The State Board has allocated funding to the colleges from the 2020 COVID-19 Recovery Act in three areas: career counseling/academic advising, cybersecurity awareness training, and Small Business Center counseling.
Small Business Centers in the Western region will receive $51,000 each to counsel small business owners and help them weather the COVID-19 crisis. This will include centers at A-B Tech, Blue Ridge, Haywood, Isothermal, Southwestern, and Tri-County community colleges.
“Our region has defined this program as the R3 Program for Small Business, and the Small Business Center directors in our western region are eager to help,” said Jill Sparks, Executive Director for the Small Business Center and Incubation at A-B Tech. “The Three Rs are Reboot, Recover, and Rebuild.”
Counselors can assist with the following:
- general business guidance
- assessing the economic impact of the pandemic
- strategies for scaling business operations
- break-even and cash flow analysis
- marketing plans
- review of financial obligations
- communications with creditors
- loan package preparation
- business resilience strategies
- referrals to relevant sources of assistance
For more information, contact your local Small Business Center or email SBCIncubator@abtech.edu
