If you’re a small business owner just starting out or you’ve been in business for a while, you’re likely wearing multiple hats which make it easy to miss your successes along your journey as an entrepreneur. Those milestones give you perspective, and often a sense of accomplishment. They allow you to see just how far you’ve come, so it’s important to celebrate them.
From hiring your first employee and the first month you made a profit, to securing that first loan and opening a second location, these are all important milestones. In the future, those milestones will also help you gauge the impact you’ve made – whether on an individual, in your community or globally.
The SBA has resources to help you achieve that next milestone. Our nationwide network of Resource Partners provide entrepreneurs (both new and existing) with free business mentoring, counseling and planning assistance, as well as insight and guidance with special areas of focus, such as disaster preparedness and recovery, veterans’ business assistance, green business technology, technology transfer and regulatory compliance.
With more than 1, 000 combined locations throughout the nation, including Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, our Resource Partner network is unparalleled in their reach of professional business mentoring and counseling.
Under the direction of the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development, more than one million small business owners receive business counseling and assistance each year through one or more of the SBA’s counseling and training programs including the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), and the national SCORE mentoring program.
During fiscal year 2017, there were 1.4 million entrepreneurs and small business owners who were counseled or trained. These numbers speak for themselves.
- Small Business Development Centers counseled and trained over 430, 000 clients.
- Women’s Business Centers provided assistance to nearly 150, 000 clients.
- SCORE counseled and trained more than 645, 000 clients.
- SBA’s Learning Center provided online training to more than 200, 000 entrepreneurs.
Our resource partners have made many great contributions to the growth and sustainability of America’s small businesses through one-on-one mentoring, consulting and training to help small businesses compete in the global marketplace.
In addition, SBA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative expanded to four additional locations in 2017, offering intensive executive training in 57 areas across the country this year alone. The Emerging Leaders Initiative trains executives of small businesses poised for growth in emerging markets.
We can help you connect with your nearest SBA District Office, SBDC, SCORE chapter or WBC. Go to the SBA’s Local Assistance map to get started. Here you can find useful counseling, training and mentoring from any of these resource partners for starting, growing and managing your small business.