- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

ASBTDC plans week of activities to encourage entrepreneurship

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 13:03:02 +0000

Anyone at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock interested in exploring entrepreneurship can turn to the on-campus experts at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. Part of the College of Business, ASBTDC offers no-cost consulting and market research to budding entrepreneurs, along with a variety of educational events. During Global Entrepreneurship Week��Nov. 12-18, the center will host a slate of free entrepreneurship-focused activities, including Small Talk, an event for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. is set for 5-7 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Reynolds Business Center atrium. Students are invited to network and have a bite to eat ,then hear from three young entrepreneurs: Mario Settles of Trukplease, Liz Sniegocki of Haven Massage Therapy, and Matthew Young of ListingVillage. The trio will share their startup stories through TED-style talks. The event is a joint effort of ASBTDC and the College of Business. Additional GEW events include:

– Nov. 13, The Centre in University Park. “Startup in a Day” combines three of the center’s most popular seminars, “Starting a Business in Arkansas,” “Writing a Business Plan,” and “Financing Options.”
– Nov. 14, Little Rock Technology Park. The Business Innovations Clinic at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will share ways to safeguard inventions, written material, apps, symbols, names, images and other types of intellectual property.
(webinar) – Nov. 14

ASBTDC will kick off its new “Boost Business in Your Community” online series for mayors, county judges, and other local elected officials. The webinar will discuss what communities can do to assist new and potential business owners. All the events are free of charge. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center assists entrepreneurs at every stage of business development and growth. Learn more at . Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups. Through local, national and global activities, GEW inspires people everywhere to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. Last year, events took place in 167 countries.

ASBTDC business consultant honored as State Star

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 14:19:43 +0000

Whitney Horton of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center was recognized as a 2018 State Star at the 38th Annual America’s SBDC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4-7.�� Horton, a resident of Sherwood, is a business consultant at the ASBTDC Lead Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With the center since 2009, Horton assists potential and current small business owners with business planning, funding and marketing. Horton earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and Master of Business Administration at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She is also a graduate of the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas. The State Star award, the highest accolade for SBDC employees, recognizes extraordinary performers who have made significant contributions to their state network and display strong commitment to the state’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. Annually, one person from every state and U.S. territory is selected for the award. Winners were recognized during a special ceremony and reception at the International Spy Museum Sept. 4. With about 1,000 centers across the nation, America’s Small Business Development Center network is a partnership uniting private enterprise, government, higher education and local nonprofit economic development organizations. It is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. In the upper right photo,��Laura Fine (right), ASBTDC state director, congratulates 2018 State Star Whitney Horton (left).

Center Helps Arkansas Small Businesses Ring Up More Than $300 Million in Sales Last Year

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 17:53:54 +0000

Small businesses are ringing up sales and growing with help from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock-based (ASBTDC).

Businesses served by the ASBTDC network said the counseling they received led to $305.8 million in sales revenue last year, according to a recently released independent analysis of the program’s economic impact. The study analyzed sales and employment changes, financing obtained, and tax revenues generated by clients who received five or more hours of assistance in the 2016 calendar year. A one-year snapshot, the study focused on how the businesses performed in 2017. Sales growth was 14.3 percent higher for client businesses compared to the average Arkansas business. Clients with established businesses saw an average sales increase of $114,093, while clients who started businesses recorded average sales of $355,456. The center’s assistance also led to job growth. Client businesses created 1,542 jobs, increasing employment 5.8 percent more than other businesses. The study also found that assistance from the center helped businesses

Retain 1,228 existing jobs
Generate $8.3 million in state tax revenues and $3.8 million in federal tax revenues
Secure $131.7 million in capital financing

“As this study shows, ASBTDC small business clients are growing their companies, creating and retaining jobs, and accessing capital,” said Laura Fine, ASBTDC state director. “These small businesses are making an impact on Arkansas’ rural and urban communities, leading to a stronger state economy.” For every dollar invested in the ASBTDC program, clients generated a return on investment of $4.56, the study concluded. Dr. James J. Chrisman, an independent consultant, conducted the annual analysis. Chrisman calculated changes in clients’ employment and sales data from the year they received assistance to the following year, then compared the results with the average changes for all Arkansas businesses during the same time period. Unique among the state’s economic development organizations, ASBTDC services are available to businesses from any county in Arkansas, in any industry sector, at any stage of development. The program is funded by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and six other state universities in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

U.S. Small Business Administration grant extends center’s services for high-tech entrepreneurs

