Show me the way: SBDCs put you on the road to success

Entrepreneur, July, 1998 by Laura Tiffany

"We're here to help businesses develop their road maps to success," says Bonnie Cornwall, the northern region director for California SBDCs. "As one of my directors says, if businesses fail to plan, they plan to fail."

SBDCs are cooperative programs designed to provide current and potential business owners with information and counseling on all aspects of running a small business. SBDC services include workshops, training sessions, one-on-one counseling and access to resource libraries. Every state has a central SBDC, and there are nearly 1,000 service centers throughout the country.

Workshop sessions, which cost about $50 each, cover topics such as loan procurement, tax preparation and business plan writing. One-on-one counselors give personalized advice and are recruited from the local business community, universities or the Service Corps of Retired Executives. You can get assistance from volunteer counselors for free, or the SBDC will help you find a paid consultant (at a lower than normal fee) if you require specialized assistance.

SBDCs, which are partially funded by the SBA and private, government and educational institutions, are usually located at colleges, universities, vocational schools, chambers of commerce or economic development corporations. To locate the SBDC nearest you, call (800) 8-ASK-SBA or visit www. sba.gov/sbdc.

7