Biz Boost aims to help businesses retain jobs and accelerate their prospects for future growth by focusing additional SBTDC resources and leveraging partnerships to assist vulnerable firms.  Independent surveys have shown over the past 25 years that SBTDC clients outperform their peers, even during recessions.

The SBTDC provides direct, personal attention to help businesses: become more efficient and effective; enhance their marketing and find new customers; improve their chances for accessing credit and funding; strengthen employee performance; manage uncertainty; and prepare for the future.

The SBTDC has a well-established history for capturing and reporting client impacts and outcomes.  For over 20 years we have used both in-house and third-party mechanisms for gathering client-based metrics and evaluating our clients’ performance as well as our performance as a service provider.  Year after year, SBTDC clients outperform their peer businesses in sales and employment growth.  The SBTDC will be evaluating employment growth, capital formation, sales increases and government contracts awarded.

Small and mid-size businesses are the engines of North Carolina’s economy, producing the majority of jobs for the state. Roughly 95% of all firms in the state employ fewer than 100.  Small and mid-size firms annually account for the majority of net new jobs – at least 65% of the net new jobs over the past 10 years.  These firms have been severely impacted by the economic downturn.  Overall, they are experiencing flat to declining sales, have begun to trim their workforce, and are reducing other operating costs.

Biz Boost is a unique and proactive approach to workforce development that focuses on retaining existing jobs and supplements the traditional strategy of worker training and retraining. The NC Commission on Workforce Development is committing to the retention of existing jobs through the allocation of additional resources and technical assistance to businesses that will help them sustain and grow their operations during this downturn.  Traditionally, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding has been used solely for training of incumbent workers and retraining of displaced workers.  Through Biz Boost, the NC Commission of Workforce Development has developed an innovative approach to job loss aversion.

Biz Boost funding comes from the NC Commission on Workforce Development and includes American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds provided at the direction of the Office of Governor Beverly Perdue.

Partners for Biz Boost include the SBTDC and North Carolina’s seven regional partnerships (Advantage West, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Piedmont Triad Partnership, Research Triangle Regional Partnership, North Carolina’s Northeast, North Carolina’s Eastern Region, and North Carolina’s Southeast), the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and other key state resources.

SBTDC services start with an in-depth analysis of the business to understand their needs and identify an appropriate course of action. This analysis includes an assessment of the business’s financial condition, market position, and operational effectiveness. The SBTDC will use all appropriate services and resources available to help clients manage their cash better, expand their customer base, restructure their debt, and position for future growth.

Direct SBTDC services include:

• one-on-one management counseling;
• financing assistance;
• marketing;
• research;
• strategy development and implementation; and
• leadership and employee development.

Most of these services are offered at no cost to the business. Services requiring extensive time and resources are competitively priced.

No.  We help businesses find and prepare applications for loans, government R&D awards, government contracts, and equity capital but we do not have any money to give.

North Carolina's Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is a statewide university system program that advises small and mid-size businesses. Our goal is to help you make small and mid-sized businesses better.

Over the past 25 years, the SBTDC has served more than 100,000 North Carolina business owners and management teams. We maintain 16 offices across the state, each supported by a local University of North Carolina campus. Our professional staff combines real-life business experience with industry expertise, education, and advanced training. Most of our counselors have been business owners or have held executive positions.

Since 1984, the SBTDC has helped businesses grow jobs and revenues – more than 3 times the average for North Carolina firms. Strong businesses are the key to job creation, increased revenue, and regional economic success.

Yes and no.  For 25 years SBTDC has assisted businesses with managing their finances and operations, accessing capital, expanding their markets, and positioning for growth.  However, the SBTDC traditionally serves all North Carolina businesses with up to 500 employees.  The key distinguishers are that 1) Biz Boost allows the addition of high-quality counseling staff to reach even more businesses, 2) they are employing an assessment process and financial analysis tools that allow both the counselor and business to clearly identify the key issues related to business recovery and 3) develop strategies that will quickly address those key recovery and job growth issues.