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 13:07:16 +0000

The (ASBTDC) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $125,000 grant to assist innovative, technology-driven small businesses.�� The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded the competitive funding as part of the. ASBTDC is one of, which include state and local economic development entities, Small Business and Technology Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, incubators, accelerators, colleges, and universities that provide support to small businesses developing and commercializing high-risk technologies. �� FAST is designed to stimulate economic development with outreach, training, mentoring, financial support, and business/technical assistance to small businesses focused on research and development. Fostering participation of women-owned, rural-based, and socially and economically disadvantaged firms to help them compete in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs is a key aim. “SBA is thrilled to work with these organizations to increase the understanding of the SBIR/STTR programs,” said Administrator Linda McMahon. “FAST partners are an important part of the innovation entrepreneur ecosystem. They provide training, financial and technical assistance for small, next-generation technology businesses, and help them navigate federally funded innovation and R&D programs.” The grant will allow the center to provide consulting services to more entrepreneurs seeking funding through SBIR and STTR, said Laura Fine, state director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. Those services include market research and proposal writing assistance. “We look forward to helping more small firms in Arkansas commercialize their innovations,” Fine said. “We will continue to focus on assisting with SBIR and STTR proposal writing to increase the number of awards to Arkansas companies. Rebecca Todd, our innovation consultant, has a solid reputation with clients and federal program managers for helping Arkansas companies submit winning proposals.” To encourage participation in SBIR/STTR by companies owned by women, ASBTDC will build on the success of its 2018 “accelHERate” programs with additional outreach and events geared toward women entrepreneurs. Also, the center is a partner with the 2018 Arkansas Life Science Summit that will be held Oct. 25 in Conway. ASBTDC will also offer additional educational opportunities for innovative Arkansas entrepreneurs and technology-based companies, specifically in the area of intellectual property. SBA coordinates the SBIR/STTR programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund, which each year provides more than $2.5 billion in early-stage seed capital totaling nearly 5,000 awards to small businesses. Eleven participating federal government agencies announce funding opportunities as either grants or contracts to address their research and development needs. Companies supported by the SBIR/STTR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration through a partnership with the and other institutions of higher education. The center assists startups, existing businesses, expanding businesses, and innovation-based businesses statewide.

After winning Governor’s Cup, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student startup has eyes on bigger prize

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:44:11 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Nick Lester and Noah Asher are putting their prize-winning business plan into action.�� Their company,��Spiritum Solutions, along with team members Kiauna Rome and��Ingrid Helgestad, won the undergraduate division of��the��2018 Arkansas Governor’s Cup. Now they want to bring their innovative medical device – a mouth guard to keep patients undergoing surgery or other procedures from injuring themselves – to market.

The young entrepreneurs are getting help with their startup from the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.

��On-campus assistance

The center’s��met Lester in 2016 when Trigeaud was a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate student. They competed in the Governor’s Cup together. Lester reached out to his former teammate, now an ASBTDC business consultant, to help the Spiritum Solutions team prepare for this year’s competition. “I helped them prioritize all their great ideas into something they can manage and deliver,” said Trigeaud. Spiritum has also benefited from the center’s��in-depth customer and competitor research. “Martial has worked with us since we just were an idea, to help us secure funding, and now looking into SBIR grants. He continues to check up on our progress to help address our ever-changing needs,” said Lester.

“The market research is extensive and allows us to look into areas that we might not have considered before,” Lester said. “We use these reports as a guide for who we might need to make customer discovery with next.”

��Entrepreneur mindset

While the Governor’s Cup prize was $25,000, commercializing a medical device will require a much larger sum of money and��“moving from a student mindset to an entrepreneur mindset,”��said Trigeaud. “You raise a little through competitions, but you need millions to launch.” Lester and Asher understand the challenge before them and appreciate having Trigeaud and the center in their corner. “As our company grows, our��needs change��with the growth,” said Lester. “We will consult with experts at the ASBTDC in helping us address our ever-changing��needs.” This article was written by Gwen Green, communications coordinator at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.��

National Small Business Innovation Road Tour Coming to Little Rock to Promote $2.5B in Early-Stage Funding

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:42:34 +0000

The 2018 national SBIR Road Tour will stop in Little Rock April 18. Organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the 18-state tour is an opportunity for Arkansas entrepreneurs with next-generation ideas to connect with the largest source of early-stage funding, the Small Business Innovation Research program.�� Through SBIR and its sister program, Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), federal agencies award $2.5 billion annually to small companies developing groundbreaking technologies. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will host the Road Tour stop at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “We are dedicated to supporting America’s entrepreneurs wherever they are. American innovation is not restricted by geographic or cultural boundaries,” said SBA Administrator Linda McMahon. “This tour reflects our commitment to ensuring that these innovators are aware of the resources that can help them turn a big idea into another great American innovation story.” Program managers from nine federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, will meet one-on-one with attendees and share insights into how their agencies make funding decisions. The SBIR/STTR programs award more than 4,000 new grants and contracts per year. The funding has helped U.S. innovators advance new technologies and create thousands of jobs, according to SBA. The agencies fund a wide variety of innovations in health, cybersecurity, advanced materials, unmanned systems and more. The Road Tour looks to increase SBIR and STTR participation by women, small companies in underrepresented states like Arkansas and individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Small technology firms, entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers are encouraged to attend. Participants can also learn about state-specific resources for innovation-based ventures during the afternoon session. Lunch will be provided. There is no charge to attend, but pre-registration is required and available online. To learn more, visit or contact the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at 501-683-7700.

