Small Business Development Center Ohio University

What Small Business Development Center Ohio University does

The Ohio SBDC at Ohio University is a federally and state-funded small business assistance program operated as part of Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. Established under its current Regional Director in 2013, the center delivers no-cost, confidential one-on-one business advising, customized business assistance, training programs, and export assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs across a 13-county service region in Southeast Ohio (Athens, Meigs, Hocking, Perry, Fairfield, Licking, Washington, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Muskingum, Guernsey, and Belmont counties). Its Export Assistance Program extends coverage to 20 southeastern Ohio counties.

The center's core service portfolio spans four pillars: business advising by Certified Business Advisors, access to capital (including SBA-backed lending guidance and partnerships with entities like the Guernsey County Port Authority), training programs (BOSS startup workshops, Profit Mastery, QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, social media marketing, and an emerging AI-themed curriculum), and export assistance through a statewide internship pipeline. It also connects clients to adjacent partner programs — TechGrowth Ohio for technology-based companies and APEX Accelerators for government contracting — administered through the same Voinovich School.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: revenue flows through a cooperative agreement among the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Ohio Department of Development, and Ohio University, and services are extended to the public at no cost. Underlying technology is a standard web-based service delivery platform (WordPress with Wordfence security and Google Analytics) rather than a proprietary product platform. Outcome metrics for 2024 included over $20 million in capital infusion facilitated for client businesses (against an initial $9 million goal), 1,000+ clients served, and a 100% net promoter score; cumulative figures show 2,650+ clients and $52 million+ in funding secured over the trailing three years. The center is part of a national SBDC network of 1,000+ centers and has received repeated state and regional recognition, including the SBA Region V Excellence and Innovation Award (2017, 2018) and consecutive Best Customer Satisfaction awards (2023, 2024).

Name

Small Business Development Center Ohio University

Legal name

Ohio Small Business Development Center at Ohio University

Website

https://sbdc.ohio.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ohio SBDC at Ohio University provides no-cost business advising, training, capital access, and export assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs across a 13-county region in Southeast Ohio, funded by the U.S. SBA, Ohio Department of Development, and Ohio University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Small business advising
• Business consulting services
• Access to capital
• Export assistance program
• Entrepreneurship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding / Grant Revenue: Funded through cooperative agreements with U.S. Small Business Administration, Ohio Department of Development, and Ohio University. Services are provided at no cost to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ohio SBDC at Ohio University provides free, confidential one-on-one business advising by Certified Business Advisors to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs across 13 Southeast Ohio counties. Core offerings include Access to Capital guidance, Customized Business Assistance (startup, market strategies, financial analysis, buy/sell support), Training Programs (BOSS startup workshop, Profit Mastery, QuickBooks, social media marketing), and an Export Assistance Program covering 20 counties. All services are provided at no cost and funded through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Ohio Department of Development, and Ohio University.

Product overview

The Ohio SBDC at Ohio University is a Small Business Development Center offering a unified portfolio of no-cost business assistance services to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Southeast Ohio. The core offerings include one-on-one advising with Certified Business Advisors, Access to Capital services, Customized Business Assistance (startup guidance, market strategies, financial analysis, buy/sell support), and Training Programs. The center also operates an Export Assistance Program serving 20 counties and connects clients with partner programs including TechGrowth Ohio for technology companies and APEX Accelerators for government contracting. Training offerings include the Basis of a Successful Start (BOSS) workshop, Profit Mastery courses, QuickBooks training, Microsoft Excel workshops, and social media marketing programs. All core services are provided at no cost to clients and are funded by the SBA, Ohio Department of Development, and Ohio University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Export Assistance Program: Provides export assistance services to companies interested in expanding into international markets, operating across 20 southeastern Ohio counties.
• BOSS (Basis of a Successful Start)

