This week, we’d like to speak with you about a resource you may not know about – America’s Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). In North Texas, there is a Regional Lead Center and two SBDC Centers – one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth. What do they do and how can they help entrepreneurs who’d like to explore business ownership?
The answers might surprise you, but because FranNet of DFW & Oklahoma sometimes collaborate with ASBDCs, we wanted you to find out.
America’s SBDC
This is the parent organization of a nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). With government funding and a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), these centers are hosted by universities, private partners, colleges, and state economic development agencies. There are nearly 1,000 individual SBDCs across the U.S.
What Can They Do For You?
First and foremost, SBDCs offer people free one-on-one consultations with experienced small business experts—including FranNet of DFW & Oklahoma. Some programs are at-cost, however there is a large variety of programs that help individuals learn and train to own a business of their own. According to their own website, the mission of America’s nationwide network of SBDCs is to help new entrepreneurs realize the dream of business ownership and assist existing businesses to remain competitive in an ever-changing global economy. There is also training in the form of low-cost workshops, seminars, and courses geared to meet the needs of small business owners. At the heart of it all is no-cost business consulting and low-cost business training.
How Can You Take Advantage?
There are two types of SBDC clients: Entrepreneurs and existing Small Business Owners:
Entrepreneurs:
If you’re considering small business ownership, you can access one-on-one, hands-on consultation including business start-ups, loans and financing, financial statement analysis, marketing, accounting, and record keeping, sales, advertising, business planning and management. All at no charge.
Existing Business Owners:
Check with your local office on any nominal fees to access resources and consultation for business growth, government contracting, exporting, marketing expansion, and new emerging technologies for businesses in retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and professional services.
To Begin:
Before you can access the consultation services, you must complete a client engagement consent form, as well as a client intake form. You can find both by following this link.
Don’t Miss:
March 16, 2022, has been designated as “SBDC Day”, the sixth consecutive annual celebration of
the impact provided by America’s Small Business Development Centers. There’s even an Ambassador Program, where you can participate by authoring an SBDC Day blog or post a social media update with the hashtag: #SBDCDay to your Twitter account.
If you’re an entrepreneur or existing small business owner in North Texas, here is the contact information for the regional and city-based locations of our Small Business Development Centers:
Regional Lead Center in North Texas:
Bill J. Priest Institute
Mark Langford
Executive Director
1402 Corinth Street, Suite 2111
Dallas, TX 75215
Phone: 214-860-5831
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.ntsbdc.org
SBDC Centers in North Texas:
Collin County SBDC
Marta Frey – Director
4800 Preston Park Blvd., Suite 114
Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 972-985-3770
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.collinsbdc.com/
Dallas Metropolitan SBDC
Anthony Barwick – Director
1402 Corinth Street
Dallas, TX 75215
Phone: 214-860-5865
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.dallasmetropolitansbdc.com
Tarrant SBDC
Cynthia Harnest
Interim Director
1150 South Fwy., Ste. 229
Ft. Worth, TX 76104
Phone: 817-515-2603
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.tarrantsbdc.org
From time to time, you’ll find us collaborating with these SBDCs, where we share our knowledge, insight, and experience as franchise ownership consultants. If you’d like to explore the full-range of possibilities that come with small business ownership through franchising, let FranNet of DFW & Oklahoma be your guide. Our no-cost, no-obligation consultations have helped hundreds of entrepreneurs secure a future that belongs to them and them alone. We’d love to introduce you to a whole new world of possibilities through franchise ownership.