Today@Sam Article
SHSU Offers Road Map To Small Business Success
March 18, 2020
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
‘I wish I’d known about this when I started my business,’ is a typical comment heard at the Sam Houston State University Small Business Development Center when people first walk in the door.
Located in the SHSU University Plaza building on the west side of Huntsville, the main objective of the SBDC is to help small businesses get started and to help existing businesses raise their profit potential.
“The SBDC is a great asset at Sam Houston State, allowing us to engage with the small business community, which is an essential part of our regional economy and the creation of jobs,” said Rhonda Ellisor, director of the SBDC at SHSU.
The center aims to promote and strengthen the economic well-being of the community through a variety of educational services for small business owners and entrepreneurs. These services are offered for free and are not just limited to the university community.
“We provide a road map to help local business owners start out on the right foot with what they need to do and also what order to do it in,” Ellisor said. “We work with clients well beyond one visit. We take the journey with them and help with each step. It is important for new businesses to have a guide because that sets them up to start out with success from the beginning.”
In addition to serving Huntsville, the SHSU SBDC service area includes the Counties of San Jacinto, Walker, North Montgomery, Trinity, Madison, Leon, and the City of Cleveland.
Free and confidential services include small business advising, advanced QuickBooks training, workshops on google analytics, tips for collecting and remitting Texas Sales and Use Tax, legal considerations and more.
“We want to help businesses to grow. Whether that is preparing loan packages, giving help finding financing, preparing business plans and projections or helping a business owner with a few best practice classes,” Ellisor said.
In 2019, the Texas Gulf Coast Network of SBDC’s were responsible for more than 6,000 jobs created, $237 million in startup and expansion capital and $455.9 million in new sales according to a client impact study.
“We are all a part of this community and want to see it succeed. We are all Bearkats here in this office and look forward to helping local entrepreneurs and business owners start, grow, expand and thrive.”
If you or someone you know is looking to start or improve a business in 2020, or you would like to learn more about the services provided free of charge, visit shsu.edu/sbdc .
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