The College of Business & Public Affairs has two outreach centers:
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Small Business Development Center provides free counseling to small businesses in a seven-county area (Cullman, Dekalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall).
Solutions specifically tailored to the needs of the business client include:
Counseling – one-on-one meetings with a business counselor to discuss business planning, marketing tactics, financing resources or legal considerations
Workshops – topics covering business basics, strategic marketing, accounting and tax guidelines
Jobs creations: provides technical support and innovative strategies for preventive and existing businesses in areas relating to jobs creations and jobs retention.
Business Planning Resource Room – open to the public for browsing and research
Services include entrepreneurship and economic development, executive and leadership training, governmental affairs, innovation and information technology, logistics and supply chain management training, and project management. Our process-driven approach employs all available resources to create a comprehensive business development plan for the client’s business.
The College, along with the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville) and the Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce, sponsors the North East Alabama Regional Small Business Development Center (NEAR-SBDC).
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services (DBESS)
This center provides Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services to ensure disadvantaged business firms have maximum opportunity to participate in federal, state and city contracts. The program is administered by three US Department of Transportation (DOT) operating administrations: the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Transit Administration and is implemented by the Alabama Department of Transportation. The DBESS:
Provides counseling, technical assistance and other business management services to certified DBE firms (minority and women-owned) in the State of Alabama
Creates opportunities for DBE firms to network with prime contractors and procurement officers
Assists in enabling DBE firms to move into the mainstream of the highway construction industry
Recruits new firms into the program
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance by contacting (256) 372-8667 or sbdc@aamu.edu