Products and services

• Business Advising and Consulting Services No-cost, confidential one-on-one business advising by Certified Business Advisors for small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Southeast Ohio. Advisors work with clients across 13 counties to provide customized business assistance.
• Access to Capital Assistance connecting small businesses with lenders, financing programs, and developing financial packages for business loans including traditional commercial loans and government-backed loans such as SBA loans.
• Customized Business Assistance Business startup guidance, market and growth strategies, financial analysis, and buy/sell assistance including business plans and feasibility studies for small businesses.
• Training Programs Professional development training including Basis of a Successful Start (BOSS), QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, social media marketing, sales strategy, and financial analysis workshops for businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Export Assistance Program Free confidential advising for international business planning, market research, export documentation, compliance education, and export financing assistance serving 20 southeastern Ohio counties.
• TechGrowth Ohio Technology startup accelerator and assistance program for technology-based companies in Southeast Ohio, accessed through the Ohio SBDC at Ohio University via the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.
• APEX Accelerators Program to assist businesses in securing government contracts, accessed through Ohio SBDC at Ohio University via the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.
• Basis of a Successful Start (BOSS) Startup workshop covering types of ownership, licensing, tax requirements, sources of financing, identifying customers, and marketing strategies for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Profit Mastery Financial analysis course and certification program for business owners, facilitated by Certified Profit Mastery instructors through the Ohio SBDC.
• Ohio Export Internship Program (OEIP) Statewide internship program matching college students with Ohio businesses for export-focused internships, administered by Ohio University College of Business in collaboration with SBDC.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guernsey County Port AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner to support small businesses in Guernsey County. The Port Authority can offer loans up to $25,000 through the US Department of Agriculture with interest rates of 1 percent below prime. Joint efforts help potential small business owners or help current business owners expand.
• Lancaster Fairfield County ChambercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts SBDC advising sessions and courses. Vonnie McDonald initially accessed SBDC services via the Chamber, and the Chamber continues to be a referral source for small business services.
• Pickerington Area ChamberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts SBDC advising hours for small businesses in the Pickerington area. Richard Carr from Ohio SBDC provides confidential and free service at Chamber location.
• Meigs County Economic Development OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with SBDC to support local small businesses. Brenda Roush and Perry Varnadoe work with SBDC advisors Erin Gibson and Carleen Dotson to assist entrepreneurs.
• John McIntire LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner location for in-person SBDC training sessions including Mid-Year Business Checkup events.
• Hocking Hills Tourism AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SBDC to conduct marketing analysis study of Hocking Hills as a tourist destination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Ohio SBDC. Also provides access to TechGrowth Ohio (technology-based company assistance) and APEX Accelerators (government contracting assistance). Primary institutional partner.
• Ohio Export Internship Program (OEIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide program administered in collaboration with Ohio University's College of Business and SBDC. Matches college students with Ohio businesses for export-focused internships. SBDC's Don Hackney instructs the required spring semester class.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free, confidential business mentoring and training to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Closest direct peer in mission, free-service model, and SBA-aligned funding.
• Women's Business Centers (WBCs): SBA-funded resource partners providing free business training, mentoring, and access to capital focused on women entrepreneurs. Highly comparable service model and federal funding structure.
• Ohio Small Business Development Centers (state network): The Ohio SBDC network comprises 28 centers across the state. Other regional centers (e.g., at Cleveland State, Youngstown State) share the same funding structure, service model, and SBA/state cooperative agreement, making them direct peer centers.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs): SBA-funded resource partners offering business training, counseling, and resource referrals to veteran-owned small businesses. Same federal cooperative-agreement funding model as SBDCs.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Small Business Administration: Federal agency that funds and oversees the SBDC program and other small-business resource partners. Acts as the upstream policy and funding authority.
• America's SBDC: The national association representing the 1,000+ SBDC network. Provides umbrella advocacy, training, and standards for all SBDCs including the Ohio University center.

Emerging players

• APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs): Hosted alongside the Ohio SBDC at Ohio University's Voinovich School, APEX Accelerators assist businesses in securing government contracts. Complementary mission; partial operational overlap.
• TechGrowth Ohio: Technology-focused business accelerator also hosted at Ohio University's Voinovich School. Adjacent service offering targeting a narrower (tech-based) segment of the same small-business client base.

Others

• Ohio Export Internship Program (OEIP): Ohio University College of Business program that pairs students with exporting companies; the SBDC's Export Advisor instructs the required course. Enabling program that supports the same export-driven small-business mission.

Regional players

• Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber that partners with the Ohio SBDC to host advising hours. Provides adjacent business-support services (networking, advocacy, education) to the same Southeast Ohio SMB segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5dP47yM-kPglMmUeC0el6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/sbdcohiouniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sbdcou

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small Business Development Center Ohio University