By Carol Ann Conover<\/p>\n
Whether drafting a first business plan, breaking into a new market or handing off a company built over decades, business owners can get help from the Capital Region Small Business Development Center. The service is free, with no time limit and no agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no agenda, we have nothing to push, we have nothing to sell,\u201d said Greg Chanese, assistant director of the Capital Region SBDC. \u201cSo, at the end of the day, we\u2019re just here to support you as a small business.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SBDC is a national program funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It distributes money to every state. In New York, that funding goes through the State University of New York system. The Capital Region center is housed at the University at Albany under the Massry School of Business. There are 20 SBDC centers in New York, and the program has operated for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n
Chanese, who has been with the center for six years, said the Capital Region office serves between 1,000 and 1,300 businesses annually. The center currently has four full-time advisers; Chanese also carries an advisory caseload as part of his role as assistant director and said he hopes to bring on a fifth full-time adviser in the near future.<\/p>\n
Services are available at every stage of a business\u2019s life. The center\u2019s support reaches well beyond startups. Aspiring entrepreneurs can get help with business plans, financial projections or testing an idea\u2019s merit. Established businesses can work with advisers on expansion, refining operations or pivoting to a new model. When it\u2019s time to step away, the center helps owners prepare for a sale or buyers structure an acquisition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s really no stage of a small business where we can\u2019t assist,\u201d Chanese said.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>One long-standing client has worked with the center for 20 years. Chanese said continuity is common, and the center does not limit the number of meetings or set timelines for client relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re here to help you for as long as you need our help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the service. Chanese said client information, business ideas and financials do not leave the office, which he described as important for entrepreneurs who may be protective of a new concept.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that we like to do is not usually be out in front,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the business that should be out in front.\u201d<\/p>\n The center uses an honest assessment approach, even for business ideas that may not be viable. Because the SBDC does not charge for its services, advisers can give candid feedback. This includes steering someone away from a potentially costly path.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to talk to somebody openly and honestly about that to save them the time, energy, effort, and sometimes funds of making a poor decision… is better than saying, \u2018 No, let\u2019s go, let\u2019s make this happen,\u201d Chanese said. \u201cThe worst thing that we think could happen is to have somebody get a loan but not be able to pay that back because the business wasn\u2019t viable.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond one-on-one advising, the center offers educational workshops and training sessions on topics ranging from business accounting and marketing to artificial intelligence and startup basics. Sessions are available both in person and online. Training offered by all 20 statewide centers is available at nysbdc.org.<\/p>\n The SBDC is also an approved resource for New York state\u2019s Self-Employment Assistance Program, or SEAP, which supports unemployed residents looking to start a business. SEAP participants must complete sessions with a qualified business counselor, which the SBDC provides.<\/p>\n The center\u2019s service area covers approximately 8,000 square miles, stretching from Warren and Washington counties in the north to Columbia and Greene counties in the south, east to the Vermont and Massachusetts borders, and west through Fulton, Montgomery and parts of Schoharie County. Meetings are available in person at satellite locations throughout the territory and virtually via Zoom.<\/p>\n Research support is another resource available to SBDC clients. Chanese, a University at Albany employee, can access the university\u2019s research library and digital databases. The center\u2019s research librarians can also pull market data, industry benchmarks and other information, then explain the findings to clients.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than just sending it over without explanation, we like to go over it because again, this is something that you might not be familiar with,\u201d Chanese said.<\/p>\n The center draws clients largely through referrals \u2014 from lenders who send prospective borrowers in need of a business plan, from economic development organizations and workforce development centers, and from business owners who have worked with the center and passed the center\u2019s name along to colleagues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do say that we are one of the best kept secrets for the small business community,\u201d Chanese said, \u201cbut at the same time, we\u2019re not slow \u2014 there is a steady stream of clients.\u201d<\/p>\n The center recently participated in a legislative day at the state Capitol, meeting with elected officials to underscore the program\u2019s reach and value. Chanese said the reception was positive across party lines and that the center\u2019s bipartisan standing has helped it preserve stable funding through successive budget cycles.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been around for over 40 years, and you\u2019re something that makes people relatively happy… and it\u2019s a support system rather than anything else, we seem to be OK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For Chanese, the work is personal. He grew up in the region, lives there now and wants to see the area remain a place where small businesses can thrive \u2014 and where his own children might one day choose to stay.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to make sure that the Capital Region stays a great place for people to live, work, and play,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd how you do that is having a great small business community.\u201d<\/p>\n The Capital Region SBDC is located at the University at Albany. To get started, visit capitalregionsbdc.org for more information and to complete the client intake forms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Carol Ann Conover Whether drafting a first business plan, breaking into a new market or handing off a company built over decades, business owners can get help from the Capital Region Small Business Development Center. The service is free, with no time limit and no agenda. \u201cWe have no agenda, we have nothing to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n