Visit Your Small Business Development Center for a Helping Hand
Starting and running a small business can be exciting—but also confusing. Where do you start? How do you get a loan? What’s the best way to market your product? That’s where Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) come in.
SBDCs are local centers that offer free or low-cost help for small business owners. They are funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local partners like universities or nonprofits. Their main goal is to help people start, grow, and succeed in business.
Whether you’re thinking about starting a business or you already own one, an SBDC can give you advice, training, and tools to move forward.
What Services Do SBDCs Offer?
SBDCs offer many services, including:
- Business planning, such as help writing a business plan, choosing the right legal structure (like LLC or sole proprietorship), or figuring out your business goals.
- Marketing and sales, such as advice on social media marketing, help creating a website, and ideas for reaching more customers.
- Financial help, such as budgeting and cash flow planning, understanding your business taxes, and help applying for business loans or grants.
- Training and workshops, with classes on topics like business startup, accounting, and social media. Some are online and free; others may have a small fee.
- Support for minority-owned businesses.
How Much Do SBDC Services Cost?
Most SBDC services are free. This includes one-on-one business advising. Some workshops or training sessions may have a small fee (usually under $50), but many are free as well.
The goal of SBDCs is to support local businesses—not to make a profit. So they try to keep everything affordable, especially for new or underserved business owners.
How Can an SBDC Work for You?
Let’s look at a few examples of how businesses might use an SBDC:
🧵 Marshallese Clothing Brand Online
Kelani runs a small online shop selling Marshall Islands-inspired clothing. She’s struggling to get online traffic. The SBDC connects her with a marketing expert who:
- Reviews her website
- Gives her tips on search engine optimization (SEO)
- Helps her run Facebook ads more effectively
Thanks to the guidance, her website traffic and sales increase.
🌺 Lei-Making Business
Malia wants to turn her lei-making hobby into a full-time business. She visits her local SBDC, where a business advisor helps her:
- Register her business name
- Choose between an LLC and a sole proprietorship
- Write a simple business plan
- Set up a budget and pricing strategy
She also attends a free workshop on Instagram marketing to help grow her customer base.
🥥 Samoan Food Truck
Pele has been cooking traditional Samoan dishes for years. He wants to buy a food truck but needs funding. An SBDC advisor helps him:
- Prepare a strong loan application
- Create financial projections
- Understand health and safety rules for food trucks
With the SBDC’s help, Pele gets a small business loan from a local bank and launches his food truck.
How to Find an SBDC Near You
There are over 900 SBDCs across the U.S. and its territories, including centers in Hawai‘i, Guam, American Samoa, and other Pacific regions. To find the closest one to you:
👉 Visit: https://americassbdc.org/find-your-sbdc/
Just enter your city or ZIP code to get contact info and directions.
You can also visit the SBA’s main website:
👉 https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance
Search by state or territory and choose “Small Business Development Center.”
If you’re a small business owner—or thinking of becoming one—you don’t have to figure it all out alone. SBDCs are here to connect you with tools and advice to succeed.
💬 What’s your experience with SBDCs or finding help from other resources? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks for sharing!