Florida SBDC at UCF

Florida SBDC at UCF to Celebrate National SBDC Day March 20

March 19, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL — The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) will celebrate the third annual SBDC Day Wednesday, March 20, 2019. SBDC Day is a national movement to celebrate the success and impact of America’s SBDCs, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) largest business assistance program.

With an SBDC in every U.S. state and territory, and more than 1,000 centers across the country, SBDCs provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of aspiring and existing small businesses each year. SBDCs help entrepreneurs realize the dream of business ownership and help existing businesses remain competitive in a complex, ever-changing global marketplace.

In 2017, America’s SBDC clients experienced annual sales growth of 18.1 percent, almost 4.5 times more than the national average. SBDC assistance resulted in 93,471 jobs created; $7 billion in sales growth; $5.9 billion in capital investments; and 14,716 new businesses started.

“SBDC clients give their SBDCs 4.5 out of 5 stars and 92 percent of SBDC clients recommend their SBDC to other small businesses. With nearly 40 years of expertise, proven ROI and stellar client ratings, it’s clear that America’s SBDCs are the nation’s most trusted small business resource,” said Charles “Tee” Rowe, president and CEO of America’s SBDC.

“SBDC Day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the collective impact and success SBDCs have across the nation and in local communities each year,” remarked Eunice Choi, Regional Director of the FSBDC at UCF. “We are proud to assist Central Florida small businesses in so many ways and contribute to the economic health and wellbeing of the region.”

The Florida SBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance. The network has more than 40 centers from Pensacola to Key West hosted by the state’s leading universities, colleges, and economic development organizations.

To learn more about SBDC Day, and to join the celebration, please visit http://floridasbdc.org/national-sbdc-day.

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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 SBDC 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 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2017, the FSBDC at UCF served over 2,450 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 5,600 jobs created, retained or saved; $623 million in sales growth; $23 million in capital formation; $32 million in government contract awards; and 71 new businesses started.

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 2017, Florida SBDCs have provided professional business consulting to 11,750 client businesses, resulting in more than 28,800 jobs impacted; $3.2 billion in sales generated; $145.6 million in government contracts acquired; $135.4 million in capital accessed; and 335 new businesses started.

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.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com