What Does the Alexandria SBDC Do – Our Services

Alexandria Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is Alexandria’s economic development program totally focused on small businesses. It’s those small businesses that comprise the largest segment of Alexandria’s economy, but we know their potential is often hindered by lack of information or expertise. When Alexandria SBDC’s services help businesses solve problem, overcome obstacles, link to resources and find new opportunities, Alexandria’s economy is strengthened. With that in mind the City of Alexandria, the U.S. Small Business Administration and a number of private sector sponsors provide funding so that all Alexandria SBDC services are provided without cost.

The services of Alexandria SBDC fall into three categories to correspond to business needs at each stage – START, MANAGE and GROW.

START

• Instruction on steps to follow to start a business
• Individual guidance on concept feasibility, business plan preparation and financing
• Introduction to lenders
• Referrals to attorneys, accountants and resources for site selection
• Help with City and State regulatory issues

MANAGE

• Cash flow management (every business needs to monitor!)
• Referrals to attorneys, accountants, human resources specialists and other experts to solve problems or improve operations
• Strategic / expansion planning
• Tax / regulatory planning
• Marketing / networking strategies / social media
• Business education programs on all aspects of management, operations, human resources, marketing, branding and specialized training for retailers, restaurateurs and government contractors
• Research resources

GROW

• Access to loans and investors
• Business education programs in areas of government contracting, e-commerce, international trade, and issues of fast growth
• Introduction to key resources for expansion planning, business valuation or selling a business
• Networking / marketing opportunities / social media
• Research resources

With many years of experience, Alexandria SBDC staff responds quickly and can recommend solutions to problems and link businesses to the most effective resources. Savvy entrepreneurs describe Alexandria SBDC as the number they keep handy for times when they run into a problem or need an objective sounding board. They also describe the SBDC’s monthly business education programs as opportunities to pick up “nuggets of information” and continually improve their approaches.

The key message is that Alexandria SBDC offers individual and confidential assistance without cost to City of Alexandria businesses and Alexandria residents with businesses elsewhere. Get more information at www.alexandriasbdc.org or 703-778-1292.

Related articles

• Alexandria SBDC – 15 Years of Serving Small Businesses (alexandriasmallbusiness.com)
• SBA Program Helps to Bridge the Small Business Gap (johnlizotte.com)