Workshops to look at starting a food business, farmers market booth

Janea Snyder — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:00:35 +0000

The will present “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” and “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” on March 15 at in Little Rock. Local foods advocate and small business owner Martin Butts of Daytona, Fla., will lead both workshops. Butts brings 15 years of food entrepreneurship experience and a passion for local foods to the table. He owns and operates Small Potatoes, a consulting firm that specializes in working with small-scale and startup food businesses of all types. “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” will be from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” from 1-4 p.m. The workshops are free, but pre-registration is required.

�� Martin Butts

“The information presented will be practical, actionable and based on real-life experience I’ve had working with producers and farmers,” Butts said. “I want you to walk out with at least one thing that will improve your business that day.” Recommended for anyone wanting to start a restaurant or other food-based business, launch a food product or grow a home-based operation, the morning “ABCs” session will focus on the ingredients necessary for a new food or beverage business to thrive. Butts will share his recipe for success, along with tips for launching any type of new food enterprise. Topics will include commercialization, packaging, labeling, pricing strategies, production, and distribution. Just in time for the 2018 season, the afternoon farmers market workshop will offer ideas for a new booth and ways to enhance an established one, whether the product for sale is farm-fresh produce or something completely different. Through hands-on exercises, Butts will demonstrate low-cost techniques for creating an attractive and effective product display. He also will share customer service and selling techniques to help farmers market vendors connect with shoppers and turn them into loyal customers. People can registration or by��or calling the center at (501) 683-7700. Butts says he has worked with “hundreds of stores and at dozens of markets” and wants to share his experience to help prospective, new and veteran “foodpreneurs.” “Sometimes a small bit of insight from someone that’s been there can make a big difference in your approach,” he said. “The most common thing I see people doing wrong is undervaluing their product, specifically, undervaluing their own labor to make and sell the product,” Butts said. “I’ve seen really great products fail because when the time comes for them to scale up, get distribution, hire staff and buy equipment, they can’t do it without dramatically increasing their price. “Price your product with your future growth in mind,” he said. “Small-scale and artisan products aren’t ever going to win a price war with national brands, but the market is willing to pay a premium price for exceptional products. If you’re product is great, people will pay for it. Price it that way from the start.” Butts will return to Little Rock April 27 to lead ASBTDC’s full-day food product boot camp, “Breaking Out in the New Food Economy.” The boot camp will look at maximizing local and direct-to-consumer sales, expanding to new markets, building a brand, running an online store, identifying wholesale partners and developing good relationships within the industry. All three workshops are co-sponsored by Heifer International and the . The events are part of ASBTDC’s effort to boost food and beverage businesses in four central Arkansas counties. The project is funded by a Portable Assistance grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center assists entrepreneurs at every stage of business development and growth. Core services include no-cost consulting and market research. Learn more at Contributing Writer: Gwen Green / Communications Coordinator / Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with SBA through a partnership with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Shannon Roberts at (501) 683-7700.

Small businesses can learn how to do business with NASA at ASBTDC workshop

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:15:49 +0000

Arkansas small businesses can explore opportunities to do business with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the workshop Thursday, July 20, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, in cooperation with the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center, is hosting the event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ��Vlog��ý��Little Rock Reynolds Business Center Atrium. Any company interested in learning about selling goods or services to NASA facilities and their prime contractors may participate. Representatives from Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Stennis Space Center, and NASA Shared Services will be present to meet one-on-one with business owners. In addition, prime contractors such as Boeing and DXC, formerly Hewlett Packard, also will be on hand. The space agency is working to increase its small business industrial base, according to Troy Miller, small business specialist at the NASA Shared Services Center. “Awards to small business from NASA and our prime partners went from $4.8 billion in the 2013 fiscal year to $5.3 billion in 2016. Since small businesses are critical to the success of NASA’s missions and the heart of the country’s economy, events like these are very important to NASA and the local economies,” said Miller, who is helping organize the Little Rock event. Pre-registration is required and is . See asbtdc.org/nasa-2017. For more information, contact Shannon Roberts at��sxroberts@ualr.edu��or 501-683-7700. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Pamela Reed at (501) 683-7700.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock