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Small loans for small businesses

If you're interested in starting a small business, expanding your current one or helping to finance a business, you might qualify for a Community Express Loan.

The loans are available to help businesses where the majority owners are women, minorities, veterans, or where the business is in a high-unemployment area. The loans can be used for buying equipment or inventory, hiring and expanding, among other things.

You can find out more about the loans Wednesday at a program delivered by a representative of the U.S. Small Business Administration and sponsored by the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce. The program is mainly for those interested in financing amounts between $5,000 and $50,000. It will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at the chamber's office, 207 Main St. in Knightdale. The program is free, but registration is required. For details, call 266-4603.

MEETINGS

C.H.A.T. TOASTMASTERS MEETING: 8 a.m. Saturdays, Room 17, Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church, U.S. 15-501 and Willow Road, Chapel Hill. Contact: Allen Wold, adjwold@nc.rr.com.

COLONIAL JOB SEEKERS -- PROFESSIONALS IN TRANSITION EMPLOYMENT NETWORK GROUP: 8:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays, Colonial Baptist Church, 6051 Tryon Road, Cary. Contact: www.colonial.org/jobseekers.

SCORE: Free consultations offered by the Service Corps of Retired Executives in partnership with the Small Business Association, 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, Century Post Office, Salisbury and Martin streets, Suite 306, Raleigh. SCORE manages offices in Morrisville, 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday at the Chamber of Commerce; Cary, 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday at Western Wake Technical Community College; and Louisburg, 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday at the northern Wake Tech campus. For an appointment, call 856-4739. Orange and Chatham counties: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, 104 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill. Appointments: Call 968-6894 or 967-7075.

TRIANGLE BUSINESS EXCHANGE: networking group, noon on the first and third Mondays each month, JC's Bar & Grill in Cary; noon on second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Devil's Ridge Golf Club in Holly Springs; noon on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at Golden Corral in Fuquay-Varina. Reservations: www.trianglebusinessexchange.com.

CAPITAL CITY TOASTMASTERS: 7 a.m. Thursdays, BB&T Building, 434 Fayetteville St., Conference Room 2320, Raleigh.Contact: harry.mccracken@ crbusa.com or go o the Web site www.capitalcitytoastmasters.net.

CARY REFERRAL MADNESS: Business Network International, 8:30 a.m. Thursdays, Hope Community Church, Room 2060 A&B, 821 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh. Contact: Rebecca McAndrew, rebeccasgreathomes@hotmail.com or 271-8877.

WAKEFIELD BUSINESS NETWORK INTERNATIONAL: 11:30 a.m. Thursdays, Gianni & Gaitano's restaurant, Wakefield Commons Shopping Center, 14460 New Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh. Contact: Frankie Satterfield-Vaughn, 605-3776 or fvaughn9262@ embarqmail.com.

TRIANGLE NETWORKING GROUP: Town Hall & Brainstorming Meeting, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, 260 Town Hall Drive, Suite A, Morrisville. Contact: tng_rsvp@yahoo.com.

SEMINARS, CLASSES & EVENTS

24-HOUR HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE WORKER: N.C. State University, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Raleigh. $495. Registration: 515-2261 or www.ies.ncsu.edu/events.

40-HOUR HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE WORKER: offered by N.C. State University, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, Raleigh. $725. Registration: 515-2261 or www.ies.ncsu.edu/events.