The Holiday season is upon us once again! If you’re in the Southcentral like I am you’ve been more focused on digging yourself out of your driveway than on buying presents. The good news is BuyAlaska’s Holiday Gift Guide has made buying the perfect gift this holiday season easier than ever! Check it out at BuyAlaska.com and grab something nice for the local business enthusiast in your life.
For the small businesses on the nice list this year the Alaska SBDC has a new program rolling out in January that should make everyone’s days merrier. The Alaska State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) will be accepting lenders and equity funds into the program over the next few months and will be able to start processing loan applications early next year. Incentivizing private sector funding to help small businesses grow in Alaska is the hot new gift for 2023! To help us get those funds out on the street as quickly as possible we’ve hired two new SSBCI staff. Please help us welcome Erin Baca with the SSBCI Equity program and Jay Halverson with the SSBCI loan programs to the SBDC team.
Continuing the spirit of giving, I wanted to say thank you to the generous folks at Wells Fargo for providing funding to support workshops and outreach in the Fairbanks and Interior regions of the state. This funding allows us to offer expanded services and free training to Interior businesses and entrepreneurs that need it now more than ever. These partnerships with the private sector allow us to leverage the dollars we have and help better connect our clients with opportunities and funding.
I hope that all of you are able to take some time this holiday season and unplug, unwind and recharge. Get out and enjoy the fifty-seven feet of new snow on the ground if you’re in the Anchorage area, check out the Aurora in the interior, or just snuggle up in a warm blanket with a hot drink and a good book. However you choose to celebrate, please accept a warm Holiday Cheer from all of us at the SBDC to all of you out there building Alaska’s economic future.
Jon Bittner
Alaska SBDC Executive Director