SBDCs: Free Biz Support, government-style

Kimi Brooks Wei
January, 2003

The SBDC (Small Business Development Center) network is a US federal government program to provide quality business support services to established and start-up businesses. SBDCs are located at community colleges all across the United States.

SBDCs are located within community colleges but operate autonomously. They are not part of the college system. However, your SBDC may be able to arrange for you to use student resources such as the college's libr /ary, for a six-month period after you become a client of theirs. You become a client by participating in a free one-on-one consultation with an SBDC business counsellor.

I have known many business owners who don't think that an SBDC can help them. For one thing, the service being free to clients makes some think that it isn't valuable. In fact, SBDC counsellors can be specialists trained in marketing, finance or management and many of them had successful careers in private enterprise before joining the SBDC network.

Support that SBDCs offer to would-be and established entrepreneurs

• Free one-on-one counselling sessions (about 2 hours long) with a business consultant
• Access to the housing college's library and other student resources
• Guided assistance with developing a business plan
• Assistance with business finance procurement
• Whole or half-day sessions on how to start, fund and market a small business. (These workshops commonly have a fee of $25.00 to $50.00 associated with them, well worth the expense for start-up entrepreneurs.)

A college's resources can be of great help to you when doing the market research for your business plan and will also provide you with computer access if you need it.

Gaining access to the SBDCs services is easy

Locate the SBDC closest to you and call them. They may make an appointment with you over the phone. Some SBDCs send out a one-page "Request for Counselling" form in the mail which they ask you to fill out and return before making your appointment. If this is your SBDC's procedure, just follow along. Within a couple of days you'll get a call from the center's secretary offering to schedule an appointment for your initial consultation with a business development counsellor.

The "Request for Counselling" form you will fill out before attending or at your SBDC counselling session isn't intimidating at all. It only asks basic questions: who you are, where you're located, how to contact you. It also asks what line of business you are in or want to be in, but this is not a test question. Providing a response such as, "I want to start a business but am not sure what it will be," is an acceptable answer and is sufficient to make you eligible for a counselling session.

The entire cost of your SBDC consultations are provided complete free of charge to you.

How do SBDCs relate to other US government business support programs?

The SBDCs are a resource partner of the SBA (our government's Small Business Administration) and receive federal grants to provide business support services. Following the September 11 tragedy, SBDCs were the agencies selected to help business adversely affected by the event to apply for emergency funds allocated for small business recovery.

SBDC counsellors can provide excellent assistance to start-up companies but this is only the tip of the body of high quality business support services which they offer. They also help established small businesses develop strategies integrate federal contract procurement into their business models, and these centers also regularly guide entrepreneurs with developing business plans for funding expansions which require several millions of dollars in capital.

While your SBDC will not write your business plan or do your market research for you, its counsellors will provide invaluable assistance to guide you as you develop your expansion or operating plan and will critique your work as it progresses. You can attend as many conselling sessions with SBDC representatives as you need and they will always be offered to you, free of charge.

If you need more hands-on help with your business plan, think of us!

Kim B. Wei provides small business with development and support services in the private and public sectors. Part of our service is helping clients navigate the many business resources which are government-sponsored and identify those which will most benefit their development. We also write business plans.

Our principal, Kimi Brooks Wei, is a speaker for the SBA on e-business and traditional business development topics. To learn more about Kim B. Wei services please contact us.