The U.S. House of Representatives approved the FY 2010 Financial Services Appropriations bill, HR 3170, on July 16. This legislation provides funds for the Small Business Administration and its programs, including the Small Business Development Center/SBDC national program ($110 million for FY 2010). The SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs helped generate 73,000 new jobs, infused $7.2 billion into the economy, and offered consulting and training to over 600,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs in 2008. About 900 SBDC offices nationwide provide entrepreneurial assistance to more than 1.2 million small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs annually. FYI: The SBDC’s annual conference will be held from September 14-17 in Orlando, Florida. For more information, check the site http://www.asbdc-us.org/conference/conference.html. A wealth of information is imparted in over 80 workshops during the conference. The workshops are attended by both SBDC consultants, to further their training and skill set, as well as outside organizations (such as chambers of commerce, industrial development groups, and others) who want to learn more about working with small firms.
There are 4 SBDCs in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region, including:
The University of Scranton SBDC, covering the counties of Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming.
The Wilkes University SBDC, covering the counties of Carbon, Columbia, Luzerne, Schuylkill, Sullivan.
The Bucknell University SBDC, covering Juniata, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder and Union counties.
The Lehigh University SBDC, covering Lehigh, Northampton, and a portion of Bucks and Montgomery counties.
