Small business owners can visit a local Small Business Development Center for access to free or low-cost business training and consulting services.
There is a network of Small Business Development Centers across America and its territories to help exiting small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs successfully realize their business goals. Partially funded through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Small Business Development Centers are typically hosted by universities and state economic development agencies throughout the United States.
Small business owners can visit a local Small Business Development Center for access to free or low-cost business training and consulting services, which address topics like:
• Business plan development
• Lending
• Marketing and market research
• International trade, including importing and exporting
• Regulatory compliance
• Technology
• Manufacturing
• Procurement and contracting
• Disaster recovery support
• Workforce healthcare
Small Business Development Centers have consulted with nearly 200,000 American businesses, resulting in an average 16.8 percent sales growth for those companies, which is more than four times the national average. Sixty-five percent of American entrepreneurs start their business with the help of a Small Business Development Center, taking advantage of the organization’s more than $4.85 billion in financing.
There are nearly 1,000 Small Business Development Centers in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To find the location closest to you, visit http://www.americassbdc.org.