Advising staff of the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network have contributed articles to this publication over the past few months on agribusiness topics related to building resiliency and recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’d now like to introduce you to our organization and the scope of services available to all producers and agribusiness-related operations in Wyoming.
The SBDC is a federally and state-funded organization hosted by the University of Wyoming with the goal of “entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs.” We provide no-cost, confidential business advising from start-up to growth to exiting an enterprise.
Our advisers have experience either as small business owners themselves or in playing a key management role in an entrepreneurial venture in addition to a multitude of formal training and education.
Our advising and training opportunities can help with access to capital, business planning, financial analysis and cash flow management, human resources and compliance issues, cybersecurity, government contracting opportunities, market research, enhancing your online presence and much more. Thousands of business owners across the state over the decades have accessed SBDC’s services to grow their operations and increase profitability.
In addition to those above, here are specific services we can provide:
- Recognizing market opportunities and pivoting your operation to address them.
- Redesigning (or creating) a business plan that identifies your resources, key partners, opportunities, and value proposition to more effectively (and profitably) deliver your goods and services.
- Funding digital media improvements, such as website and social media analysis, and website infrastructure design upgrades.
- Funding expert consultation and training from industry professionals of your choice (accountants, marketing consultants, experts specific to your operation).
- Webinars and training that address business skills to help you grow and be more profitable (cash flow analysis, social media strategy, making new market opportunities, etc.) Past webinar recordings are available for viewing under the Training link at wyomingsbdc.org.
Federal appropriations from the Congressional Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allowed us to expand our scope of services to directly address all four phases of business recovery during the pandemic: response, recovery, resiliency, and reinvention.
We are here to help if your business has incurred losses related to the effects of the ongoing pandemic. In fact, we are here to help any business with a desire to grow and become more efficient.
Whether you’re a livestock or wool producer, purveyor of food and dry goods products, or an agribusiness service provider, our expert staff is always on hand to provide no-cost, confidential advising and training services.
Visit us at wyomingsbdc.org to contact an adviser. Our COVID-19 information and support page is also available at WyomingSBDC.org/covid19 and updated daily.
To view a wide array of state and county-specific business support services, check out our new, interactive Wyoming Business Resources Locator site at wyomingbusinessresources.org.
About the Wyoming SBDC Network
The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no‑cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent, or exit their businesses. In 2019, the Wyoming SBDC Network:
- Helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 108 new businesses,
- Created or saved 3,402 jobs, and
- Brought a capital impact of more than $24 million to the state.
The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Paul Johnson is the associate state director of the Wyoming Small Business Development Network. He can be reached at (307) 766-3593 or at pjohns45@uwyo.edu.
