New York State Small Business Development Center

The New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC), established in 1984 and administered by the State University of New York (SUNY), operates 20 regional service centers across the state. With a team of around 260 professionals, including business advisors, administrators, and staff, the NYSBDC offers information and assistance to small businesses. Funded by various sources, including the U.S. Small Business Administration, the of New York, local communities, and host campuses, the NYSBDC provides confidential business advisement services at no direct cost to New York's citizens and entrepreneurs. The program focuses on delivering individualized business advising and technical assistance, covering areas such as access to capital, technology development, and business planning.

The NYSBDC is an accredited affiliate of the national network of Small Business Development Centers and a member of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.

Mission
The New York SBDC provides customized solutions through advisement, education, research, and advocacy for Entrepreneurs, Innovators and the Small & Medium Enterprise community.

Regional Centers and Outreach Offices
The NYSBDC is supported by 20 regional centers and over 70 outreach offices located throughout New York State. A complete list of NY SBDC centers and offices is available on the NYSBDC website NYSBDC clients represent small business in New York. In 2023 53% of clients were women, 41% were minorities, 15% were from rural counties, 6% were veterans and 2% were entrepreneurs with disabilities.

The economic impact in 2023 has been notable, with over 2,000 business starts, and 23,433 clients served, providing over 84,000 counseling hours, across all 62 counties. This led to a substantial financial impact of $301,066,153.[11]

Small Business Services
The NYSBDC offers a variety of programs designed to facilitate entrepreneurship and assist small businesses:
 * Entreskills - Online Entrepreneurial Education
 * International Business Program
 * Veterans Business Program
 * Disaster Recovery Assistance

History of Small Business Development Centers
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a United States government agency supporting small businesses. The SBA was created by way of the Small Business Act of July 30, 1953. The Small Business Development Center program grew out of the University Business Development Center''' (UBDC) program. A 1976 press release announcing the UBDC proclaimed that this new concept "could increase substantially the leverage SBA can provide in counseling and advising small business concerns." The pilot program for the UBDC was established at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona in 1976. Throughout 1977 seven more universities received funding, including Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska, and Maine.

By 1979, the UBDC program was renamed the SBDC program, and pilot centers existed in sixteen states across the U.S. By 1980, performance surveys of SBDC clients, as well as existing small business owners, saw fit to expand the SBDC project throughout the country. On July 2, 1980, President Carter signed into law the Small Business Development Act of 1980. This act provided $8.5 million in annual funding. In 1984, a program was established in New York State. The SBA in a 1985 report noted that "Several SBDCs have established separate International Trade Centers (ITC) as part of their state-wide operations. These international trade centers are currently located in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.".

An SBDC was established in Guam in 1995 and in May 2000, the 58th SBDC program was established when the SBA funded an SBDC program for American Samoa. In September 2023, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) announced the introduction of legislation to further support the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program by authorizing an increase of $35 million in annual funding over the next four years. This will allow SBDCs to promote and build awareness of SBDC programs and services.[12]

History of the NY Small Business Development Center
Over the years, the NYSBDC has made a substantial impact on the state's economy, with clients investing over $5 billion and influencing the creation of 166,000 jobs. The program's success is attributed to its collaborative partnerships and commitment to meeting the unique needs of local entrepreneurial communities. The regional centers of the NYSBDC have provided training for over 448,600 individuals on various business management issues. The program's approach includes personalized counseling, reasonably priced training, and timely research specific to industries, contributing to the success of many businesses.

During challenging times, such as the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the NYSBDC demonstrated resilience. After 9/11, advisors were sent to Lower Manhattan to provide critical business guidance. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 22 regional centers supported small businesses in navigating challenges and adapting to the evolving crisis.

In essence, the NYSBDC serves as a valuable resource for small businesses in New York, focusing on practical assistance, collaborative efforts, and resilience in economic challenges. For more information, visit www.nysbdc.org.

Partners and Sponsors
The NYSBDC is partnered with various government agencies, business and professional associations, economic development entities, and corporations. The list of NYSBDC sponsors and partners includes:


 * Empire State Development Corporation|[Empire State Development Corporation]
 * New York State Education Department|[NY Education Department]
 * NYS Department of Financial Services
 * NYS Insurance Department
 * Internal Revenue Service|[Internal Revenue Service]
 * United States Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]
 * GoogleAd Services
 * SCORE
 * Pursuit Lending]
 * The Business Council of New York -State, Inc.
 * Microsoft
 * International Sign Association
 * Intuit