Chamber Blog

“Lasting positive economic impact” is the mission of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Minnesota. For those of you who are not familiar with the SBDC program it is part of a nationwide network of organizations that provide business consulting, information, and training to existing and prospective business owners at low cost or no cost to the business. Central Lakes College is one of nine regional centers in Minnesota covering approximately an eleven county region. According to the 2008 Minnesota SBDC Annual Report the North Central (Central Lakes College) region helped small businesses create or retain almost 1,300 jobs and helped small businesses raise over $34 million in capital through loans and equity investments. The center accomplishes this through partnerships with lenders, local development corporations and other business development organizations. The SBDC is part of the Business and Industry (B&I) Center at Central Lakes College. The B&I Center offers a variety of customized and pre-packaged training services to businesses in the region. For more information on the SBDC program visit www.clcmn.edu/smallbusiness or call us at (218) 855-8140.


Greg Bergman
Regional Director, Small Business Development Center
gbergman@clcmn.edu