The Small Business Development Center at JCC was recently recognized as the US Small Business Administration Region II SBDC Excellence in Innovation Center of the Year during Small Business Week.
Since their start in 1986, SBDC advisors at JCC have worked with nearly 12,000 businesses in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties, helping them invest over $146,500,000 in the region’s economy, and create or save nearly 8,000 jobs.
The SBDC at JCC, which has focused on innovation for several years, created the Online Business Academy at https://smallbusinessacademy.thinkific.com/. The program offers various webinars and certifications, most of which are free and can be viewed from anywhere at any time Classes focus on intellectual property, social media marketing on different platforms, e-commerce, tax law updates, zoning law basics, OSHA regulations, agri-tourism, succession planning, and a social media certification course.
According to SBDC director Courtney Curatolo, “The certification in social media has been invaluable to those who have taken the course due to the knowledge gained and strategies offered in using social media platforms for marketing small businesses. We have had individuals from New York to California taking courses in our Academy.”
The SBDC also provides a social media internship program to small businesses collaborating with JCC students. Student interns work with small businesses in Chautauqua County to implement their social media marketing goals. The program will be expanded to Cattaraugus County soon.
Several businesses have experienced robust sales since engaging with the SBDC. To provide a snapshot of the powerful impact of working with the SBDC marketing plan and internship program, one business increased its website traffic by 1000% and increased staff by nine full-time employees.
For over a decade, the SBDC at JCC has also offered the Women in Networking program, which encourages participants to come together to share ideas and find solutions to various challenges.Since the pandemic, this the program has gone online and allowed more women throughout the region to participate.
The vision of the SBDC is to create economic sustainability for all New Yorkers – one business at a time. The SBDC delivers high quality business counseling and training to clients looking to start a business or improve the performance of an existing business. Services are free and confidential and include a range of management and technical assistance from business plan development, accounting guidance, productivity enhancement and export assistance to loan information, marketing, and financial planning among other services. For services and more information contact 716.338.1024.