By Clare Becker, Wisconsin School of Business
A new video series funded by Wisconsin’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network is now available as a key resource for the state’s small business owners and entrepreneurs—and the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s SBDC has played an integral role in making that original vision a reality.
Planned, creatively designed, and developed by the UW–Madison SBDC using CARES ACT funding designated for SBDC sites, the SBDC Entrepreneurial How-To Video Series helps small business owners navigate some of the most commonly asked technical business questions—everything from forming an LLC to understanding available loan options—in a short, engaging format. With two segments launched this month and another in production, the three-part series is just one part of a larger statewide effort to support small businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s SBDC network. One portion of this series—focused on business law—was developed in conjunction with the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
The series is hosted on the Wisconsin SBDC’s website and is available to all other network SBDC sites around the state as well as to the general public.
“We are really excited to be able to offer this series to entrepreneurs in Wisconsin,” says UW–Madison SBDC Director Michelle Somes-Booher. “The series really represents the Wisconsin Idea.”
In normal, pre-COVID-19 times, the UW–Madison center focuses on assisting small businesses—defined as those with fewer than 500 employees—through in-person programs, one-on-one consultations, and noncredit courses. But during the pandemic, the center and its staff pivoted their operations to respond to immediate demands, serving as a lifeline to their clients and startup businesses. In 2020, the center saw 498 consulting clients, clients started 30 new businesses, and obtained over $13.33 million in capital. Read more …