March 2025
Fool’s Spring has sprung in most of the state and much like the swallows returning to Capistrano, the Alaskan tourists are not far behind!
New potential tourism infrastructure developments announced in Seward and Douglas Island as well as some encouraging early visitor registration data from the tourism industry leads me to believe that we’re in for another banner year for visitors!
If you’re looking to prepare yourself for the summer season, make sure to reach out to your advisor now and beat the rush!
Spring is also conference season for most of the nation. I recently got back from the annual Reservation Economic Summit (RES) conference in Nevada where I was asked to speak about Alaska’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Tribal Consortium. The Alaska SBDC has put together the largest Tribal SSBCI program in the nation and is deploying the funding faster than any other participant in the program. The U.S. Treasury wanted us to share how we did it so others could learn from our success. It was an amazing experience to be able to present at the largest Indigenous business conference in the nation and I was encouraged to see how many other Alaskans were there learning and teaching.
For those of you who haven’t heard, the Alaska SBDC is managing two SSBCI programs, one for the State of Alaska and one for a consortium of 125 of Alaska’s federally recognized tribes. Through our SSBCI programs, we’ve already helped drive more than $120,000,000 in new loans to small businesses in 30 communities across Alaska making us a national leader in SSBCI deployment.
SSBCI isn’t the only thing we’re leading the nation on, our AI Resource Program is also making waves on the national front! I hope that all of you were able to attend our recent SBDC Summit in Anchorage. We had over 300 attendees and 50+ speakers from all over the nation!
Our AI team is working hard to develop new GPT tools and training that they are deploying to hundreds of organizations across the US to help them better assist small businesses using AI. If you’re interested in learning more, you can tune into a joint webinar on March 25th; AI in Action: Practical Strategies for Small Businesses in Alaska and Nevada, between the Alaska SBDC, the Nevada SBDC, and the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that things are a bit chaotic right now. Several economic changes are impacting Alaska and the nation that can be difficult to track and plan for. As a small business, it can be hard to stay on top of things and try to plan to position your business for success. As always, the Alaska SBDC is here to help.
Our advisors are tracking the latest trends, staying on top of federal, state, and local funding shifts, monitoring industry trends, and talking to businesses and policymakers across Alaska to help you make the best decisions possible for your business. I hope you reach out and let us help you navigate these changing times. Together we can help set your business up for success no matter what comes.
Jon Bittner
Alaska SBDC State Director
