ASU Small Business Center Moving

Despite the change in location, the center will continue to be affiliated with ASU and will maintain its mission of helping local and area individuals and businesses get the information and resources they need to be successful.  The SBDC is also retaining its phone number, email addresses and mailing address.

“This is a great opportunity for us,” said Dave Erickson, SBDC director.  “We had outgrown our space on campus, and the new facility will provide better parking for our clients.”

The seven-member SBDC staff reaches about 1,600 clients each year with its business advising, training sessions and events.  Graduate student assistants also provide services to business professionals through the SBDC’s International Trade Office.

Creating the Business Resource Center has been a five-year project involving several local business resource entities seeking to develop a “one-stop shop” for clients who want entrepreneurial or economic development assistance.  In addition to the SBDC, other entities with permanent offices at the Business Resource Center are the City of San Angelo Development Corp. (COSADC) and the Concho Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development.  Groups that will have satellite offices at the new center are the Concho Valley Workforce Development Board; the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Division; and Downtown San Angelo Inc.  Howard College Workforce Training also plans to conduct some training sessions at the facility.

“We want to be a hub for entrepreneurial activity in the community,” Erickson said.

COSADC provided funding for the building renovations, while a grant from the San Angelo Health Foundation was used to purchase furniture and technology for the training session space.  Up to 48 people will now be able to attend each training session.

The SBDC, COSADC and the shared training session space are housed on the first floor of the Business Resource Center.  The second floor was developed for the Concho Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development, also known as the Business Incubator.  It includes space for co-working, a relatively new concept that allows business entrepreneurs to work in a cooperative, collaborative space.

“We’re hoping that being closer to the other partners will help funnel more people to our business development training events,” said Jessica Lambert, SBDC certified training coordinator.  “We’re also hoping to provide seminars at different times that we haven’t been able to take advantage of before.  We haven’t done a lot of morning or afternoon trainings because of parking challenges on campus.”

For more information on the SBDC, call 325-942-2098 or go online to www.angelo.edu/services/sbdc/.