Counseling Available for Small Businesses
According to Sharon Mcloone of The Washington Post, Small Business Development Centers are being fortified by lawmakers and others at a time when many small businesses could use the help. In an interview with America’s Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) president and CEO Don Wilson, he says these centers can help “with everything from licenses to marketing plans to understanding how to comply with tax rules and environmental health and safety regulations.” He explains that they do not offer grants but can help people get their finances in order and get help fixing or building credit.
According to one report, SBDC long-term clients achieved approximately 7.2 billion in sales and 73,000+ full-time jobs as a result of assistance they received through the centers, and clients raised an average of about $104,000 in SBA loans and about $82,000 from other sources.
By bringing in this sort of data to show how effective the counseling has been, Small Business Development Centers have been able to get more funding and support from the likes of John Kerry, Olympia Snowe, and Nydia Velazquez in government. And this year Congress passed a bill with $10 million allocated to SBDC to help small business owners in the event of a natural disaster.
If you already own a small business or are looking to start a new venture, click here to search for local centers and learn how to utilize SBDC resources.
