FSBDC at UCF, University of Central Florida, Small Business Assistance

Business Recovery Teams: New Florida SBDC at UCF Program Helps Companies Impaired by COVID-19 Get Back to Business and Get Back to Growth

August 20, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL –  To assist established Central Florida businesses overcome the harm from the COVID-19 pandemic and help them rebuild for long term success, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) has launched a new,  focused, robust, and heavily resourced business assistance program for small- to medium-sized businesses built around providing Recovery, Resiliency, and Continuity support – all strengthened by additional staff and funding.

The newly created Business Recovery Team (BRT) program has been designed by the FSBDC at UCF to help companies develop and implement customized business strategies designed to assist in recovery after the unexpected disruptions of COVID-19 and to build sustainability thereafter, including through realigning their business model and adapting to a new environment. This is a new and distinctive service from the FSBDC.

Business Recovery Teams will be assembled by the FSBDC at UCF – each one ‘custom-fit’ for the participating business – with expert FSBDC consultants with a diverse range of skills.  Experienced business professionals may then be added, as necessary, when specialized skillsets or backgrounds are required. The client-dedicated BRT will then conduct in-depth strategic and business planning aimed at returning the business to health and growth.

Depending on the needs of the company, included in the process could be identification and articulation of company goals aligned with the COVID-19 ‘new normal’; enumeration of a recovery-focused business plan; and definition and deployment of critical business functions and resources. A BRT’s contributions can range across financial, marketing and operational areas of an organization and include:

  • Post-COVID-19 Management Plans and Protocols
  • Financial Analysis, including streamlining and cost analysis
  • Digital Marketing Outlines and Services
  • Industry Market Research & Analysis
  • Business Resiliency Plans for the Future

Like the FSBDC at UCF’s award-winning Advisory Board Council program, which has positively impacted 100’s of Central Florida businesses through revenue growth and job creation. a Business Recovery Team is a powerful management tool to help businesses solve the unprecedented problems of today and create opportunities for tomorrow.

The FSBDC’s Business Recovery Team Program is unique in what it offers participating companies, and is designed to make a difference and get results through:

  • Intensive Engagement with Experienced Consulting Teams;
  • In-depth Financial, Marketing and Industry Analysis and Planning;
  • Innovative and often Groundbreaking Problem Solving;
  • Identification of New Opportunities and Direction; and
  • Results-driven Strategies and Action Plans.

The FSBDC at UCF’s Business Recovery Team program is funded by the CARES Act, and available for a limited time. Businesses interested in assistance from a BRT must complete an application and meet three criteria to qualify for consideration: the company must be three (3) or more years in business; have 2019 revenues of $350,000 or more; and had more than 3 employees as of March 1, 2020.

To apply for a FSBDC at UCF Business Recovery Team, please complete and submit the the application found at https://sbdcorlando.com/covid19-relief/#brt.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Partnership & Innovation and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2019, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 2,500 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 10,000 jobs created, retained or saved; $1.2 billion in sales growth; $62.3 million in capital formation; $213.2 million in government contract awards; and 125 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2019, Florida SBDCs provided 114,064 of professional business consulting to over 12,500 client businesses, resulting in almost 38,000 jobs impacted; $4.4 billion in sales generated; $496.5 million in government contracts acquired; and $255.3 million in capital accessed.

A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.