ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITY AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

 

The Maricopa Center met most of its AZSBDC goals for 2012, despite continued poor economic conditions for the County.  With our assistance, our clients reported the following impacts:

·         604 new jobs

·         154 retained jobs

·         95 startups

·         Loans totaling $6.3 million

·         11 SBA loans

·         Owner investment of $6.2 million

·         Total capital acquisition of $19.2 million

·         Sales increases of $54.2 million

·         97 Government Contracts totaling $82.3 million

 

In terms of client demographics, the Center worked with 2,999 clients during the year, with 1,826 clients in counseling programs and 1,173 in training.  Of the counseling clients we had involvement with ethnic groups as follows:  11.2% black, 4.2% Asian, 1.8% Native American, .5% Pacific Islander, and 58.1% White (14.1% of which responded to be Hispanic).  We worked with 5.1% disabled persons, 14.2% Veterans, and .6% active military clients.  We worked with 45.9% pre-venture, with 18.3% of our in-business clients being matrix A & B (higher priority screening tool rating).  Over one-third of our clients were woman-owned small businesses, with half of that number owning 50% or more of the business. 

 

 

The Centers impact was felt throughout the County, but most in the larger cities.  Clients domiciled in Phoenix had the most impact, with 250.5 new jobs, 57 retained jobs, 37 new startups,  revenue increases of $13.2 million, and capital increases of $6.2 million.  Scottsdale clients posted 166.5 new jobs, 67 retained jobs, 13 startups, $21.5 million increased sales, and $3.6 million in increased capital.  Chandler/Gilbert clients created 52.5 new jobs, 6 retained jobs, 10 startups, increased sales of $4.1 million, and $3.2 million in capital formation.  Tempe clients added 31 new jobs, 11 retained, 4 startups, $9.8 million is revenues, and $4.1 million in increased capital.  Mesa clients created 30 new jobs, 4 retained jobs, 12 startups, $3.2 million in increased revenues, and $296 thousand in capital growth.  The Southwest Valley cities clients showed 18 new jobs, 2 retained jobs, 2 startups, $297 thousand increased sales, and $277 thousand in increased capital.  Glendale/Peoria clients posted  22.5 new jobs, 4 startups, $1.2 million in increased sales, and $188 thousand in increased capital.  Finally, Surprise/El Mirage clients had 15 new jobs, 4 retained, 4 startups, $76 thousand in new capital, and $575 thousand in revenue increases.

 

In training, the Center held 120 events, involving 1,173 separate clients, and over 4,239 hours of clients and staff involvement.  Our training programs consist of a combination of substantive classroom coverage of core topics, such as Profit Mastery and NxLevel, as well as short term seminars and workshops, such as taxes, startup, business planning, marketing, online and other areas of local interest.

 

ADVOCACY

 

·         Presentations to various banks (M&I Bank, Compass Bank, Bank of America, AZ Multibank) about the SBDC, the current business climate

        and how they can help small business by using our services.

·         Continued to provide workshops throughout Maricopa County in English and Spanish on “Business Launch” and various other topics.

·         Continued to support Arizona Public Service’s Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women-owned Enterprises program.

·         Partnered with City of Phoenix Workforce and SCORE on YOB Fair held in the Spring, to promote owning your own business.

·         Participated inarea Chambersof Commerce including Surprise,  Southwest Valley,

·         Glendale, Greater Phoenix, North Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa, which included networking, support at committee meetings, and

        presentation of small business topics of interest.

·         Assisted the Surprise Chamber withNxLevel class, the Hispanic Chamber with a Spanish Language NxLevel, and the City of Peoria with

        a NxLevel Startup class.  

·         Attended and represented the SBDC at AZ Technology Council events and various working committees.

·         Joined Arizona Association for Economic Development during the year, and two staff are members.  We participated in Retail and Native

        American Issues committees during the  year, and assisted AAED with fundraising for their retail exposition.

·         Represented SBDC at Hispanic Chamber, Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), Minority Enterprise Development, Arizona Small Business

        Association, Arizona Small Business Service Providers and other small business support organizations.

