Florida SBDC at FAU to Serve Existing, Aspiring Broward and Palm Beach County Small Businesses
Florida SBDC Network Headquarters (Pensacola, Fla.) – The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) are pleased to announce a new partnership to establish the Florida SBDC at FAU. Through the partnership, FAU will serve as the Florida SBDC’s newest regional host partner to provide the intellectual capital and expertise to meet the needs of existing and emerging small business owners in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
As part of its service offerings, Florida SBDC at FAU professionally certified and experienced business consultants will provide no-cost consulting, no- and low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources to existing and emerging small businesses throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties. Consultant expertise will focus on areas vital to accelerating business growth, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, strategic planning, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more.
“We are excited to partner with FAU to provide no-cost, professional expertise for small businesses in Southeast Florida,” said Michael W. Myhre, CEO for the Florida SBDC Network. “FAU’s long commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the economic growth and prosperity of Southeast Florida complements our mission to accelerate Florida’s economy through small business growth and success. We look forward to redefining possibilities to provide the critical assistance Broward and Palm Beach county small businesses need to compete in a competitive global marketplace.”
Florida Atlantic University, founded in 1961, currently serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in Southeast Florida. Long known as an outstanding teaching institution, FAU is undergoing rapid transition to become a major center of cutting-edge research, particularly in the innovation and technology arena. FAU provides widespread outreach and technical assistance to business and potential business operators through its FAU Tech Runway program and its partnership with the Research Park at FAU.
“Florida Atlantic University is extremely proud to partner with the Florida Small Business Development Center to work in collaboration with their team, the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® and FAU Tech Runway® to provide a vital service for new and emerging companies in Broward and Palm Beach counties,” said Daniel C. Flynn, Ph.D., FAU’s vice president for research. “This newest partnership will greatly contribute to inspiring and supporting innovation, technology and entrepreneurship to ensure successful business development in this region.”
“As a core entrepreneurship hub for Florida Atlantic University, FAU Tech Runway® is well-positioned to collaborate closely with the Florida Small Business Development Center to provide business and technical expertise across an array of key disciplines,” said Rhys L. Williams, associate vice president and managing director of FAU Tech Runway within FAU’s Division of Research. “In just three short years since inception, FAU Tech Runway has successfully launched and supported 52 start-up and early-stage companies, which collectively have raised more than $46.1 million in capital, created more than 298 high-tech jobs and generated more than $23.1 million in sales revenue.”
“For more than 30 years, the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® has served as a strong economic development engine in South Florida promoting research and development at FAU, and developing partnerships between private sector companies and FAU to diversify and strengthen the economies of Broward and Palm Beach counties,” said Andrew Duffell, president and CEO of the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University®. “We look forward to creating great synergy with the Florida Small Business Development Center network and our partners at Florida Atlantic University to continue our joint efforts to spur economic growth in this region as well as statewide.”
The Florida SBDC Network was founded at the University of West Florida in 1976 as one of eight original SBDC pilot programs in the country. Starting with only two employees and service centers in Northwest Florida, the Florida SBDC Network has since grown to become the State of Florida’s designated principal business assistance organization for small businesses in the state, with over 40 offices and nearly 250 employees providing the tools, training, and expertise small businesses need to grow and succeed.
Headquartered at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, the Florida SBDC Network partners with Florida’s state universities, colleges, and other economic development organizations to assist small and medium-sized businesses through all stages of business. FAU becomes the eighth state university to serve as a Florida SBDC regional host partner joining Florida A&M University, the University of North Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, and the University of West Florida.
The Florida SBDC at FAU will be operational and accessible at various locations throughout the region beginning January 2, 2018. For more information about the Florida SBDC Network and the Florida SBDC at FAU, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu.
