This has been an exciting month for the Alaska SBDC! Several of our team travelled to Nashville, TN for the annual America’s SBDC Conference to learn from other SBDCs across the country and teach them a little about what we do in return. Hot topics included AI technology, SSBCI capital, online sales opportunities and how to market online among many other things.
Closer to home, our team continues to do amazing work supporting Alaska’s small businesses through our various programs and services. Our SBDC advisors are setting records for the number of businesses they are meeting with and the workshops they are putting out.
Our rural program staff have been doing amazing work getting out into remote areas to help businesses in the state’s hardest to reach places.
Our new TREND Director has been hard at work supporting Alaska’s technology and innovation focused businesses. BuyAlaska is hard at work encouraging locals and visitors to buy local and support local economies.
On top of all of the work we’re currently doing, we’re also working on launching a slew of new programs and initiatives over the next year. The State SSBCI Technical Assistance program just launched and we are fortunate enough to have hired Geoff Wright to manage that process. Going forward we are excited to launch new resources, incubators, workshops, access to consultants, new healthcare innovation programs and more.
The Alaska SBDC has been supporting small businesses in the state for over 35 years and we’ve never been more excited about the opportunities for the state’s small businesses. New funding, new resources, new technologies and new tools are being made available across Alaska to businesses in all stages of growth that will spur new economic activity.
I hope that all of you take advantage of these opportunities and reach out to one of our advisors to help you identify the programs that are a good fit for you. We look forward to helping you build Alaska’s future!
Jon Bittner
Alaska SBDC Executive Director