Texas governor recognizes UTSA small business network during national SBDC Day at the State Capitol

(March 22, 2017) -- Texas Governor Greg Abbott will issue a proclamation today observing the first national America's SBDC Day at the Texas Capitol in Austin. America's Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) include locations across every state in the country that provide local businesses and entrepreneurs with resources to start and grow small businesses. The Texas Senate and House of Representatives also will read resolutions to recognize the Texas SBDC Network, which has been strengthening Texas economy for more than 30 years.

On March 22, 1977, the Small Business Development Center Act was introduced in the United State Senate. This led to the creation of an educational infrastructure of approximately 1,000 service centers and more than 5,000 professional business advisors who provide personalized confidential management and technical assistance to more than one million Americans nationally each year.

SBDC Day is a national, collective proclamation of the success and impact America's SBDCs have across the country in economic development and the small business community. America's SBDCs create a new job every five minutes, start a new business every 30 minutes, and generate $100,000 in new sales every 7.5 minutes.

Representatives from the Texas SBDC Network and UTSA's Small Business Development Centers will be present for the reading of the proclamation and resolutions. This national recognition is part of a continued effort from America's SBDCs to raise awareness about the presence and significance of its services to growing communities across the U.S.

In 2016, the Texas SBDC Network served more than 63,000 businesses, created 14,692 jobs and generated $152 million in incremental state and federal tax revenue due to growth. The San Antonio SBDC served more than 8,000 business in the city alone.

"Texas SBDCs grow the Texas economy one business at a time," said Al Salgado, executive director of SWTXB SBDC Network. "The South-West Texas Border SBDC Network and its affiliate SBDC host institutions thank our business and community clients, economic development allies and team members who enrich the Texas economy through their work. We also thank Governor Abbott and the State of Texas for recognizing statewide SBDC impact."

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About the UTSA Institute for Economic Development

The UTSA Institute for Economic Development is dedicated to growing businesses, creating jobs and fostering economic development. Focused on building the economy one business at a time, the Institute consists of 10 centers and programs that provide professional business advising, technical training, research and strategic planning for entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. These programs serve Greater San Antonio, the Texas-Mexico border area as well as regional, national and international stakeholders. Together with the federal, state and local governments, and private businesses, the UTSA Institute for Economic Development fosters economic and community development in support of UTSA's community engagement mission. In 2016, the Institute generated direct regional economic impact of 7,517 jobs, started 591 new businesses, $447 million in new financing, $78 million in new tax revenue and exceeded $1.4 billion in new sales, exports and contracts.

About the UTSA South-West Texas Border (SWTXB) SBDC Network

The South-West Texas Border SBDC Network stretches for 79 counties across south, central, west and Gulf Coast Texas. This vast and diverse territory encompasses 108,000 square miles including our state's capitol. To meet the challenge of providing services to aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs, the Network operates 10 professional staffed SBDC centers. The SBDC is funded in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), The University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as colleges and universities throughout the Network's territory. The 29,751 advising and training clients served in 2016 represent almost 20 percent of the 148,784 employer businesses in the service area. SWTXB SBDC Network clients continue to outperform the average Texas business in sales and employment. Those clients, who represent the Network's long-term impact, also generated more than $62 million in state tax revenues for Texas.

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