The Most Important Resource Small Businesses MUST Use

By: Rachel Raupp

No matter what kind of business you own or you’re a part of, it’s important that we all utilize the same resource that is here to help us all—America’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Michigan’s SBDC is headquartered in Grand Rapids but have over ten different locations throughout the state. They have helped over 5,500 businesses across Michigan and helped start 445 businesses in 2016. Their main goal is to help us - if you haven’t looked into the SBDC, now is the time.

Who do they help?

SBDC helps anyone who wants to start a business, anyone who has started a business or wants to grow their business, and businesses with advanced technology.

What can they do for you?

The SBDC can help you develop a business plan for your company. You can see plans from other companies and meet with a consultant to review your strategies.

They offer market research for you to use to better grasp how to maintain economic growth. You can also uncover what your audience is looking for and what your competitors are doing so you can improve your marketing both online and face-to-face. You can meet with specialists about loans, grants, and other financial information. You’ll be given all the options in order to choose the best route for you.

There are workshops for you to participate in that are either free or low cost. These workshops help you with anything you could imagine about running a business, like creating a marketing plan or writing posts for using social media effectively.

SBDC helps in ways beyond just these, and their many experts and specialists are here to help us, help you, and help small businesses succeed and grow across the country.