Business Resource Centers: Entrepreneurial Development

OVERVIEW

Business Resource Centers consolidate various business service providers in a single location so that business owners have only one place to go to answer most of their questions. Questions abound on business planning, tax structure, personnel, training, marketing, locations, contracting, administrative services, mentoring, and funding, funding and funding. The business resource center staff assists in coordinating the services of the local business service provider partners to make the delivery of the counseling and assistance more effective for the business customer, ensuring the business owner and managers receive all the help they need to be successful. The first thing that happens once the business customer comes through the door or makes a phone call is that the center personnel conduct an assessment discussion to understand the business owner’s needs and set-up appointments to see the various service providers who can best assist the business customer. The center personnel then conduct follow-up to ensure the customer has seen all needed providers, reach out as necessary across the State for other services and measure the success of the delivery of all services.

Business Resource Centers are tailored to the local community they serve and have service providers as partners who are experts in their fields to provide the answers to the business customer. Some of the partners found at the BRCs include the Small Business Development Center which is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center which provides governmental contracting assistance, Manufacturers Extension Partnership, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), USTAR, investors, micro loan organizations, business incubators, chambers of commerce, local economic development organizations and resources available at the local educational sponsor.

Currently there are eight Business Resource Centers (BRC) operating across Utah

For an idea of their current impact, over 1,000 unique business customers visited the BRCs creating or retaining hundreds of jobs and starting 88 businesses. In addition, over 2,000 business personnel visited all of the business partners operating out of the BRCs.

• Cache BRC at the Bridgerland ATC in Logan • North Front BRC at the Davis Applied Technology College in Kaysville • Miller BRC at the Miller Campus of Salt Lake Community College in Sandy • Utah Valley University BRC in Orem • Southern Utah University BRC in Cedar City • Dixie BRC in St. George • Carbon & Emery BRC in Price • Zions BRC in Salt Lake City

For additional information about Business Resource Centers visit www.business.utah.gov or contact Riley Cutler, Director of Outdoor Products, at crcutler@utah.gov or 801-538-8873.