Millville Hosting How to Build Business Credit Workshop Feb. 17 AM, PM

1. What the workshop is

This is a two-session, in-person workshop focused on business credit for local entrepreneurs and small-business owners. According to event listings, “CEZC will be hosting a ‘How to Build Your Business Credit’ workshop on February 17, 2026.” The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) describes the class this way: “This class explains how business credit works, why it matters, and how it differs from personal credit. Participants will learn practical, step-by-step strategies to intentionally establish and build business credit the right way, even if they are just getting started.”

2. When it takes place

The workshop is set for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with two separate sessions to accommodate differing schedules. The confirmed morning session runs 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.; the evening session is listed from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. One platform aggregated the day as a 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. span, but discrete session times are reported by multiple sources and are clearer for planning purposes.

3. Where each session is held

The morning session will be at The Authority Training Center, 745 Lebanon Road, Millville, NJ 08332, the location is consistently listed across the NJSBDC, CEZC/GrowthZone, and Vineland Chamber calendars. The evening session is listed by CEZC/GrowthZone and the City of Millville as taking place at Inka Chicken, 22 S. Laurel St., Bridgeton, NJ 08302; note that the NJSBDC event page in the materials provided only references the morning offering.

4. Who is hosting and funding the program

The Cumberland Empowerment Zone Corporation (CEZC) is listed as the event organizer on community calendars, with the NJSBDC providing the class description and listing the AM session on its site. The NJSBDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and is a member of the National Association of Small Business Development Centers, context that matters because federal-supported technical assistance often targets credit readiness and lending access.

5. What attendees will learn (curriculum highlights)

Expect a practical, step-by-step curriculum focused on three core topics: how business credit works, why it matters, and how it differs from personal credit. As the NJSBDC summary puts it, “This class explains how business credit works, why it matters, and how it differs from personal credit. Participants will learn practical, step-by-step strategies to intentionally establish and build business credit the right way, even if they are just getting started.” In practice, that typically covers business credit files and scores, vendor and trade references, establishing a business credit profile, and sequencing actions that protect personal credit while growing business borrowing capacity.

6. Cost, registration and access

The event is free to attend; multiple listings explicitly note “Free to attend.” Organizers require online registration, calendar pages prompt users to “Register Online” or say “To register, click the link”, but the registration URL is not included in the provided materials. Before attending, confirm registration availability and whether space is limited, since the listings do not state capacity or RSVP deadlines.

7. Contacts to register or ask questions

If you need help registering or have questions, the listings provide multiple contacts: Denise Jackson is listed as the CEZC event contact (a “Send Email” link appears on that listing). The Vineland Chamber/CEZC calendar lists phone contact 856-301-4607 and a Send Email link. NJSBDC lists phone 856-225-6221 and email ag2953@camden.rutgers.edu for the event; NJSBDC’s organizational phone is also shown as 973-353-1927. Use these contacts to confirm registration links, presenter names, and session equivalence.

9. Practical prep: what to bring and how to prepare

Come prepared with basic business documents and information to get the most from a short, focused class. Bring your business’s legal name and EIN (if available), recent bank statements or cash-flow notes, and any supplier/vendor accounts used for trade credit. If you have a current business credit report or knowledge of outstanding personal guarantees, bring those details so you can ask targeted questions.

10. Immediate actions the workshop will likely enable

Workshops like this emphasize building a stepwise credit profile, registering your business properly, separating personal and business finances, opening vendor trade lines, and using small, on‑time credit lines to build a positive payment history. These steps reduce the need to rely on personal credit and can improve access to working capital; follow-up actions often include opening a business checking account, obtaining a small business credit card or vendor account, and monitoring business-credit files regularly.

11. Local economic context and why it matters for Cumberland County

Access to business credit is a practical lever for small firms in Cumberland County to invest in equipment, stabilize cash flow, and hire locally. For microbusinesses and startups, establishing business credit intentionally lowers personal balance‑sheet risk and can unlock supplier terms that improve margins. For community resilience, improving credit readiness across many small firms raises the likelihood of stable payrolls and local investment, an aggregate economic benefit even when individual firms take gradual steps.

13. What the listings do not provide (verify before you go)

The public listings do not name presenters, give a registration link in the provided excerpts, list capacity or RSVP cutoffs, or specify whether the evening session is co-hosted by NJSBDC. The Vineland Chamber page references sponsor logos but does not list sponsors in the excerpt. Confirm these items with Denise Jackson (CEZC contact), 856-301-4607 (Vineland Chamber/CEZC contact), or NJSBDC at 856-225-6221 / ag2953@camden.rutgers.edu.

14. How this workshop fits into a longer-term strategy for business owners

Building business credit is a foundational step in financial scaling: it supports access to longer-term loans, reduces personal risk, and improves vendor relationships. Treat this workshop as the start of a 6–18 month plan: set measurable milestones (open business checking, register with business-credit vendors, obtain 2–3 tradelines, monitor scores) and use local resources, CEZC and NJSBDC, for technical assistance. Over time, stronger business-credit footprints contribute to firm survival, job retention, and local investment.

15. Final practical wisdom for attendees

Plan to leave with a short action list: one registration or legal task, one banking step, and one small vendor or card application to initiate a tradeline. Confirm registration and presenter details before attending, bring documentation, and follow the sequenced steps the instructors provide. Small, consistent actions to build credit intentionally pay dividends later, both for your balance sheet and for Cumberland County’s small-business ecosystem.