Your Guiding Light

Ohio SBDC supports small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural communities across Ohio. With the Support of the Ohio SBDC at Ohio University, RL Valley Ranch was able to pivot and succeed during the coronavirus pandemic. With this success, RL valley gave back and supported thousands of meals for needy children at the height of the pandemic. Ohio SBDC has worked with RL Valley to ensure the family business will remain for many generations to come.

Ohio SBDC's fastest growing client segment is minority entrepreneurs. Last year alone, Ohio SBDC supported more than 5,867 minority businesses like the Dorise-Brown Fitness and Learning Academy. Ohio SBDC helps minority-owned businesses plan, launch, access capital, and grow. At Ohio SBDC, we're proud to support business owners like Doris!

In 2021, Ohio SBDC assisted more than 500 Ohio businesses to sell goods and services in more than 120 countries around the world. These same clients increased sales by more than $38 million over the prior year. One such client is Kirila Fire. With SBDC support, Kirila expanded from the Mahoning Valley to around the world. Kirila is currently the SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year for the midwest region.

Ohio SBDC works to support the next generation of business owners. From developing an innovative solution into a new business, to purchasing a business from your former boss, Ohio SBDC is here to support the newest generation of business owners. This is the story of Ohio SBDC's support for a trio of first-time business owners as they took the reins from their former employers.

Ohio Small Businesses Have Received More Than 109,000 Hours of No-Cost Advising Since the First Case of COVID-19 in Ohio

Ohio SBDC supports Veteran-Owned small business. From participation in transition assistance training at Wright Patterson to on-the-ground advising when a veteran calls a new community home, Ohio SBDC is proud to support veteran business owners as they seek success. Levi Duncan has found success with the Ohio SBDC at Springfield.

For the third year in-a-row, the majority of Ohio SBDC's clients are women. Women are finding new opportunity in business ownership at a rate unlike any other in Ohio history. Ohio SBDC is here to help entrepreneurs like Tracy Nicodemo as they trailblaze their path to business success.  With SBDC support, Tracy successfully launched her product on Kickstarter in late 2021!

With six SBDCs located in Ohio's Appalachian-designated counties, SBDC support for Appalachian business is never more than a quick trip or phone call away. In 2021, 1,831 Appalachian-based businesses received more than 14,000 hours of SBDC advising. These clients helped create more than 670 jobs and $46.6 million in increased sales. One such business that received support is Marietta, Ohio's new hot spot, 740 Social.