Small Business Development Center Day celebrates success of SBDCs 指导企业家

Valarie James, ’10, never anticipated opening her own business, but with the guidance of the 西密歇根 Small Business Development Center, she’s embracing the new opportunity before her.

James is one of thousands of clients helped by the Michigan Small Business Development Center and the 西密歇根 SBDC, both headquartered at the 塞德曼商学院. 的 Michigan SBDC acts as the state headquarters for the 10 regional 全州的sbdc. 

Wednesday, March 20, marks Small Business Development Center Day, a day to recognize the network of nearly 1,000 SBDCs around the country and its mission in offering no-cost consulting 对企业家的规划. 

“Working with the Small Business Development Center, I was able to learn how to create a marketing plan and learn how to do 市场调查，”詹姆斯说. 一开始，这听起来很 intimidating, but once you have the support of a mentor, you're able 进行这些对话. 我们经历了这个过程，所以 这就说得通了.”

埃德•加纳, the 西密歇根 SBDC regional director, is elated whenever he hears of a client reaching their potential like James.

“We are really client-focused, so when we hear the success of people expanding their business, we really feel honored that we had a maybe some small part in that,” Garner 说. “这是 我们为何而工作.” 

“We’re here to provide advice and technical assistance to not only new and starting entrepreneurs, but to people that are growing their businesses or people that may be exiting their 企业也一样. 我们在那里度过整个生命周期 业务实体."

For James, her journey to becoming a small business owner began as a result of her fitness journey, she 说. 

“Fitness is important to me because it helps me along like my own personal journey just dealing with my own mental health 需要，”她说. 

James 说 she felt inspired and creative after 教尊巴舞课. 但真正让她吃惊的是听到 how her classes affected her students in the same manner. 

“的re's just something about fitness and also being in a group setting, where it can lead to community,” James 说. “It can lead to friendships and conversations, and it can lead to healing.”

But, it wasn’t until she attended a women’s conference with other health and wellness professionals, she 说, that everything clicked for her, and she saw her future path. 

“ I never saw myself as an entrepreneur, but it was at that moment, taking that trip by myself, when I felt inspired to 把它变成一门生意，”詹姆斯说.

In 2023, James was one of seven finalists selected for 密歇根SBDC漆黑竞赛. 组织起来协助布莱克 entrepreneurs and small business owners, the pitch competition gave contestants five minutes to sell their venture to a panel.  

“We found throughout COVID that Black-owned businesses had been disproportionately  financially impacted,” Garner 说. “We at the SBDC felt we needed to respond to that to try to help these 企业生存.”

While James didn’t finish in the top three, she did earn the People’s Choice Award and its $500 prize. 还有，Pitch 黑人的概念已经开始流行，加纳说. 除了马斯基根和格兰德 Rapids, Garner 说 there will be a similar event in Detroit and 希望是在萨吉诺或弗林特. 

“ I feel like the event did expand my network,” James 说. “Still to this day, I get emails from people who remember me 从球场比赛. 

“的n I’ve been able to follow up with my mentor through the SBDC, just so that I have that support. 我不需要 feel like I’m going through this alone, or if I feel like I’m stuck, 或者我想改变我的生意. 我有一个可以沟通的人 确保我做出了正确的决定.”