America’s SBDC Blog

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Precision Industries: Acquisition Success with Michigan SBDC

July 4, 2025

Miguel Atkinson, an experienced tool and die maker from Flint, knows firsthand that it’s one thing to work for someone else — and it’s another to be your own boss. He had always wanted to own his own shop, so when the shop owners he had worked for for several years decided to retire, Miguel decided to acquire the business. He realized, however, that he needed counsel to secure the capital needed to do so. Miguel reached out to the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, who referred him to the Michigan SBDC where he met Senior Business Consultant Harry Blecker.

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Albany Apparel Brand Triples Sales with UGA SBDC Support

June 23, 2025

Roy Steinberg’s golf apparel business was in full swing in Albany, Georgia, but his business needed additional cash flow to increase inventory and meet demand. With guidance from the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, Steinberg was able to develop a strong financial plan to refinance existing loans and improve cash flow. His hard work paid off—sales for his business, Steinberg Sportswear, have tripled.

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#VetBiz Certifications Lead to Increased Opportunities

June 2, 2025

When Army veteran Dennis Guy returned to the Mt. Oliver neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he felt a renewed call to serve—this time through storytelling. When his local fire department faced permanent closure due to a lack of volunteers, Dennis stepped in. Leveraging his background in video production and marketing, he created a compelling recruitment campaign that brought in new volunteers and kept the department’s doors open.

That successful campaign didn’t just help his community—it sparked a business idea. Dennis and his wife, Samantha, launched First Sip Studios, a multimedia marketing agency dedicated to helping startups, nonprofits, and local communities share their stories with impact.

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Veteran Entrepreneur Finds Success with SBDC Support

February 17, 2025

Nina Pinidi, the owner of Solime Royal Hair, juggles her business, school and breast cancer treatments.

More than half of small businesses are born from someone’s desire to find freedom. Nina Pinidi’s business was born out of necessity.

Her comrades needed products they couldn’t find on base or on deployment, but her morale needed it too after serving 17 years.

She rose in rank to chief petty officer with deployments to Japan, Guantánamo Bay, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Chile and Djibouti before getting sick and having to medically retire.

“I was really in a dark time when I was out because it’s like all of a sudden you’re not needed anymore,” she said. “You don’t have to wear a uniform. No one calls you for advice. No one needs your mentorship, and that literally stops overnight.”

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TikTok, RedNote, and DeepSeek: A Quick Privacy Wake-Up Call for Small Businesses

January 30, 2025

By Jacob Blacksten

In an age of viral videos and AI-driven insights, small businesses often jump at the chance to reach new customers through engaging platforms. Yet amidst this excitement, data privacy concerns loom larger than ever. From TikTok’s looming ban to emerging competitors like RedNote and now the controversial AI solution DeepSeek, it’s vital to understand how these technologies handle the sensitive information that can make or break your business reputation.

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