St. Bernard Parish, LA (November 4, 2015) — The St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) will be hosting a free workshop entitled Avoiding Traps in the Water: Navigating Laws and Regulations for Your Coastal Business. The event will take place Tuesday, November 10, 2015 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the Meraux Foundation’s Docville Farm (5124 E. St. Bernard Hwy, Violet, LA).
The event will cover such questions as, what kind of insurance do I need and why would I want to be an LLC? What are the Coast Guard regulations and certifications for different coastal businesses? What are the FDA regulations that govern my work? What are the license requirements for State and Federal coastal restoration work?
Avoiding Traps in the Water is the fourth in the 2015 Working on the Water (WOW) event series, which provides resources to commercial fishing, coastal restoration, eco-tourism, and disaster response businesses in St. Bernard Parish and other communities in southeast Louisiana.
“Steering through the laws and regulations required for coastal businesses is always a challenge.” said Andrew Jacques, SBDEF’s executive director. “WOW is all about responding to the needs of our coastal community, and the demand for clarity on taxes, insurance, LLCs, legal requirements and other issues is something we hear incredibly often.”
More information and registration for the upcoming WOW workshop can be found at workingonthewater.com or by calling (504) 569-9239 Ex. 24. The second annual WOW Summit will be held on March 22, 2016. To learn more about WOW Summit sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.workingonthewater.com/working-water/wow-summit.
Working on Water is made possible through a partnership with the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), which has allowed SBEDF to expand the initiative and offer programming throughout the year.
In addition to SBEDF, RPC and EDA, WOW activities are guided by an advisory committee with representatives from Nunez Community College, the Meraux Foundation, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Small Business Administration, Louisiana Small Business Development Center, TruFund, Leadership St. Bernard, Louisiana Economic Development, LiftFund, St. Bernard Parish Office of Tourism, GNO, Inc., and National Wildlife Federation’s Vanishing Paradise Program.
About Working on the Water
WOW was conceived following the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill. With coastal communities unsure of their economic and business futures, the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation proactively commissioned a study to research economic and job opportunities for those whose livelihoods were impacted by the oil spill. That study resulted in three key recommendations and an action plan for economic development and government partners in affected areas in Southeast Louisiana. They were: to create more value and increase profitability to current fisheries' activities by developing a working waterfront with an open, online marketplace; develop a workforce for coastal restoration projects based upon the skills, resources, and assets of those already familiar with and working on the water; and build a new economic sector in eco-tourism to allow those who are interested or already working on the water to generate additional income in their down time with the skills, assets, and resources they already have at hand.
The first WOW Summit was held in October 2014 to inform those who work on the water on how they can use their unique skills to explore new work opportunities in three key areas: coastal restoration, disaster recovery, and ecotourism. In 2015, WOW expanded to include a series of workshops held throughout the year.
About St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation
St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to promote economic development and commercial growth of St. Bernard Parish and to lead the initiation of partnering organizations seeking to improve the quality of life for St. Bernard Parish citizens. To achieve this mission, SBEDF primarily engages in business attraction, retention, and expansion. Additionally, workforce development and policy development are pursued as key initiatives to drive economic development activities. The Board of Directors consists of 28 voting members and 8 non-voting honorary members and public officials, all of which serve as volunteers to the organization. SBDEF’s work is made possible through the general support of its investors, St. Bernard Parish Government, St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District and the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation at the Champion Level and the Law Offices of Sidney Torres, III and Associated Terminals at the Pillars Level.
About the Regional Planning Commission
The RPC is the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) locally designated Economic Development District and is utilizing a portion of available EDA funds for Working on the Water.