on WITCC's campus
"Hopefully I get to spend forever with the client. We want to make it long term” were the words of Dan Wubbena, Director Western Iowa Tech Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Sioux City. If someone has an idea for a new business, usually the first person called is the banker; however, calling Wubbena at SBCD will be the safer bet.
One of the best parts about the SBDC is that “it's free!” There are no out of pocket costs for the client. SBDC is funded by the Small Business Association; Iowa has fifteen SBDC centers.
People may have ideas of a new business, but don't know where to start. “I hold people's hands” Wubbena says. When a person comes to SBDC, Wubbena helps him or her write the business plan, put together the cash flow for three years, design a profit and loss statement, and make a balance sheet.
SBDC also helps with all the research that needs to be done in order to get the business up and running. Through SBDC, innovators can find out about all the Small Business Association loans and private loan programs. The WIT SBDC counseled 148 unique clients totaling over 800 hours of counseling services. 10 new business starts came from this counseling creating 69 new jobs and retaining an additional 32 jobs. The office was successful in assisting to secure over $4.7 million in commercial and SBA loans, and offered 19 training sessions serving 372 attendees.
The WITCC Small Business Development Center is located on the Sioux City campus in room A233. For more information contact Dan Wubbena, SBDC Director at 712-274-6454 or 800-352-4649.
