sbdc.unf.eduUNF: No Cost Business Consulting | Small Business Development Center

A-Z Index Small Business Development Center Training & Events About About the SBDC Consultants & Staff Advisory Council Success Stories Partners Newsletter 2022 Impact Report Services & Programs Services Business Consulting Business Startup Business Growth Business Continuity Government Contracting - APEX Accelerator Agribusiness Programs & Tools Small Business Week Beyond Business Hours Consulting (BBHC) Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) Pop-up Shops Organizational Development Business Tools Locations Español Contact Request for Consulting Training & Events About About the SBDC Consultants & Staff Advisory Council Success Stories Partners Newsletter 2022 Impact Report Services & Programs Services Business Consulting Business Startup Business Growth Business Continuity Government Contracting - APEX Accelerator Agribusiness Programs & Tools Small Business Week Beyond Business Hours Consulting (BBHC) Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) Pop-up Shops Organizational Development Business Tools Locations Español Contact Request for Consulting Home oneColumn No Cost Business Consulting | Small Business Development Center Ready to become a client? Request for Consulting Quick Links Training & Events Start a Business Grow a Business Government Contracting Locations About the SBDC The Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida’s no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and extensive information resources offers entrepreneurs access to the business solutions that help them grow and succeed. By helping businesses grow, we create a better community for all. About the SBDC Meet our consultants The Florida SBDC at UNF Economic Impact Business Owners Consulted 2,222 All metrics are reported by clients through our SBDC, PTAC, and CARES programs unless otherwise noted. Jobs Impacted 7,303 Based on the 2022 Economic Impact analysis completed by Dr. Jerry Parrish Sales Increase $61.9M Data recent as January 2023 Read the full report Check out our latest success stories Guanabana Ice Pops We contacted the SBDC…a lot of people don’t speak two languages like we do, and it’s very difficult if you don’t have that asset with you, Jaime is that asset for the SBDC and he’s helped us a lot in different areas of the business – how to grow it. We feel more comfortable speaking Spanish, and Jaime, as a bi-lingual consultant at the SBDC, has made this process easier.” Oliver and Julieta, Owners - Guanabana Ice Pops Wicked Bao I started by doing the STARTUP class, then met with my consultant on a five-year plan and started looking for locations. Working with SBDC, what I really enjoy is the encouragement, someone there to tell you that you can do it. I think the biggest benefit is the connections and resources they provide to us, the small business owners. To have an SBDC consultant with you, is to have someone guiding you along the way – I would recommend to any potential business owner, from concept or idea, to see if it’s a marketable idea, to success.” Ming-Yu Wu, Owner - Wicked Bao Want to see more success stories? View more success stories Upcoming Training & Events View our Webinar Library FAQ’s How can the SBDC help? SBDC programs deliver up-to-date management advice, training, and information to help business owners make sound decisions and to assist potential owners in getting started on the right foot. Start-up assistance begins with a menu of SBDC workshops. Practical, convenient, concise, and affordable, these group training programs cover topics from STARTUP basics, to marketing, accounting/record keeping, financing, and taxes. Business plan assistance walks start-ups and existing business owners through the process using tools and templates designed to get your plan down on paper. Review of draft business plans and feedback on the plan’s strengths and weaknesses is just one of the consulting services available in the SBDC at no charge. One of the critical issues potential and existing business owners face is financing the start-up or growth of a business. Access to capital is part of the consulting process our consultants provide to our clients. The SBDC offers existing business owners interested in reviewing strategic business processes, increasing sales, and/or improving the bottom line access to the latest information needed to succeed including market data, financial analysis, business planning tools, and specialized programs. Request for Consulting Why choose the SBDC? More than 90 percent of all businesses in the U.S. are small. Small businesses are truly the backbone of our economy, employing more than 60 percent of all workers and creating 80 percent of all new jobs. (For more stats on the importance of small business, check out the U.S. Small Business Administration. Yet small business owners face some tough challenges. The primary causes of small business failure are undercapitalization and management inexperience. If small businesses are the engine driving our economy, we can’t afford to have them stall. As a result, Congress created the Small Business Development Center program in 1980 to provide this much-needed management assistance that many small businesses could not afford in the private sector. The Florida SBDC at UNF actually started in 1976 as part of an eight-state pilot program, giving it the distinction of being one of the longest-running SBDC programs in the nation. Request for Consulting What counties does the SBDC at UNF serve? Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, and Union counties. Request for Consulting How to become a SBDC client? If you have not worked with the SBDC at UNF, please complete our Request for Consulting Form . After completing the form, our client intake specialist will contact you to schedule an appointment with a knowledgeable business consultant. Request for Consulting How much does a consulting session cost? Our consulting services are 100% no-cost and 100% confidential. Request for Consulting A Testimony to the SBDCThe SBDC helped put us in a good direction – our consultant was always there advocating for us. And especially in the last year with the pandemic, it was a no-brainer that I called the SBDC! ” Antonio & Arleen Mazzela, Owners - Antonio’s Made in Italy Leave us a review State Designated as Florida’s Principal Provider of Business Assistance [ § 288.001, Fla. Stat.] The Florida SBDC at UNF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Department of Defense, State of Florida, and other private and public partners; hosted by the University of West Florida; and nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English-proficient individuals. Small Business Development Center 904.620.2476 smallbiz@unf.edu Contact Us View Map Contact UNF Directory Emergency Privacy Regulations Consumer Information Disability Accommodations Clery Act Title IX Jobs at UNF If you are experiencing difficulty accessing information on the site due to a disability, visit our website accessibility...