America’s SBDC Blog

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Thousands to Celebrate #SBDCDay

March 1, 2017

When you spend most of your time working for the greater good, taking a moment to celebrate the good work you do is often an afterthought. That’s been the case for America’s Small Business Development Centers. But on March 22, 2017 that will all change. The first America’s #SBDCDay is set for that date to unite the nearly 1,000 SBDCs across the country with the hundreds of thousands of small businesses they’ve served in their 37-year history. The day will be a national celebration of the role SBDCs have played in small business success and of the positive impact SBDCs have had on the nation’s economy.

#SBDCDay“We are thrilled to see SBDCs around the country working together to celebrate their clients and showcase the work they do for America’s small businesses. SBDC clients see an average job growth of 15.5% versus the national job growth average of just 1.9%. There is no denying the impact SBDCs have on the success of the small businesses in their communities and their local economies. Congratulations to all SBDCs, said Charles “Tee” Rowe, America’s SBDC President & CEO.  (more…)

The Secret Behind One Small Business’s Success—Hint: It’s Free!

February 22, 2017
By Gerri Detweiler
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MentoringShane and Melissa Nichols’ five-year-old business, Arkansas-based Medex Waste, is on track to bring in $1 million in revenue, thanks in large part to the free help they received from the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. “I don’t think we could have made it without them,” says Shane. “Without them there to answer questions and to lead us in the right direction, it would have taken us a lot longer and cost us a lot more money.”

The idea for the Nichols’ business, a firm that transports medical waste for disposal, started percolating after Melissa lost her sales job with a large national medical waste disposal firm when her office closed. As a top salesperson, Melissa often found herself frustrated when some of her clients were unhappy with the services they received from the firm. Initially, she took the layoff as an opportunity to go back to school, but then decided to take a job with another firm in the same industry. When the new company tried to shortchange her on her commission, she decided with her husband to start their own business.  (more…)

Understanding the Crisis of Disengagement

February 15, 2017
By Andrew J. Sherman
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The Crisis of DisengagementMy latest book, The Crisis of Disengagement, discusses the multifaceted workplace dilemma — disengagement. It examines how apathy and complacency effects leadership and governance, company culture, fellow peers and team members, and lastly, the individual itself.  Layer by layer, I uncover the impact disengagement has on innovation, creativity, productivity, and profitability within an organization and in our communities.

At the America’s SBDC Annual Meeting in Orlando in the Fall of 2016, I gave a “Small Talk” sponsored by American Express where I discussed the impact of our nation’s current levels of disengagement on small business, innovation and entrepreneurship.  Small companies are struggling to compete for recruitment and retention of a qualified and motivated workforce and cannot withstand the financial and productivity consequence of a small group of workers who are not engaged. They also face the challenges of the “gig economy” and “the free agent nation” where nearly a third of all U.S. workers are independent or self-employed, with no loyalty on engagement towards a particular company, creating a modified set of expectations, relationships, and workplace norms.  (more…)

Client Showcase – That’s a Wrap!

February 8, 2017
America’s SBDC Clients Showcased in the Nation’s Capital

WASHINGTON, DC – America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) kicked-off their annual legislative meeting on Monday, February 6th with a reception and SBDC client showcase on Capitol Hill. Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio, Chairman of the Committee on Small Business, Acting SBA Administrator Joseph Loddo, Representative George William “Bill” Foster of Illinois, Representative Yvette D. Clarke of New York, and Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas addressed the reception guests.

The America’s SBDC Network showcased 14 SBDC clients from across the country. The SBDC clients were SpiderSense (Illinois), BlueAtomVR (California), Motus (Alabama), SimUCare (Delaware), Veterans MFG (Texas), Bearcreek Smokehouse (Texas), Rex Specs (Wyoming), Superior Bath House (Arkansas), Torklift (Washington), Stratom (Colorado), CPR Tools (Florida), Micro-LAM Technologies (Michigan), Wildcard Brewing Company (California) and Hometown Trolley (Wisconsin). (more…)

America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – Hometown Trolley

February 5, 2017
1 Day to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Wisconsin
SBDC: Wisconsin SBDC at UW-Green Bay
SBDC Advisor: Chuck Brys
SBDC Client: Double K, Inc. dba Hometown Trolley

Hometown Trolley

Hometown Trolley is a family-owned manufacturing business of trackless trolley buses used in private and public transit applications such as Universities, Historical Downtown areas, Public transportation in tourist areas, weddings and corporate events and tour operators. Each trolley is handcrafted to the exact specifications of the customer’s needs. Hometown Trolleys are sold nationwide as well as Canada and beyond. (more…)