Need help with your business? Easton begins offering free consulting through Lehigh University.

For those looking to start or step up their business i Easton, a service newly available through the city and Lehigh University may help.

Easton announced that free consulting services are now available to city business owners through the Lehigh University Small Business Development Center. Under the new program, business owners can schedule a confidential appointment on Mondays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at a newly established Downtown Easton Outreach Office, located within the Easton Public Market.

According to the city’s website, the service is open to owners of existing businesses as well as those considering a startup, offering an opportunity to access professional guidance at no cost.

The available services include one-on-one consulting sessions, business plan development, succession planning, marketing plan development and assistance with cash flow projections.

Lehigh University says its branch of the Small Business Development Center began as a pilot program in 1979 and officially became an SBDC in 1980 — one of the first six in the state.

Today, Lehigh’s SBDC provides a broad suite of services. It is a Procurement Technical Assistance Center, which helps businesses win government contracts, and it is part of the state export-assistance network that supports businesses selling internationally.

The center offers consulting sessions, webinars, seminars and self-directed learning modules. Services cover topics such as business startups, growth, export and procurement planning, financing assistance, environmental management, international trade and marketing.

The center is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, with federal support from the U.S. Small Business Administration and institutional backing from Lehigh University itself.

You can schedule an appointment in Easton here.