A new business every 28 minutes and a new job every seven minutes: That’s what Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) help their clients create, according to America’s SBDC 2022 Annual Report. There are more than 900 SBDCs across the U.S., each dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with the resources they need to start, grow, expand, or recover. For some, that might look like counseling in financing and marketing. For others, it could mean guidance on international trade or regulatory compliance. Bottom line: Whenever you need expert assistance as a small business owner, your local SBDC has you covered.
SBDC Day is Wednesday, March 16, 2022, and the SBA encourages small business owners everywhere to celebrate by leveraging the services available to them.
How SBDCs Help Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
Today’s small business community is a microcosm of the country itself, as proud and resilient as it is diverse. Because of that diversity, a personalized approach is often the key to business success. And that is what SBDCs provide. Whether it’s one-time counseling or experienced advice on an ongoing basis, SBDCs offer their clients individualized services that address unique needs. SBDCs serve rural communities, veterans, women entrepreneurs, and other underserved populations in a wide range of capacities — from strategy and problem-solving to access to capital.
It is no surprise that over 72% of SBDC clients start new businesses. Once they do, SBDCs continue to have their back — even when disasters strike. Entrepreneurs like Stephanie and Josh Bevans know the implications of such disasters all too well. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Bevanses found their large-format printing business in St. George, Utah, Design to Print, reeling. Heavily rooted in the people and events industries, Design to Print needed help to weather the storm. Luckily, the Bevanses kept in touch with their local SBDC. The experts there advised them to seek Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance, which bought Stephanie and Josh time while they strategized and pivoted to a new business model.
The Bevans’ story is unique, but it is not the exception. There is also the ownership team at Empanada’s Factory Latin Fusion in Jacksonville, Florida. Co-owners and friends Laura Fraga, Nadia Medrano, Catalina Valdez, Esvin Jimenez, Fabricio Rivero, and Jimy Pulido sought business mentoring through their local SBDC, and what they found was that and more. Their business consultant, Veronica Bolado, a specialist in assisting Hispanic-owned small businesses in North Florida, helped them navigate the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Veronica walked the Empanada’s Factory team through their application for PPP and EIDL. She also helped them adapt their business practices to meet the new needs of their customers, from adding a curbside pickup to building out their patio area for outdoor seating.
The list of success stories goes on and on. SBDCs have the tools and know-how to help small business owners at any stage of the business journey reach their goals. Visit sba.gov/local assistance to connect to your local SBDC and other SBA resource partners.
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