Chippewa Valley Times

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has relocated from its previous site at 221 W. Madison St. to new offices in Schneider Hall, the home of the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The move took place on June 5. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new office space is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, in front of Schneider Hall, co-hosted by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

Harlie Juedes, SBDC director, said, “We’re often described as one of UW-Eau Claire’s best-kept secrets when it comes to supporting small businesses. After being located off campus for so long, many faculty and staff may not be fully aware of the work we do — or the depth of UWEC’s involvement with local and statewide businesses."

Juedes added, “With our move back to campus, we’re excited for the opportunity to strengthen those connections. We hope to become more integrated into the university community while also creating pathways to bring the broader business community onto campus.”

The SBDC provides no-cost and confidential counseling as well as business education across several counties in west-central Wisconsin. Its services include helping businesses secure funding, make financial decisions based on data, navigate regulations, improve operations, and support sustainable growth.

According to Juedes, “Our region’s business community depends on our expertise and our commitment to walk alongside them — not just during a crisis, but over the long term. Given the niche of the work we do, we are often one of the only accessible, no-cost and trusted sources of in-depth, hands-on financial support for small business owners in our area.”

Over the past five years, SBDC has worked with 2,350 businesses and is involved in connecting higher education resources with practical business needs through student and faculty consulting projects.

The center received about $800,000 as part of a $9.4 million Workforce Innovation Grant awarded to UW-Eau Claire by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) and Department of Workforce Development. This funding aims to assist startups and small businesses throughout Wisconsin; so far SBDC has supported more than 1,500 businesses across 58 counties.

Missy Hughes, WEDC Secretary and CEO stated: “Through aggressive outreach and a visible presence in the community, the SBDC provides valuable, direct assistance to small businesses when and where they need it most. WEDC is proud to partner with the SBDC to help our businesses and communities thrive.”

Shelli Schuppel credited SBDC support for helping her launch Mr. Kitty’s Cat Café & Boutique in Eau Claire last year: “The help that they gave me to set up projections of what my business could accomplish in its first year and subsequent years was instrumental in allowing me to secure an SBA loan with a local lender,” Schuppel said about working with SBDC staff. “My lender was very impressed with the professional documents I was able to give them to support my dream on paper.” She also attended classes offered by SBDC covering marketing strategies and other essential business practices.