The Small Business Development Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania seeks to grow the economy of Indiana County and the surrounding region by providing entrepreneurs with the education, information, and tools necessary to build successful businesses.

The IUP SBDC provides consulting services and educational programs to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a small business. From helping aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses, to helping small firms expand, to providing the information every business person needs to make critical decisions, the SBDC is the resource entrepreneurs in all industry sectors can turn to for help-help that can make the difference between success and failure.

All services are provided by a staff of highly qualified consultants. In addition to practical experience in operating small businesses themselves, the combined staffs of the SBDC and the Management Services Group (MSG) have more than one hundred years of business experience and hold degrees across a range of business disciplines. The IUP SBDC also taps the expertise of industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and other business professionals to deliver its educational programs.

NEW! Business Recovery & Resilience Program - Virtual seminars
The IUP SBDC is convening and hosting a series of Community Dialogues designed to discuss and confront the problems businesses are experiencing. What adjustments have you made? What have others done? What can be done? What seems to be working? Can we build stronger more resilient businesses? Monthly dialogues utilizing business owners, managers and specialists to deal with a broad topic using actual experience, testimonials and case studies.

More than ever, the Coronavirus Crisis has revealed the value of businesses of maximizing online presence, marketing and engagement of customers. The Coronavirus has also further accelerated already existing social trends including online purchasing, expanding convenience to and engagement of customers, having flexible business models and efficient operations.

The series will challenge business owners to rethink many of the assumptions that require reexamination in the Post or Co-Covid environment. The aim is to increase sales or cut costs. There are, however, multiple ways to achieve that end. Each business generally started by addressing a problem. Success in business revolves around solving the customer’s problem. The customer’s problem may have changed, or they may now be going elsewhere to have their problem addressed. We are challenging the business community to use their experience and problem-solving ability to help others, gain insight from one another to strengthen your ability to compete.

“The quality of our thinking will determine the quality of our future” – Edward DeBono

Following each dialogue, the SBDC will provide personnel to work one on one with businesses that request assistance.

Scheduled Seminars:

November 23, 2020
Business Dialogues: Using the Internet to Attract and Keep Customers

This program focuses on and illustrates ways businesses are leaving money on the table by

failing to adequately consider and communicate their Value Proposition;
failing to identify and understand who their target customer is and
not continuing to engage with them.

Frontline experts and presenters include Jose Luis Otero from Ben Franklin Partnership and Richard Hoover from the IUP SBDC.

10:00-11:15 a.m.
No fee
Registration Required (click on block below) A Zoom link will be provided to persons registered for the seminar.

Other envisioned topics of interest may include:

Marketing & Sales Foundation
Customer Validation
Differentiation & Pivots
The Right People in the Right Places, Onboarding & Building Your Team
Execution & Operations: Practices to Run a Smooth & Efficicient Business
Building a Network: How to Find & Network with Mentors and Influencers
Cash Strategy, Management & Tactics: How to Unlock Further Profit
Innovation

The First Step: How to Start & Finance Your Business seminar is recommended for those planning to start or expand a small business. Sample seminar topics include start-up regulatory issues, creating financial projections, how to develop a business plan, and financing. The seminars are usually held on the third Tuesday of each month. All seminar are virtual until further notice.

Registration fee: $15.00 (The fee is waived for veterans and the unemployed.) Please click on The First Step block below for more information or to register for this seminar.

All services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

For more information on SBDC programs or services, call 724.357.7915 or email iup-sbdc@iup.edu OR visit the SBDC website.

The First Step: How to Start/Finance Your Business