WAILUKU — Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Corp. will present a series of evening classes for entrepreneurs during July and August.

These Core Four Business Planning Classes cover how to set goals, do market research, determine pricing, make the sale, understand and create cash flow projections and write a business plan — everything you need to know to start or grow your business.

Susie Thieman, who has more than 30 years of experience in starting and managing small businesses, serves as the primary instructor for this class

Free introductory classes will be held on July 6  and 8 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Another introductory session, “The ABCs of a Business Plan,” will be presented on July 7 at noon at the Maui County Business Resource Center. These introductory classes are free and open to the public.

The five-week series of classes begins on Tuesday, July 13, and continues from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 12.

Graduation, also known as “Banker’s Night,” will be held on Aug. 17.

Registration is required for the five-week series. There is a fee of $275 for the course, but grants from the county Office of Economic Development and state Office of Community Services make financial assistance available for most students.

Classes will be held at MEO’s Family Center at 99 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

For more information, call Evette Lau at 249-2990, extension 318.

MEO BDC has made more than 600 loans totaling just over $3 million in amounts from $500 to $25,000. 

According to MEO, these loan recipients and the 1,350 business planning course graduates have created or retained more than 1,450 jobs in Maui County.