Chess board mid-game on an executive desk with softly lit bookshelves behind

Making sense out of all of the tasks involved in starting a business can be a lot like making sense out of a disorganized junk drawer. In your junk drawer, you may have scissors, super glue, a wide variety of pens and pencils, your car keys, batteries, a tennis ball, your old cellphone case that you no longer use, sunglasses, and an assortment of various rolls of tape. You may need some of these things at some point; some are more important than others as you use them every day, and other items you could do without. The difference between the items in your junk drawer and the tasks involved in starting your own business is that you may be much more familiar with the items in your junk drawer and can instantly sort them in your mind based on their importance in your life.

If you have never started a business before, it can be hard to figure out which tasks are most important and should take precedence over others. Forming an LLC, writing a well-detailed business plan, creating a website, designing a logo, conducting market research, and looking for funding through loans, grants, or investors are all important aspects of starting a business. But how do you prioritize these tasks and decide which are the most important to get started on first? Additionally, several steps and tasks are involved in each of these areas, which can be hard to prioritize and make sense of. There is also a learning curve involved with all of these tasks, which can make the process confusing, complicated, and time-consuming.

Thankfully, resources are available to help make sense of all of the various tasks involved in starting a business. One of these resources is Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). Small Business Development Centers are a nationwide network of centers that provide support to small businesses in nearly every aspect of running a business. SBDCs offer a wide range of free or low-cost services to both new and existing businesses in order to help develop them. SBDCs are funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, along with other funders, which can include state and local governmental bodies, private foundations, public and private colleges and universities, vocational and technical schools, etc.

The mission of SBDCs is to help facilitate the development and growth of small businesses and entrepreneurship in the United States and, in turn, stimulate and grow the U.S. economy. According to the Office of Small Business Development Centers' website, there are currently 62 Lead Small Business Development Centers, one in each state (with California having six and Texas having 4), Washington D.C, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Samoa, and Guam, and over 900 local service locations. The lead organization helps manage and coordinate the services provided by the other subcenters and satellite locations within a particular state. These subcenters are typically located at universities, colleges, trade schools, chambers of commerce, etc. This means no matter where you live in the United States, there is likely an SBDC near you that is easily accessible. You can meet with an SBDC advisor or counselor in person, or you can schedule a phone call or video conference. SBDCs also take the initiative to make sure their services reach socially and economically disadvantaged groups, women, U.S. military veterans, and those with disabilities. SBDCs also have special programs aimed at servicing these groups and helping to facilitate rural development and international trade.

SBDCs are an invaluable resource to small business owners. SBDCs can help a new entrepreneur get their company started and off the ground, or they can help a business that has existed for years grow their company or adapt to a changing business climate. In this article, we will cover how to use SBDCs to help develop your business and how you can take better advantage of this resource, which includes:

Prepare for Your Meeting with an SBDC Counselor

SBDCs help small businesses advance their companies by assigning them a business counselor or advisor who is experienced in business matters and will help and advise the business owner in many ways. To get the most out of your meeting, phone call, or video conference with your SBDC counselor, you can prepare ahead of time so that you don't waste time on the basics. Ways that you can prepare for your meeting with your SBDC counselor are:

  • View Your Local SBDC's Website

    Viewing your local SBDC's website that you will be working with can give you an idea of what programs, training, and assistance your particular SBDC offers. This will allow you to go into the meeting with an idea of what services they can provide and what programs you'd like to participate in. This is important as different SBDCs have different programs, including ones that are region specific. Many SBDCs websites also have business checklists that are designed to help optimize your meeting.

  • Know What Your Business Idea Is

    Working out your general business idea before your SBDC meeting will go a long way in actually receiving help in creating a business. If you haven't worked out your general business idea yet, it's going to be harder for an SBDC counselor to help you in a significant way.

