Small Biz Dev Center Celebration DAY – March 18
I’m a big fan of America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)!
I’ve spoken at their conferences and written many articles for the website.
This year is the 40th anniversary of America’s SBDCs, and the organization is throwing a great party!
Wednesday, March 18, 2020, is America’s SBDC Day, and you’re invited to celebrate, with local and national events and activities highlighting the services the SBDCs offer, as well as the many success stories of small businesses they’ve helped.
America’s SBDCs
If you’re not familiar with SBDCs, you might be surprised to learn that there are nearly 1,000 locations across the country. These centers provide free business consulting and low-cost training for new and existing businesses. The SBDCs are partially funded through the United States Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The team recently shared some statistics with me that were very powerful. I didn’t know that in 2018, America’s SBDC clients enjoyed annual sales growth of 17.7% (almost 4.5 times more than the national average). Also, SBDC assistance led to 99,194 jobs created, $7 billion in sales growth, $5.6 billion in capital investments, and 16,499 new businesses started. Wow!
Did you know that SBDCs also support disaster recovery? They do this by staffing Business Recovery Centers and reestablishing communities after hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, or wildfires.
SBDC Day
There are several ways you can celebrate national SBDC Day.
First, consider becoming an SBDC Day Ambassador. Ambassadors help spread the word about SBDC Day, through social media shout-outs and blog posts. As an Ambassador, your business will be listed on the SBDC Day webpage, marketing collateral, and in email communications, including a national press release. You can also participate in other events. The deadline to sign up to become an Ambassador is Friday, March 6, 2020. Learn more, here.
In addition, your local SBDC likely has events on that day to support your small business. I’m in New Jersey, and when I checked out my local SBDC website, I learned there’s a free networking event on SBDC day that’s available to all small businesses. To find out what nearby events are being held on SBDC Day, locate your local SBDC here.
I look forward to celebrating with you on March 18!