Those interested in starting their own businesses will have the opportunity to take the first step at a workshop sponsored by Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center.

“Owning Your Own Business” will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. April 13, at the Suffolk Workforce Development Center.

The workshop will give attendees general information on how to start a business, particularly advice on financing, marketing, business plan and legal structures.

“It’s an overall workshop on how to start your business,” said Farley John, business education and program coordinator for the small business development center.

John said the focus of the workshop is to ensure future business owners are aware of all the resources they can use to start their business.

“It’s a way for us to provide them with a lot of information that they usually would not be aware of,” she said.

For example, HRSBDC will get the business owner in touch with his or her city’s economic development department to gather information such as the demographics of an area.

The workshops are held monthly in Norfolk and Hampton, John said. This is the second one to be held in Suffolk.

The decision to host a workshop in Suffolk was made after the center heard from a lot of people in the area looking to start their own businesses because of the economy, she said.

“This would be a good thing to offer them instead of them going in blindly,” John said.

In addition to the information gathered at the workshop, those who attend will get extra advice after they leave.

They can get free one-on-one counseling sessions from business analysts at HRSBDC that cover everything from getting loans to growing your business, John said.

Tickets for the workshop are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For more information, visit www.hrsbdc.org.