What Is The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center And What Can It Do For Your Business

GRAND RAPIDS – The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center network supports 12 regional offices and more than 60 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan.

The Seidman College of Business, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, was awarded $2.9 million to host and provide counsel, training and research for Michigan’s new venture companies, existing small businesses, new technology companies, and innovators. This is the first time a federal program has placed its state headquarters in West Michigan. Matching operating funds are provided through the MI-SBTDC network members? partners in the 12 regions.

?It is important that the MI-SBTDC continue to strengthen its infrastructure at all levels, develop new partnerships and funding sources, and continually increase our level of effectiveness,? said State Director Carol Lopucki. ?We are excited and energized to be considered a premier provider of tools for small business development and growth.?

The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center network provides a full range of services for a variety of small businesses that are emerging and growing throughout Michigan — new venture companies, existing small businesses, expanding businesses, new technology companies, and innovators. The MI-SBTDC is known throughout Michigan for its quality counsel, training and market research capabilities. All services are available at low or no cost because of the funding support of the Small Business Administration and local partners in each region.

The Michigan Technology Initiative Program is a joint venture of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the U.S. Small Business Administration. This U.S. Small Business Administration Cooperative Agreement is partially funded by the SBA. SBA funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Technology Business Consultants

The MI-SBTDC has four TBCs on staff. 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. Their expertise reflects Michigan’s technology initiatives and needs in four functional areas:

Advanced manufacturing; Bio-medicine/life sciences; Energy and Information technology

TBCs work with fewer clients than the general MI-SBTDC business consultants and provide proactive facilitation and strategic planning for business development. In contrast, MI-SBTDC general business consultants work with a wider variety of companies providing more typical business development assistance such as business plan writing, cash-flow projections, marketing and human resource consulting. Many of the general business consultants have areas of expertise that the technology counselors can access to assist technology innovators. The MI-SBTDC general business consultants will also assist technology counselors in identifying innovators and small businesses that may be SBIR eligible.

The SBTDC has a systemic referral process by which regional directors use a Technology Business Counselor Referral Information Form to refer clients to a TBC. For a list of those counselors and the areas they serve, click on TBC

TBCs provide specialized counseling 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 –