Jump in hires at Small Business Development Center to meet business help demand

Since the beginning of the pandemic, officials with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Hamilton County said they have seen such a large jump in calls for help that they had to almost double their staff.

NEW THIS MORNING...COPINGTHROUGH COVID..A LOCAL GROUP -WHICH OFFERS FREE SERVICES FORPEOPLE WHO WANT TO START ABUSINESS OR SEE THEIR EXISTINGONE GROW - HAS DOUBLED ITSSTAFF.THE HAMILTON COUNTYSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTCENTER DID THIS TO HELP THEBUSINESS COMMUNITYáREBOUNDá.WCPO 9 NEWS PAOLASURO GIVES US DETAILS ON WHYIT DECIDED TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE.THE CENTER TELLS ME IT HASNEVER SEEN THIS HIGH OF ADEMAND WHEN IT COMES TOHELPING PEOPLE WANTING THEIRBUSINESS TO TAKE OFF.SO THEYARE ALL HANDS ON DECK -AND THEAMOUNT OF HANDS ON DECK JUSTDOUBLED."i don't think that i've heardthe word 'furlough' so manytimes in my life until thistime!"IT'S THAT WORD - AND THEMANY QUESTIONS -"what are wesupposed to do with theshutdown?

How can we managethat?

How can you retainpeople when they're ready tocome back?"THAT PROMPTED THEHAMILTON COUNTY SMALL BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT CENTER TO DOUBLEITS BUSINESS COUNSELING STAFF -"there was a lot of questions- a lot of confusion."ADDINGSIX ADDITIONAL COUNSELORS TOHELP BUSINESS OWNERS áREBOUNDá- BRINGING THE TOTAL TO TEN.NOW - BUSINESS OWNERS DON'THAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN 24 TO48 HOURS TO RECEIVE áFREEáASSISTANCE."get them connectedto the resources.

For examplethe ppp loans that have beenput out for the governmentHCSBDC USES ITS LOCALCONNECTIONS IN THE COMMUNITYTO HELP BUSINESS OWNERSRECEIVE EVERYTHING FROM ADVICE- TO LOANS."the spdc wasdefinitely that one stop shopto make sure we were steeringyou in the right direction."THAT ONE STOP SHOP IS ALSOEXPANDING ITS SERVICES TO HELPTHE HISPANIC POPULATION."thisis dear to my heart!"KARLABOLDERY IS SPEARHEADING THEHISPANIC ENTREPRENEURSHIPACADEMY - A VIRTUAL SPACEWHERE SPANISH-SPEAKERS CANALSO RECEIVE THE HELP THEYNEED."latinos are the onesthat are starting businessesfaster than anybody else!there is a huge demand for thelatino community to learn moreon how to start your ownbusiness."ACCORDING TO THESTANFORD LATINO ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE SURVEY - 86PERCENT OF LATINO ENTREPRENEURSREPORTED A LARGE NEGATIVEIMPACT ON THEIR BUSINESSES BYTHE PANDEMIC -NEARLY TWOTHIRDS SAY THEY WON'T BE ABLETO CONTINUE THEIR BUSINESSBEYOND SIX MONTHS IF THINGSCONTINUE THE WAY THEY ARE."just to attest to the pointthat latinas are ready!

Readyto get started - ready to moveforward!"TO GET HELP FROM SBDC YOU CANEITHER CALL THEIR OFFICE - ORSIGN UP ONLINE FOR COUNSELING- AND THEY WILL REACH OUT TOYOU WITHIN 24 HOURS..I HAVETHAT INFORMATION ON MY TWITTERHANDLE AND WE'LL HAVE ITAVAILABLE ON WCPO DOT COM.REPORTING LIVE - PAOLA SUROWCPO 9 NEWS.