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The Numbers are In: SBDC Client Success has Impact

This week, America’s SBDC released the latest annual report of the Economic Impact of Small Business Development Center Counseling Activities in the US. While the results reported are from 2014-2015, we can confidently say that even in today’s uncertain political climate, SBDC consultants nationwide are a valuable asset to the small business community. These numbers (not alternative numbers, just numbers) speak for themselves when demonstrating the impact of SBDC services on the small business economy. Read on for a highlight reel of some of the more impressive facts (not alternative facts, just facts).

SBDC NationalSBDCnumbers 2017 02SBDCs like ours at Sierra Business Council span the nation, with nearly 1,000 locations in rural, urban, and suburban communities. The SBDC network employs dedicated business advisors who provide no cost, one on one, in depth consulting to entrepreneurs and small business owners to help them start and grow businesses, create jobs, increase prosperity, and contribute to the economy. Every community is covered by an SBDC, and clients vary from well established restaurants seeking capital to open a second location, to a neighbor making jewelry at home who wants to sell her creations online. 

  • In 2015, SBDC clients created 100,233 new jobs across the nation. This means that every five minutes, a new job was created by a small business client.
  • The national average for job growth is 1.9%. For SBDC clients, the average is 15.5%.
  • SBDC clients started 17,864 businesses, or a new business every 30 minutes!
  • SBDC clients generated $6.9 billion in new sales, and experienced an average of 13.6% annual sales growth. This is four times more than the national average sales growth!
  • The federal government invested $113.5 million into the SBDC network, and in return, $265 milion federal revenue was generated.

Investment in the SBDC network is impactful. The ROI is well documented through statistics like the ones highlighted here. Some results are not as easily quantifiable, but just as important. The new jobs created could have gone to your neighbor, your friend, your fellow community member. The new businesses started might be a dance studio for your child, a coffee shop in a previously blighted neighborhood, or an online shop providing extra income for a stay-at-home mom. These results are real. These are real statistics, real people, real employees finding jobs, real entrepreneurs, real dollars, real success, real impacts on communities nationwide – growing prosperity and increasing economic vitality in your neighborhood, town, city, county, state.

At the Sierra SBDC, we are grateful to our clients for allowing us the opportunity to improve our communities by supporting their entrepreneurial dreams. In 2017, we are committed to expanding our services, providing a growing number of clients with the innovation, inspiration, support, and knowledge to start, grow, and thrive.