Florida SBDC Network State Office (Pensacola, Fla.) – The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, hosted its inaugural Florida Small Business Day at the Capitol Wednesday, March 15th.
Held at the Florida State Capitol, this event highlighted the critical role small businesses play in Florida’s economy and provided an opportunity for small business owners and resource providers to share their insights and experiences while showcasing products and services.
“Small businesses are the heart of our state’s economy and we’re proud of our charge to provide the resources and support to help them launch, grow and thrive,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “We are thrilled about the success of this year’s event and are appreciative of all who attended and the support of our partners who make our mission possible.”
The day featured special addresses from Florida SBDC Network State Director Greg Britton, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Acting Secretary Meredith Ivey, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin, Enterprise Florida President & CEO Laura DiBella and Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd.
Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the network’s mobile assistance center, which the network deploys into communities to help small businesses recover following disasters.
The day concluded with the announcement of a special proclamation from Governor Ron DeSantis declaring March 15, 2023 as Florida Small Business Day at the Capitol.
Florida Small Business Day at the Capitol was celebrated in conjunction with National SBDC Day, a celebration of the success and impact of SBDCs nationally. On SBDC Day, the Florida SBDC Network, alongside SBDCs nationally, celebrated the success stories and notable impacts SBDCs collectively have on the small business community.
The Florida SBDC Network was established by Congress in 1976 as one of eight pilot SBDC programs in the country. Since its inception, the network has helped more than 1.7 million aspiring and existing small businesses grow and succeed. The network has more than 40 offices and 225 employees from Pensacola to Key West.
For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org. For pictures from the event, please click here.
About the Florida SBDC Network:
For more than 45 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. In 2021, the Florida SBDC Network delivered more than 157,000 hours of consulting to more than 18,000 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing over half a billion in capital, securing more than $380 million in government contracts, impacting 28,930 jobs, increasing sales by over $4 billion, and creating 778 new businesses.
With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.