Winter 2006 Newsletter

UHV SBDC = Economic Development By Keith Mudd Director UHV SBDC

We Have Arrived!

Of course I am smiling, as the above picture depicts. The staff here at 3402 N. Ben Wilson are happy too. We are probably most happy that a mandatory week of vacation is upon us, but we are truly happy for the clients we serve and the economic impact we have generated for the Victoria Region. Economic development from our perspective is a joint partnership between people with ideas, people with resources and people who have the expertise to develop projects from concept to implementation and beyond.

If you are reading this article, it is probably because you are one of the 2,500 clients whom we have served over the past 19 years (yes, we will be celebrating 20 years as an official SBDC in '07). If you have not used our services lately, you should consider a business checkup this coming year. We engaged 347 clients last year and generated more economic impact during this year than any previous year before! Please take a look at this year’s accomplishments in brief:

Capital Obtained: For the 4 quarters ending September 30, 2006, we not only broke the $10-million mark, for the first time ever, but added another $1.058 million to boot. So, from October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2006, we helped obtain $11.058 million in capital for area small businesses! That is no small change.

Business Starts: Dreams do come true, just ask the 41 business owners that we assisted with launching a new business venture this year. Chinese proverb: “A dream without action is just a daydream; action without a plan is a nightmare.” Well, the UHV SBDC writes the plans that turn dreams into profitable action. Our stats show that clients who consistently use our services have a higher chance of success than those who do not. This is especially true of our start-ups. We take the time to listen, analyze, recommend strategies and document your dreams into action plans.

Business Expansions: For those entrepreneurs with even higher expectations, we literally hear you thinking! We write strategic plans to turn your thoughts into action. During the past year, we expanded 11 companies in our area by either assisting with creating jobs, increasing sales, and / or obtaining capital to fund new infrastructure. We expect to double this amount in the coming year as we feel that business retention and expansion is just as important to our community and our lending institutions as starting new ventures. If you are in business, call us for a free and confidential check-up. Give us two hours of your time, you won't regret it and you have nothing to lose.

Jobs Created: Kohls, Academy, and HEB Plus were not the only ones creating jobs this year. We assisted in the creation of 187 jobs in the small business sector. Yes, we also feel your pain too. Growing pains have resulted from over expansion in our 11-counties, and the city of Victoria has been hit the hardest. We expect labor to be more readily available by mid Summer. 

Training Events: As Dr. Craig Follins points out in this newsletter, "it's imperative...to have a highly trained workforce". Your UHV SBDC produced 40 training events last year to help you and your staff continually update their small business skills. This coming year, we will produce almost double this amount as we assist you and your staff prepare for the future. We also look forward to offering your business "customized" training to fit your specific company's needs. For more details on customized training, email Donna Castor, SBDC Training Coordinator at castord@uhv.edu. She'll put it all together for you.

In short, the UHV SBDC team has accomplished a tremendous amount of business and economic development over the last year. We may be smiling, but believe it or not, we're not done yet. As I write this column (delayed for well over a month), we have no fewer than $40 million of projects flowing through our offices. Some projects need financial backing for which we are actively seeking both venture and commercial capital, some projects bring their own monies to the table. Regardless of the source of funds, our center services the needs of all small businesses.

Economic development from our perspective happens in smaller packages, and we choose to grow our own!

As always, my door is open and my email in-box is just a simple click away. Drop me a line and let me know how we are doing, or how we can better serve you. We always remind our clients that we primarily operate with your state and federal tax dollars, so if you are a US citizen, this is your organization too. Let us know how we can assist you!

Thanks,

Keith

Drop me a line: muddk@uhv.edu