The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), formerly known as the Northwest Texas Business Resource Center, is helping Lubbock and rural communities find their entrepreneurial voice.
The SBDC is a place that welcomes aspiring entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses. For the center to assist entrepreneurs, they first need to come up with an idea. Carla Holland, executive director of the SBDC, explained that the SBDC can’t give people their next business idea, but can assist entrepreneurs to navigate their ideas and help them find where to begin.
“Once you have your idea, you would then come to the Small Business Development Center, and we will help you write a business plan,” Holland said. “So it’s a business plan, or a roadmap.”
To keep the SBDC growing and active, the organization is always on the hunt for individuals that have experience and knowledge in a variety of industries. Holland explained that the organization is looking to help those who have a side business or a hobby they want to take to the next level, and they do this by helping them find new and innovative ways to grow their businesses.
The SBDC offers numerous services and programs to help new entrepreneurs with tasks such as creating sample business plans, researching their proposed industry, and even finding the right location for their operation to be successful.
One distinguished opportunity that businesses have access to through the SBDC is the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC). This program helps with designing and manufacturing building layouts, employee training, and legal details. An additional program offered through TMAC is the Procurement Technical Assistance Center which works to help businesses procure government contract work.
Another program that Holland mentioned is the Texas Rural Challenge. This program was created to connect rural entrepreneurs to help grow resilient rural communities and increase entrepreneurial opportunities in rural America.
“A lot of our rural small businesses don’t know about our resources, and don’t utilize [it],” Holland said.
To assist in bridging this gap, the SBDC hired an individual dedicated to surveying four rural communities in the South Plains and seeing what business the community was in most need of. They found that the communities needed access to some sort of appliance store. After this, they were able to work with citizens within the community and help them open a hardware store.
At the end of each day, the overarching goal of the SBDC is to help entrepreneurs with the growth and management of their businesses. The organization provides resources to all types of entrepreneurs looking for advice and counsel. Starting and building your own business can be a daunting and, at times, lonely, task. The SBDC strives to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with mentors to create a rewarding experience for business owners.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Small Business Development Center in Lubbock visit their website at https://www.lubbocksbdc.org/.
“Like I said, starting a business and managing the business can be lonely.”
Carla Holland