A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development
Center, part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs
at the University of Wyoming.
By Margie Rowell, Region 6 director
"I don't plan to hire employees; is there any reason I should register my business with the Wyoming Department of Employment?" Tony, Lander
One of the best kept secrets to Wyoming businesses is the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Development Training Fund program that can be found at www.wyomingworkforce.org. The program may be able to assist new and existing businesses by providing up to $2,000 per employee (owners are considered employees) per fiscal year for established businesses that need a skill upgrade or retraining.
The program may also provides between $1,000 and a maximum of $4,000 per employee per fiscal year for new or expanding businesses, depending on the employee's full-time status and wage amount.
To register the business and submit an application for a grant, businesses must be in good standing with the Wyoming Department of Employment, Unemployment Insurance and Workers' Compensation. The business must complete the "Joint Application Form" with the Department of Employment (http://wydoe.state.wy.us/) before applying for a grant, regardless of entity type (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, etc.), even if the business has no employees (this can take two weeks to process).
Time is of the essence when applying for a grant. The program provides a date calculator at the Wyoming Workforce Web site under the link "What do I need to know about preparing an application." This helps the applicant know when an application can be submitted, based on the start date of the training. Applying one day late can make the difference between receiving the grant or not.
A business currently registered with the Wyoming Department of Employment does not need to re-register to apply for a Business Training Grant.
A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments is available at www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/blog/.
The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
Posted on Monday, March 09, 2009
