The holidays are finally here! It’s time to focus on family, fun, and my personal favorite: food! I’m thankful for many things this holiday season, including the fantastic team we’ve built here at the Alaska SBDC.
Over the last year, our dedicated business advisors have helped thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs start 221 new businesses and raise over $65 million in new capital in nearly 100 communities.
Somehow, the staff has also managed to find the time to launch or expand a number of special programs.
This includes the BuyAlaska program (check out their gift guide for last-minute presents), the TREND technology program, which is hosting Alaska’s first AI conference in March, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative program, which has successfully helped deploy over $20 million in new loans to under-served entrepreneurs across the state in the last nine months.
Because I’d rather not get visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future this Christmas Eve, we will be closing our offices until the New Year to give everyone a chance to rest, relax, and recharge. We’ll still have folks staffing the phone lines and email accounts so we can help with emergencies, but hopefully, you’re all going to get some R&R as well!
I sincerely hope that this holiday season is full of happiness, laughter, and loved ones. We at the Alaska SBDC look forward to helping you start, grow, or innovate your business in the new year!
Happy Holidays,
Jon Bittner
Alaska SBDC Executive Director