Direct Business Assistance Program
Direct Business Assistance Program - The UH Small Business Development Center (UH SBDC) Network has contributed to the economic growth and prosperity of Texas Gulf Coast communities by delivering entrepreneurial education and training to area business owners and their employees. The UH SBDC serves 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 full-time business consulting and training centers and 50 satellite locations. Founded in 1984, SBDC has served several hundred thousand clients and customers with high-quality counseling and training. UH SBDC-assisted clients create thousands of new jobs annually resulting from new business starts and expansions, and they secure in excess of $50 million in new capital. The SBDC Network provides free consulting, available in Spanish, to help business owners develop strategies, attract customers, and increase sales, as well as offers affordable training seminars on business topics including marketing, finance, management, and executive skills enhancement. Each of the 14 centers in the network specializes in the types of businesses found in their local communities and offers services provided by consultants and instructors who have extensive, practical experience in various business fields. Through the network's specialty service centers, entrepreneurs are able to market their business to the government, pursue international markets, or commercialize technology. The network also offers entrepreneurs access to reduced-fee services provided by business professionals (CPAs, attorneys, and other business professionals) and advisory board members.
As a program of the Small Business Administration, SBDC is a vital part of the economic growth of the Houston metropolitan area, and the UH System will join in the support of the reauthorization of the Small Business Administration.
