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Florida SBDC at UCF Named National SBDC of the Year by SBA

May 6, 2026

UCF Center Earns SBA’s Highest SBDC Honor from Nearly 1,000 Centers Nationwide

The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s premier provider of small business assistance and expertise, proudly announces that the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has been selected as the recipient of the National Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Each year, the SBA selects one SBDC from nearly 1,000 centers nationwide to receive the award as part of National Small Business Week. This national honor is bestowed for excellence in consulting and training, measurable economic impact, and innovative approaches that help small businesses start, grow, and succeed.

“The Florida SBDC at UCF is an anchor of the small business ecosystem in their region,” said Paul Fitzpatrick, SBA’s Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development. “The SBA’s grant to the SBDC plus their team’s efforts equals thousands of entrepreneurs who can take advantage of President Trump’s America First economic agenda and SBA’s modernized capital access programs.”

“We’re incredibly proud to see the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida earn the Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award,” says Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “This recognition highlights their commitment to innovation, client success, and meaningful impact for Florida’s small businesses. Their work exemplifies the very best of what our network strives to achieve every day.”

Over the past decade, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida has made a profound impact on Central Florida and the statewide economy, supporting more than 15,500 businesses through over 206,700 hours of expert consulting.

This work has translated into measurable economic success, including $606.2 million in capital formation and more than $1.03 billion in government contracts secured. The center has also helped launch 1,226 new businesses, fueled $948.8 million in sales growth, and contributed to the creation of more than 8,200 jobs while helping retain over 10,000 – further demonstrating its critical role in advancing Florida’s small business community.

Eunice Choi has served as the regional director of the Florida SBDC at UCF since 2006, during which time she has led significant growth and expanded services for small businesses across Central Florida. She will retire this summer after 28 years of dedicated service.

We are humbled yet immensely gratified to be honored as the SBDC of the Year by the SBA. Our team takes great pride in its unwavering commitment to serving the small business community and advancing SBA’s mission. This award reflects our consistent ability to exceed SBA milestones and outperform our own high expectations within the Florida SBDC Network.

Eunice Choi, Regional Director of the FSBDC at UCF Tweet

The Florida SBDC at UCF will be formally recognized during National Small Business Week, held May 3-9, 2026, at a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., alongside SBA award winners from across the country.

Census Bureau Releases New Data About Characteristics of Employer and Nonemployer Business Owners

December 24, 2025

The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data about the sex, race, ethnicity, veteran status and other characteristics of U.S. business owners. For the first time, the release also includes estimates of employer firms by owner characteristics, industry sector and congressional district.

The data come from two sources: the Annual Business Survey (ABS), which covers employer businesses (those with paid employees), and the Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D), which covers nonemployer businesses (those without paid employees). Together, they provide the most complete picture yet of U.S. business owner demographics.

Highlights (2024 ABS, covering reference year 2023, and 2023 NES-D)

In 2023, there were 36.4 million U.S. employer and nonemployer businesses, with $50.0 trillion in receipts.
Women owned 14.2 million of all U.S. businesses, with $2.8 trillion in receipts.
Veterans owned 1.6 million of all U.S businesses, with $1.0 trillion in receipts.

Employer Businesses (2024 ABS)

According to the 2024 ABS, which covers reference year 2023, there were approximately 5.9 million U.S. employer firms — 1.4 million (22.9%) were owned by women and 261,000 (4.4%) by veterans.

This release also includes demographic data by urban and rural classification, employment size, receipt size, and each firm’s number of years in business:

White-owned firms made up 80.6% (4.8 million) of employer businesses, with receipts of $17.0 trillion.
Asian-owned firms accounted for 11.5% (685,000) of employer businesses, with receipts of $1.2 trillion.
Hispanic-owned firms accounted for 8.4% (496,000) of employer businesses and had $730.3 billion in receipts.
Black or African American-owned firms accounted for 3.4% (201,000) of employer businesses, with receipts of $249.0 billion.
American Indian or Alaska Native-owned firms accounted for 0.9% (55,000) of employer businesses, with $70.8 billion in receipts.
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms accounted for 0.2% (9,000) of employer businesses, with $13.1 billion in receipts.

The ABS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) and conducted jointly with the Census Bureau. It measures research and development for microbusinesses, innovation and technology, and provides annual data on select economic and demographic characteristics of businesses and business owners by sex, ethnicity, race and veteran status. The NCSES is set to release more data on research and development and innovation in the coming months.

Nonemployer Businesses (2023 NES-D)

According to the new 2023 NES-D there were 30.4 million U.S. nonemployer businesses, with $1.8 trillion in receipts. Women owned 12.9 million (42.3%) of them and had $423.1 billion in receipts, and veteran-owned firms made up about 1.4 million (4.5%) of nonemployer businesses, with $65.7 billion in receipts.

Other highlights:

In 2023, White-owned firms made up 73.6% (22.4 million) of nonemployer businesses, with receipts of $1.3 trillion.
Hispanic-owned firms accounted for 17.5% (5.3 million) of nonemployer businesses and had $244.2 billion in receipts.
Black or African American-owned firms accounted for 14.4% (4.4 million) of nonemployer businesses, with receipts of $128.7 billion.
Asian-owned firms accounted for 9.2% (2.8 million) of nonemployer businesses, with receipts of $163.6 billion.
American Indian or Alaska Native-owned firms accounted for 1.2% (378,000) of nonemployer businesses, with $15.5 billion in receipts.
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms accounted for 0.3% (102,000) of nonemployer businesses, with $4.4 billion in receipts.

This release also includes business owners’ urban and rural classification, receipt size of firm, and legal form of organization (e.g., sole proprietorships and partnerships).

The NES-D is an annual series that uses existing administrative records and decennial census data to link business owners’ demographic characteristics to the universe of nonemployer businesses.

The nonemployer universe is comprised of businesses with annual receipts of at least $1,000 that file federal income tax. For more information on the methods used to assign demographic characteristics to nonemployer businesses, refer to the NES-D methodology.

Community Ties, Relationship with UGA SBDC Leads to Growth for Restaurant Franchise

September 25, 2025

Like many small business owners, Purvi Patel, a franchise owner of fast-casual Mexican grill Dos Bros, was struggling to keep her restaurant going during the pandemic. After attending a University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) class on small business funding and pandemic resources, Patel set up a meeting with UGA SBDC business advisor Nora Guzman to help guide her through the pandemic funding process.

Patel’s relationship with UGA SBDC in Rome has grown to focus on other areas of the business, from business financials and marketing plans to expanding catering options and streamlining the ordering process. Today, Dos Bros has added two more franchise locations and has seen a significant growth in revenue.

“I helped them navigate how to get funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and helped them figure out the loan forgiveness process, but our relationship has expanded since,” said Guzman. “Anytime Purvi has business-related questions, she knows she can call me.”

Honoring Veterans Day: How Gild Insurance Supports Veteran Entrepreneurs

November 20, 2024

As we celebrate Veterans Day, it’s a fitting time to honor the men and women who have served our nation and recognize the unique perspectives they bring to the business world. Veterans often enter civilian life equipped with resilience, discipline, and a sense of duty—qualities that make them exceptional entrepreneurs. At Gild Insurance, we understand that Veteran-owned businesses play a vital role in our economy, bringing innovation, dedication, and leadership to every industry. This Veterans Day, we’re proud to highlight how we support Veteran entrepreneurs with insurance solutions designed to protect their hard work and support their growth.