  • Understand What Stage of Business Development You Are In

    Whether you only have a business idea, are in the process of forming your business entity, or have been in business for five years and want to expand, understanding what level of business development you are currently in will allow your SBDC counselor to be able to help you more.

  • Why Would Your Business Be Successful?

    Knowing the reasons why you believe your business can be successful will also help your advisor be able to better assist you in developing your business. This will allow them to understand the ways you think your business can be impactful in the market and they can then better guide you or make suggestions based on this information.

  • Create a Bullet Point List of Points You'd Like to Discuss

    Creating a bullet point list of topics you'd like to discuss with your advisor can help streamline your telephone call or in-person or video conference meeting. You can forward this bullet point list to your SBDC advisor before the meeting to help them prepare for the meeting, get an idea of what you'd like to accomplish, gather any useful resources they can share with you, etc.

Optimize Your Meeting

Once you have thoroughly prepared for your SBDC meeting, you can do certain things during your meeting to help you get the most benefit from it. These include:

  • Listen to Your SBDC Advisor

    SBDC advisors are business experts with a lot of resources, experience, and knowledge. They've helped many business owners and have operated businesses of their own. They offer sound advice, and their entire mission is to help you succeed. Communicating your ideas and questions to them and then listening attentively to what they have to say will help you get the most out of your meeting.

  • Take Notes or Request Permission to Record the Call

    Because your SBDC counselor will give you high-quality business advice, it is wise to take notes during your meeting that you can reference later. If you are doing a video conference or phone call, you can ask your SBDC counselor if you can record the video conference or phone call so you can use it for future reference. Of course, you don't want to record the call or video conference without asking first. But if your SBDC counselor is okay with recording it, this can provide you with a valuable resource you can use later.

  • Take Action on Things Discussed in Your Meeting

    In order to make the most of the meeting with your SBDC counselor, you will need to take action on the things they discussed with you. If you're serious about developing your business and meeting with an SBDC advisor, if you don't follow their advice after the fact, you wouldn't have fully taken advantage of your time or theirs.

Schedule More Meetings with Your SBDC Counselor

If you only have a single meeting with your SBDC counselor, you won't be taking full advantage of this resource. SBDCs are designed to provide continued expert business support to small businesses. By taking action on the advice your SBDC counselor gave you in your initial meeting and then following up with subsequent meetings over time, they can better help you progress down the path of entrepreneurial success. Creating an action plan after each meeting, acting on that plan, and then following up on the results in the next meeting is a great way to use SBDCs to help develop your business.

Attend SBDC Trainings, Workshops, and Business Events

Attending SBDC Trainings, Workshops, And Business Events is another great way to use SBDCs to help you advance your business. You can gain valuable skills, acquire useful information, or make important business contacts. Even if you only learn one thing that can help you in your business or meet a single business contact, this can make attending SBDC-hosted events worthwhile.

Switch to a Different SBDC Advisor If You Are Not Clicking with Your Current One

If you aren't clicking with the SBDC advisor you are meeting with, you can always switch to meet with another one that might be a better fit for you. Different advisors may have more experience in your field than others and could potentially provide you with more valuable insights you could use to help develop your business.

Areas Where SBDCs Can Help Develop Your Business

SBDCs can advise you and help you develop your business in many areas, which include the following:

  • Business Plan Development
  • Strategic Planning
  • Access To Capital
  • Market Research
  • Marketing, Advertising, and Promotion
  • Financial Analysis
  • Financial Management
  • Acquiring Government Contracts
  • International Trade
  • Intellectual Property Rights
  • Human Resources
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Technology
  • Legal
  • Manufacturing
  • Product Development
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Public Relations
  • Taxes

Are You Starting Your Own Business?

If you are starting your own business, InCorp can help. With our business formation services, we can help you form the correct legally recognized business entity, such as an LLC or corporation, for your particular business. We also provide registered agent services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, businesses can take advantage of our proprietary entity management system and iOS app to help them stay on top of important deadlines and have easy access to their important documents.

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