guest speaker will be Ashley Daniel Bell, Esq., Regional Administrator with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Bell was appointed by the White House in February to head Region IV, which serves nine districts covering eight southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. As administrator, he oversees more than $5 billion in SBA-backed lending.

Paragon is proud to support its small business clients and recognizes HNM MENSWEAR who provides tips for Father's Day shopping during a segment on local television station, WPTV.

Today Paragon Florida closed on a small business loan to HNM Menswear. This is a startup men's clothing store opening in Wellington, Florida. Congratulations to Henry and Tonja Mosely on your new endeavor and Tim Thompson for your assistance in making their dreams come true. Paragon is your source for small business loans, training and counseling!

Cynthia Heathcoe, owner of Contemporary Living at Downtown at The Gardens, opened her showroom in March 2014, and says the furniture industry is in the midst of a strong movement toward contemporary design.

“One of the main things people love about the showroom is the pops of color,” Heathcoe said. “People don’t want heavy and overdone any more.”

Heathcoe says she competes against larger companies in the highly competitive industry by providing one-on-one service and offering merchandise that is highly customizable. For example, she sells a dining table that can be purchased with one of five glass tops or nine different oak tops and 15 different metal finishes.

NLP is excited to announce its partnership with the Lake Worth CRA in its mission to invest in the community to revitalize and rebuild neighborhoods and commercial corridors.

Neighborhood Lending Partners is pleased to announce our partnership with Paragon, also a CDFI in Florida. We have signed a contract with Paragon to provide technical assistance to borrowers applying for The Riviera Beach CRA Small Business Opportunity Fund. We are excited to kick off this loan fund and look forward to a great relationship with our new partner

Friends & Family | Equity Funding – Fund Your BusinessAsking for financial support from your friends and family can be a great way to get your business off the ground. Get tips on how to approach friends and family for start-up money, and how to keep relations with your personal network strong.

The U.S. Small Business Administration held the kickoff of National Small Business Week 2015 at Office Depot's headquarters in Boca Raton on Monday.

For more than 50 years, the SBA's National Small Business Week has aimed to honor small businesses, entrepreneurs and small business advocates. The SBA also encourages consumers to "shop small" during the week between May 4-8 to support them.