Since 1981, the Iowa Small Business Development Centers have provided expert and confidential business counseling services to entrepreneurs in all 99 Iowa counties. As an outreach program for the College of Business, and the only nationally accredited entrepreneurial development program in Iowa, the SBDC can help existing business owners and entrepreneurs with the assistance and resources they need.
Primary SBDC functions:
-
One-to-one professional business counseling — no charge, per SBA regulation.
-
Learning opportunities — workshops, courses and classes, internet-based, telephone and e-based contact, print and electronic materials.
-
Resource connections — financing sources, state and federal programs, associations, databases, local and regional programs, host institutions, communities.
-
Specialty programs and assistance — business succession, market research, strategic planning, Small Business Compliance Alliance (IRS, OSHA, EPA), MyEntreNet, intro to international business, community building, and more.
In one year*, Iowa SBDC longer-term clients:
-
Created or retained 2,481 jobs
-
Increased sales $168.7 million
-
Received over $40 million in financing
-
Retained $37.8 million in sales
*Source: James Chrisman, PhD., Mississippi State University; 2005 independent studies.
In the past six years, Iowa SBDCs:
-
Served 19,737 clients with 126,889 hours of counseling
-
Taught 34,449 clients in 223,873 hours of training
*Source: data from SBDC Executive Information System for fiscal years 2000-2005.
For more information about the SBDC, visit the links listed below.
SBDC Regional Centers
SBDC 2005 Economic Impact Study
SBDC News
SBDC Solutions
SBDC State Advisory Board
SBDC Success Stories
SBDC Events and Training Workshops
ISU Outreach SBDC
Iowa Small Business Development Centers
State Administrative Office - Ames
0340 Gerdin Business Building
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-1350
Phone: (515) 294-0218
Fax: (515) 294-6522
E-mail: krisa@iastate.edu
Iowa State University SBDC
2501 North Loop Drive, Suite 1615
Ames, Iowa 50010-8283
Phone: (515) 296-7828
Fax: (515) 296-6714
E-mail: mjupah@iastate.edu
For a local ISU Extension Service contact the Ida County Extension Service at www.extension.iastate.edu or email Kathy S. Schmidt at ksschmid@iastate.edu or call our office at 712-364-3003.
Kathy S. Schmidt
6/5/2009