GRAND RAPIDS – In the book The World is Flat, author Thomas L. Friedman says the best companies are the best collaborators.” The Michigan Small Business Technology Development Center has been employing that model for sometime, by providing client’s – Michigan’s more than 185,000 small businesses – with access to consultative service through their network of technology business consultants.

“Technology business consultants serve as a catalyst for the growth of Michigan’s small high tech, innovative and fast growing companies, building upon a strong foundation of assistance by traditional MI-SBTDC Advisors,” said Carol Lopucki, state director for the Michigan Small Business Development Center.

Technology business consultants are responsible to the State Director, with direct communication links through assigned Regional Directors, serving the state of Michigan. Each consultant must meet rigid past-performance criteria before receiving “consultant” status, and they are held to high performance expectations while serving in the field. All consultants hold an MBA or equivalent, have five or more years of business experience and two or more years experience in a technology-related field.

In southwest Michigan, one of those consultants is Mary Sue Hoffman, who joined the MI-SBTDC in August 2001 as the first of four full-time technology business consultants. She specializes in intellectual property protection, model contracts and agreements, and access to alternative financing. She received her B.A. in Business Administration from Michigan State University and J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Hoffman began her career in 1987 as a Tax Attorney with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Continuing her practice in tax, she joined Allegheny Technologies, Inc. in 1989.

In 1992, she was promoted to Tax Counsel where she successfully argued before state tax tribunals and concluded several audits with the Internal Revenue Service. In 1994, she was promoted to Director of Employee Relations to initiate changes in the management-employee relationship. Managing a staff of twenty human resource professionals, her responsibilities encompassed employee relations, training and development, recruiting, compensation, and employee communication for over 1,600 employees at multiple locations.

In 1997, she was promoted to General Manager of Human Resources with responsibility for creating best practices in human resources at multiple locations for over 5,000 employees. During this time, she received a certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management from Harvard University. In 1999, Hoffman joined Duquesne University as adjunct faculty and a Business Consultant with the Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center where she provided counsel to entrepreneurs in start-up and existing businesses.

Last year, MI-SBTDC provided assistance 10,274 companies that employ a combined 45,370 Michiganians. They provided access to $160,456,000 in capital formation and created 2,537 new jobs. And, they provided business education to 7,537 owners through the delivery of more than 33,000 hours of training.

SBTDC experts, like Hoffmann, have expertise in the following areas:

Intellectual Property

Basics of patenting/trademarks/copyrights

Licensing basics

Management Team Assessment

Management Team strengths and weaknesses

Financing Alternatives

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Small Business & Technology Transfer (STTR)

Venture Capital

Angel Capital

Commercialization Strategies

New product development/commercialization strategies

Strategic and business planning

Technology marketing

Licensing strategies

Networking and Resource Identification

National and statewide resources of Michigan SBTDC partners

The MI-SBTDC has a systemic referral process by which regional directors refer TBCs on an as needed basis. Please visit www.misbtdc.org to find the regional director nearest you or call (616) 331-7480.