 

 

CAPITAL FORMATION

 

·        Work closely with ACCION, NEDCO and Prestamos to promote their loan programs and to recommend clients to them, under

       Woman-Minority Program and other smaller clients.

·         We were active participants in assisting the SBA in their SBA monthly loan clinic and procurement webinars and doing outreach for the

        events.

·         Worked with the City of Phoenix in Viral Marketing program , and MBE/SBE/DBE certification and small business services departments.

·         Participated in monthly meetings of Invest Southwest Capital Conference, with board and committee participation, and final client

        presentations at annual conference.

·         Assisted numerous clients with business loan applications, fostered relationships with banks and institutions such as US Bank, Sunrise,

        Wells Fargo, Chase Bank and others.

 

 

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

 

·         Active participants in the Venture Catalyst Program at Arizona State University, serving as a mentor to technology firms that are going

        through the program.

·         Members of the Arizona Technology Council.

·         Sit on the Board of the Invest Southwest Conference.

·         Assisted in putting together Clean Technology Grant, and have provided primary leadership for statewide effort through employees matching

         effort, including Director, Technology Program Coordinator, Business Analyst, and Operations Coordinator.  The grant was extended for two

        additional years.

·         Worked with Gateway Community College in helping with advisory committee for new Technology Incubator project, involving the College

       and City of Phoenix. 

·         Assisting the City of Chandler with Innovations Incubator, with counselor providing assistance on-site, and holding regular programs such as

        Coffee & Connections quarterly training/networking event, developed a 10-week cohort class called TechEDge, which was successfully

        offered for the first time in the Fall to a class of 13 clients.

·         Received a $60,000 grant from Hewlett-Packard to provide IT training to entrepreneur’s in a computer lab.  HP-Life Centers are operated

        worldwide, and we have the only center in Maricopa County, and one of only two in Arizona. 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

 

·         Attended seminars on International Trade that were attended by 10 counselors, which will lead to National certification for SBA and SBDC

        programs to expand reach.

·         Assisted various clients in international trade assistance, including finance through SBA Export Finance program.

·         Participated in Judging Panel at Thunderbird School of Global Management for student business plans/capital pitches. 

 

MINORITY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

 

·         Procurement outreach to MBE/8(a) certified businesses towards obtaining government bids.

·         Participated with booth and Outreach with CPLC Seminarios, a Spanish language symposium by doing workshop on “How to Start a

        Business”.

·         Participated in meetings and networking events with Hispanic organizations and Minority Business groups such as EVHBA and East Valley

        Minority Business Alliance.

·         Program Coordinator was awarded2011Small Business Minority Advocate for the Minority Business Council

·         Participated in AZ Dept. of Transportation DBE Expo/Open House and Phoenix Regional Conferences.

·         Organized and presented Minority and Small  Business Procurement Fair to statewide audience at Phoenix College, with 100 participants

       and training on procurement and small business contracting topics.

 

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

 

·         Center was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the City of Phoenix for Viral Marketing, which was completed

        during the year.

·         Presented Profit Mastery classes to various constituents and clients, including City of Peoria, APS AAAME Academy, and others, with client

        services and expanded financial analysis a key outcome from the program.

·         Consistently met with the Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Center, the Minority Business Enterprise Center, ACCION, NEDCO,

        and a larger number of banks related to SBA and other lending products.

·         Worked with Women’s Resource Center to present entrepreneurship programs for Fresh Start.

·         Added Satellite offices in Paradise Valley Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, and Glendale Community College

        during the year, bring Satellite facilities to seven, surrounding Phoenix main office within Maricopa County.

·         Assisted City of Glendale and Glendale Community College with do a feasibility study and downtown survey for new Entrepreneurial Center to

        be established in the Redevelopment area for Glendale. 

·         Provided assistance with City of Mesa on Light Rail expansion project to assist small businesses to be affected by construction, including

        participation in meetings and other resource sessions.

 

PROCUREMENT

 

·         Developing a database of clients interested in procurement opportunities.

·         Participated in Glendale and Avondale Procurement Fairs, to promote SBDC to procurement community and clients throughout the State.

·         Contacted several groups that provided additional training and resources for clients.

·         Procurement outreach to certified businesses towards obtaining government bids.

