SPOKANE, Wash. – The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is proud to join a nationwide celebration of SBDC Day on March 19, 2025. This annual event recognizes the invaluable contributions of SBDCs in helping small businesses start, grow, and thrive through expert advising and technical assistance.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and our mission is to ensure they have access to the resources and guidance they need to succeed,” said Sheryl McGrath, state director of the Washington SBDC. “SBDC Day is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible resilience and innovation of small business owners and the impact of SBDC services across the state.”
The Washington SBDC is a network of more than 40 business advisors working in communities across the state to provide no-cost, confidential, one-to-one assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to start, grow or buy/sell a business. SBDC advisors can assist business owners in just about any industry and at any stage of business development.
Over the past 10 years, SBDC business advisors have assisted more than 19,000 Washington business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them start more than 2,000 businesses and create or save nearly 24,000 jobs. SBDC clients have credited their SBDC advisor with helping them access nearly $1 billion in capital over the past decade.
As impressive as those numbers are, the stories behind the numbers are even more compelling. When asked about the value of SBDC advising in recent client satisfaction surveys, here is a sampling of the responses from SBDC clients:
- I cannot express enough how grateful I am that this service exists.
- This is a phenomenal resource. I wish I had heard of it earlier!
- I really appreciate the support I’m receiving; I wasn’t expecting to get this level of help starting my business.
- I have no formal business education, only experience in the HVAC trade. I would not have known where to begin without our SBDC advisor. The help I received from SBDC made my small business possible.
- This is such a magnificent service, I hope it continues to get ample funding to keep supporting small businesses with big dreams!
- It was so amazing to have the amazing help of your extremely smart business advisor!! She is amazing!
Typical areas of assistance include cash flow management, loan applications, financial analysis, strategic planning, marketing, export trade and business systems. By offering tailored, data-driven guidance, the SBDC helps business owners make informed decisions and navigate challenges effectively.
Washington State University (WSU) is the statewide host of the Washington SBDC and shares oversight of the program with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The program is funded through the state-federal partnership, with about half the funding coming from Congress, and the other half coming from WSU, other institutions of higher education, the Washington State Department of Commerce, city and county governments and civic or business groups.
The Washington SBDC is an accredited member of the America’s SBDC, a national network of 63 SBDC programs that ensure SBDC services are available to any business owner or entrepreneur in the country, no matter where they live. According to data from the America’s SBDC, there are more than 1,000 SBDC service centers across the U.S. and its territories.
To celebrate SBDC Day, the Washington SBDC invites SBDC clients to share their success stories using #SBDCDay on social media.
For more information about the Washington SBDC and upcoming events, visit wsbdc.org.
