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WV SBDC Provides Valuable Resources Small Business Can Trust. Here Are 5 Reasons Why.

 

It’s a great time to be a small business owner in West Virginia. Whether you want to open a restaurant in your downtown and showcase your family recipes or start a construction company and help build up your community, the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC) can help you find success in 2022.

Each year, the WV SBDC provides business coaching services and workshops that help more than 1,400 businesses clarify goals, develop skills and acquire resources to operate a successful enterprise.

Aren’t familiar with what we do at the WV SBDC? Here are a few things that make our program such an important and valuable resource for small businesses in West Virginia.

Accredited Program That Meets the Needs of Businesses

The WV SBDC attained the goal of full accreditation by the Association of Small Business Development Centers in 2021.  This means businesses that work with our agency can be sure they’re getting the best in quality professional services. 

Federal statute requires that SBDCs go through an accreditation review once every five years to continue program eligibility and funding. This assessment, which is based on the Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence, ensures that Small Business Development Centers, including the WV SBDC, are well managed and deliver quality service.  This process is essential for the national SBDC program to be recognized as a provider of high quality business advising and education that results in credible economic impact.

By being responsive to changing customer and stakeholder needs, SBDCs develop programs and services that meet the ever-changing world of small business. Over the years the SBDC mission has expanded and adapted to meet the changing needs of America’s small businesses, all changes derived from this unique accreditation process.

Certified Business Advisors You Can Trust

In addition to accreditation at the agency level, the WV SBDC is staffed with highly trained Certified Business Advisors®. Currently, eleven of the SBDC’s business coaches have received this graduate-level certification, which is awarded by Kent State University’s College of Business Administration. 

The CBA certification provides assurance to clients and funding partners that all business advisors in the SBDC network have the business skills, competency and knowledge to effectively counsel, guide and inform entrepreneurs. The program was developed by and for SBDC business advisors and is used by SBDCs in more than 20 states, another measure of quality assurance within the SBDC program.

Providing Professional Help For Businesses At Every Stage

It doesn’t matter if you’re just getting started or if your business has been in the family for generations, the WV SBDC helps businesses at any stage in the business life cycle. 

Do you need guidance on how to connect with a lender to fund your startup? Need help understanding the details of your business’s financial performance so you can increase profits or manage cash flow? Maybe you want to prepare to exit your business and don’t know how to come up with a succession plan. 

Whatever your business needs are, the WV SBDC utilizes a business coaching approach to assess your situation and work with you to think through problems, identify your needs, find options and pinpoint solutions.


Working Together to Transform Your Business

Behind every WV SBDC service and program is a real person who cares about your success. That’s why the WV SBDC has set a goal to have a positive transformational and lasting impact on aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. As an SBDC client there is no limit to how long you can work with us. We’re with you for the long haul. We’ll be there as you formulate your idea and build your first prototype. We’ll crunch the numbers with you to develop your financial projections and monitor your cash flow. We’ll help you package your loan and locate the financial resource that best fits you and your capital needs. When you do well domestically we’ll be there to help you export. And when you’re ready, we’ll guide you through building a succession plan, selling your business, acquiring a new one or developing an exit strategy. Whatever your need, the SBDC can assist you every step of the way. 

One of the ways the WV SBDC does this is by making time for businesses that need help. In 2021, we spent over 9,600 hours one-on-one with our clients, helping them address problems, achieve goals and reach milestones. That kind of care and attention makes a difference. 

SBDC Program is an Investment That Pays Off 

The SBDC’s 2021 Annual Report outlines our performance on several important metrics. Every new business that the SBDC helps get started translates into new jobs, new sales, and new capital investment dollars, not to mention a more diverse and vibrant economy through new entrepreneurial excitement. Arguably our single most important metric, jobs, generate income tax revenue for the state of West Virginia.  Facilitating capital investment into small businesses keeps money flowing throughout our communities to pay suppliers & contractors, to buy out a retiring business owner, to upgrade infrastructure, or to hire new employees. 

Just as much as our clients want to see a return on their investment with us, our funding partners demand a good ROI as well. The WV SBDC operates on $1.5 million in funding provided to us by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. Every dollar spent by the WV SBDC is an investment that pays off.

Each year we conduct a series of surveys to measure our impact.  Clients are asked to respond and report the difference that the West Virginia SBDC has made in their business. We ask how we’ve helped them grow and retain employees, increase sales, and secure capital to grow their businesses.  Basically, we’re measuring a return on your taxes as they are used in the SBDC program.  The results of an independent economic impact study conducted in 2020 found that the WV SBDC returns $1.95 in tax revenue for every $1 that is spent on the program. That investment goes even further when measured by financing obtained by our clients. Every dollar invested in the WV SBDC leverages approximately $28.41 in new capital raised from external sources for SBDC client businesses.

To learn more about the WV SBDC resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, visit wvsbdc.com.
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