·         Attended City of Phoenix workshopson MBE, DBE, SBE and WBE programs.

·         Assisted several clients to apply for Minority Business Enterprise Certification and 8(a) Certification.

·         Continue interaction with the Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Center, the Minority Business Enterprise Center, Arizona

        Manufacturing and the Association of Minority Contractors.

 

 

SPECIAL EMPHASIS GROUPS

 

·         Helped students of Gateway Community College in Entrepreneurship by judging business plans in competition.

·         Joined in forming a Mesa Downtown Small Business Alliance, that meets monthly to improve communications, collaboration and

        advancement of small business needs for City

·         Provide Human Resource Compliance list to clients, provided by longtime partner to AZSBDC Network, Human Resources Partners, LLC.

 

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

 

·         Provided QuickBooks classes in conjunction with SCORE and Phoenix College.

·         Presented Business Launch workshops for Fresh Start Women’s Center.

 

RESEARCH

 

·         Assisted clients with research from ASBDC Research Dept, Benchmark Pro Financial Analysis System, and our own internal library.

·         Subscribed to Risk Management Association during year to assist clients with financial analysis.

·         Utilized ASBDC Net for research for client needs, and consolidated research data on website for internal use for client assistance.

·         Purchased Small Business Advisor program for startup client checklist preparation and compliance.

 

SUCCESS STORIES

 

·      We assisted Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair with financial training, which led to the businesses expansion and credit for SBDC assistance.  The SBDC assisted the client in receiving a $400,000 line of credit, adding one new store,  and plans for adding three additional stores in the near future.During the last year alone the company grew by $1.4 million in revenues and added four jobs.  The company is assisted by Michael D’Hoostelaere and Ilene Ringler from the Phoenix office.

·      A long- time client of the SBDC, Jim Koeneman knows what it’s like to give – and get – a helping hand.  An engineer with 35 years of medical device technology experience, Koeneman and his son Edward founded Kinetic Muscles, Inc. in 2001, just as the dot.com meltdown was beginning.  They received help from the SBDC, and have raised about $9 million in contracts and grants to get the business going and grow their business.  They produce video games that help in the therapy for returning vets with brain injuries, and stroke recovery for major healthcare treatments.  Technology Coordinator and Counselor Sanjay Dhole serves this business.

·      Not all success is new business.  Many small businesses have been challenged by the recession, and Dom and Jodi Dovidio had a successful drug business that hit a wall when a major drug manufacturer ran into legal difficulties from side-affects from a medication that was a major product.  Their sales dropped and they began losing money, had their credit line pulled by their bank, and ultimately had to file for reorganization in Bankruptcy court.  The couple turned to John Henry Smith, Business Analyst in Phoenix, who helped them prepare a revised plan, which ultimately led to acceptance by the court, and a turnaround in their business, saving seven jobs and $1.2 million in annual revenues. 

 

TRAVEL

 

·       Ten staff members attended the ASBDC Annual Meeting in San Diego for professional development purposes.  The Director attended HP-Life Certification training in San Francisco, CA.

 

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

 

·      Three staff members participated in National Association of Women Business Owners organization, in training, board activities and attending meetings.

·      Conducted small business training and individual counseling in Spanish and English for women owned businesses.

 

 

VETERANS, SERVICE CONNECTED-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES RESERVISTS ON ACTIVE DUTY AND OTHER RESERVE COMPONENT MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY

 

·      Worked with Vet clients on Patriot Act loan applications.

·      Counselor participates in Statewide Veteran’s Committee.

·      Held information session with Tempe Vet Center for Rio Salado Community College, providing information to approx.. 10 vets interested in small businesses.

 

MANUFACTURING

 

Participated in Technology Readiness Level training for State Network, and helped develop checklist for Technology Readiness Level Assessment process.

 

ON-LINE ACTIVITY:

                                                                                                                                               

·         Presented Social Media for Business classes and webinars.

·         Presented Social Media for Business for the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Viral Marketing Program.

·         Continue to counsel clients on developing Social Media marketing strategies to promote their businesses.

·         Consistently use an online database for Procurement research for clients.

·         Expanded Center website to include online resources and downloads sections for client use.