Take Advantage of the Small Business Development Center

Anyone looking to start a new business would do well to contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC). These centers are sponsored by the federal government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) and offer a variety of services to clients at low or no cost. Our nearest SBDC in Lawrence, KS, works in conjunction with the School of Business at the University of Kansas and is located downtown. The state of Kansas has other regional SBDC offices and these centers are located in all 50 states so there’s bound to be one near you.

Will Katz, the regional director of our local SBDC, has been extremely helpful in bringing our dream of the Craft Kit Club to reality. He runs various seminars that cover essential aspects of starting and operating a business. Our session had only one other participant so we got a lot of specific, pertinent advice. We also took advantage of free counseling sessions in which he reviewed our business plan, suggested tweaks to our processes, and offered many ideas for creating and marketing our products.

Since the staff had no financial interest in directing us any certain way, we felt that we got unbiased and straight-forward advice. Best of all, with the support of KU, the Lawrence office provides these services for free! Unfortunately, not every office can offer their support for free, but fees are always minimal.

Whether you’re preparing a start-up business, trying to revitalize a sagging business, or looking for guidance to expand a successful business, get hooked up with the nearest Small Business Development Center and see what they can do for you.