CoBPA News

Learn more about how the UND Nistler College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA) impacts North Dakota, the region, the country, and the globe as we accomplish our mission.

North Dakota Small Business Development Centers Celebrate Thirty-Five Year Anniversary

True Value store owners, Grafton, ND – longtime SDBC Clients

2021 marks 35 years since the inception of the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers program (ND SBDC). For 35 years, the network’s credentialed advisors have been empowering North Dakota’s small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive. The program provides customized guidance and resources that help owners and entrepreneurs achieve their goals at every stage of their business lifecycle. The ND SBDC looks a lot different today than it did when it first started and will continue to evolve as times and needs shift.

State Director of the ND SBDC, Tiffany Ford, is proud of what her team has accomplished and looks forward to the future. She shared, “The Small Business Development Centers Network has grown from a small pilot program to a nationwide business education and training infrastructure with nearly 1,000 centers throughout the U.S. that provide management and technical assistance to over a million Americans annually! As our clients shift and seek new models and markets, we will shift and meet the needs of the changing business landscape in order to continue accelerating success for our small businesses, which positively impacts the North Dakota economy. We have seen exponential change in the last year to how we all do business, and we anticipate this new pace will continue. ND SBDC advisors are prepared to stay on top of what is important to our clients in order to help them reach their goals.”

As part of the 35 year anniversary celebration, the organization will be featuring small businesses from all around the state on our social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. The businesses featured will range from clients who were first helped during the organization’s early years, to businesses assisted in the last year. To locate the posts, use the hashtag #35years.

The ND SBDC has nine service centers across the state to assist both start-ups and existing businesses in all counties of North Dakota. Additionally, the ND SBDC’s website offers several resources for small business owners, from a regularly updated COVID-19 resource page to vast lists of no-cost, online-training options.

ND SBDC is a statewide outreach program of the Center for Business Engagement & Development within the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration at the University of North Dakota. Since its inception in 1986, the ND SBDC network has helped business owners and entrepreneurs start, manage, and grow their small businesses through confidential, individualized, professional business advising and training workshops. Services are provided at no-cost to clients thanks to funding from SBA, ND Department of Commerce, UND, and local supporters across the state.

For more information on the ND SBDC programs or services, call (701) 777-3700, email leadcenter@ndsbdc.org, visit https://ndsbdc.org/ or find us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).