Welcome Title

About Us

The KSBDC Network provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with knowledge, tools and resources to enhance their success. We help them identify their business needs and guide them toward opportunities and solutions.

A Welcome from the State Director
Personnel
Partners
Advisory Board

A Welcome from the KSBDC State Director - Wally Kearns

Welcome to the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC)!

"Growing Kansas Entrepreneurs" is the goal of the KSBDC. We accomplish this goal by assisting established firms, growth companies, and start-up enterprises meet the challenges in today's evolving global marketplace.

Our primary focus is on delivering business consulting and management training to small and mid-sized businesses in all of the 105 counties in Kansas. Since our inception in 1983 over 86,000 Kansas entrepreneurs have accessed our services.

KSBDC confidential business consulting services are provided at no cost to the client by our network of eight regional and nine outreach centers. Counseling sessions are designed to help clients address start-up issues, marketing, managing a business, business planning, financing, accounting, strategic planning, human resources, taxes, and many other areas. In addition to our business counseling services, the KSBDC Network offers a diverse range of low-cost seminars and no-cost online training that is accessible 24/7.

The KSBDC is a partnership program with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Kansas Department of Commerce, and a wide variety of local economic development and educational institutions. The statewide host for the KSBDC is Fort Hays State University.

We welcome you as a client and encourage you to access our valuable services. Explore the business consulting services and training sections of our Website to learn the next steps to access KSBDC services.

KSBDC is nationally accredited through the Association of Small Business Development Centers by Congressional mandate.

We wish you the best of success with your entrepreneurial efforts and appreciate the opportunity to help you along the way!

Sincerely,
Wally Kearns
KSBDC State Director

Association of Small Business Development Centers.

ASBDC logo

Personnel

Each Regional SBDC is staffed by professionals with the knowledge and business experience to provide expert counseling and training. Our staff has a wide variety of business experience in many different functional areas and industries. Centers may also utilize faculty, graduate students, volunteers and representatives from business and industry.

KSBDC Map and Contact Information (map and contact information for each regional and outreach center-PDF)

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Partners

The Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) is a partnership program with the US Small Business Administration (SBA)and the Kansas Dept. of Commerce.The KSBDC is partially funded by the US Small Business Administration. SBA's funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

To offer you the most comprehensive services available, the KSBDC partners with a diverse group of organizations including universities, community colleges, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, cities, counties, and other government agencies.

Our regional centers and outreach centers are hosted and funded by:

US Small Business Administration
Kansas Dept. of Commerce
Kansas Association of Certified Development Companies
Universities and Community Colleges
Chambers of Commerce (Lawrence, Manhattan & Topeka)
County Governments (Douglas)
City Governments (Lawrence)

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Thank you to our 2008 investors:
Allen Community College
City of Emporia
City of Lawrence
Cloud County Community College
Coffeyville Community College
Douglas County
Emporia State University
Fort Hays State University
Fort Scott Community College
Garden City Community College
Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce
Harvey County Economic Development Council
Independence Community College
Johnson County Community College
Junction City Geary County Economic Development Commission
Kansas Department of Commerce
Kingman County Economic Development Council
Labette Community College
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce
Lyon County
Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce
Neosho County Community College
Pittsburg State University
Pottawatomie County Economic Development
U.S. Small Business Administration
University of Kansas
Washburn University
Wichita State University

Advisory Board

The Board consists of members who possess outstanding qualifications and are known to be familiar with the needs and challenges of small businesses. A majority of the members are from the private sector and are from small businesses, associations representing small businesses or other organizations concerned with small businesses.

Thank you to our 2008 KSBDC Advisory Board members:
Chair, Fred Willich
Vice-Chair, Senator Tom Holland
Linda Adams
Deronda Aiken
Senator Jim Barone
Senator Karin Brownlee
Brenda Craig
Tony Dellasega
Sheila Frahm
Representative Don Hill
Justin Holstin
Galen Huffman
Senator Laura Kelly
Senator Janis Lee
Representative Larry Powell
Ms Shirley Voran

Authority and Purpose

In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 648 (j), each SBDC must establish an Advisory Board to:

* provide advice and counsel to the KSBDC Network on matters affecting small business owners, managers and their relationship with the KSBDC. Specifically, advice and counsel concerning the efficient and effective delivery of services to the small business community of Kansas.

* advise in the development of short and long-range plans for the KSBDC, together with the means by which progress toward these goals can be measured.

* assist and promote communication between the Kansas small business community, state government, local economic development groups and other business related organizations in Kansas.

* offer recommendations for improvement of counseling, training, public relations, and resource programs available to the KSBDC.

Role of Advisory Board Members

The primary role and focus of the KSBDC Advisory Board will be the following:

Advocacy - efforts to represent the interests of small businesses within the SBDC's jurisdiction, to improve the climate for small businesses, and to contribute to the vitality of the small business sector.

Capital Formation - efforts to develop or assist in developing capital for small businesses: e.g., loans, micro loans, equity.

Resource Development - activities which promote and/or develop other funding partners to assist the SBDC in its mission;

Economic Development - General activities aimed at supporting/strengthening Kansas' economic environment. Activities may include Agri-Business, Entrepreneurship, Rural Development, Community Development, Convention/Tourism, and Incubators.

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