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Helping small businesses start, grow and be competitive in global markets is what the SBA/SBDC is all about. The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) partially funds and oversees the Small Business Development Center Program (SBDC) to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance. The SBDC Program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments. It enhances economic development by providing small businesses with management assistance, and is designed to deliver up-to-date counseling, training and technical assistance in all aspects of small business operations. SBDC services include, but are not limited to, assisting small businesses with financial, marketing, production, organization, engineering and technical problems and feasibility studies. Assistance from an SBDC is available to anyone who is interested in beginning a small business for the first time, or improving or expanding an existing small business, and who cannot afford the services of a private consultant. Maine SBDC is one of 58 SBDC Programs around the country, forming America's Small Business Development Center Network, and is a member in good standing of its industry's U.S. congressionally recognized, national trade association, the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC).
Facilitating and coordinating the development of policies and programs for economic and community development; working with municipalities as well as regional planning and economic development organizations to implement such programs; and encouraging the creation and retention of quality jobs through increased private-sector involvement is the stated mission of the State of Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). Under the guidance of Maine's Small Business Commission, an independent commission within DECD charged to evaluate and coordinate small business and entrepreneurial programs; DECD partially funds and oversees the Maine SBDC in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In doing so, the Commission is responsible for enforcing the contract between DECD and the administrative unit of the Maine SBDC, which since 1977 has been the University of Southern Maine (USM). Additionally, the Commission advises the DECD Commissioner on strengthening the support infrastructure for entrepreneurship in the State as to help develop and implement statewide strategies and policies as they relate to encouraging economic development by developing and growing entrepreneurial businesses around the State.
Teaching, doing research, and providing public service for the benefit of the citizens of Maine and society in general, the University of Southern Maine (USM) through its School of Business acts as the administrative unit for the Maine Small Business Development Centers. Under the direction and in partnership with the SBA and DECD, USM houses, partially funds and staffs the statewide and administrative offices of the Maine SBDC. It also contracts with and directs various economic and/or community development corporations (Hosts) to deliver Maine SBDC services conveniently around the State.
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