MTSU is joining Gov. Bill Haslam in recognizing Small Business Development Centers around the country for their impact on the lifeblood of the economy.

The second annual National Small Business Development Center Day is set for Wednesday, March 21, as SBDCs from around the country come together for one special day to celebrate their impact on the success of the nation’s dreamers, innovators and doers — America’s small businesses.

Middle Tennessee State University is the headquarters for the statewide Tennessee Small Business Development Center program, serving business and industry with 20 locations.

MTSU’s Patrick Geho, a professor in the Jones College of Business, serves as executive director of the TSBDC.

Dr. Patrick Geho

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

The MTSU Service Center, located inside the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce at 3050 Medical Center Parkway, will hold a networking hour that morning from 8 to 9, followed by a speed counseling session from 9 to 10 a.m. and a “What to Consider when Starting a Business” workshop from 10 a.m. to noon.

Pre-registration is recommended but not required. To register, call 615-898-2745 or go to www.tsbdc.org/mtsu and click on the appropriate links under “Training Events.”

That afternoon, the center will host a reception for its “Rising Star” award winner, Duggin Construction. Geho said the state’s other service centers will be conducting similar events featuring “Rising Stars” from their areas.

Haslam will recognize the TSBDC program that day to celebrate its 34 years of providing educational programs, technical assistance and general consultation to small businesses.

“It’s great to see SBDCs, their business clients and the public and private sector supporters of entrepreneurship come together to celebrate SBDCs and their outstanding clients,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “With SBDC support, small businesses in Tennessee and around the country raised over $5 billion in capital and created nearly 100,000 jobs.”

The nationwide network of development centers has helped aspiring and emerging small business owners achieve the American dream of entrepreneurship. The Tennessee program along with nearly 1,000 other locations across the country, provide local businesses and entrepreneurs with the resources needed to succeed.

The most recent annual performance data indicates that nationally SBDCs provided 1.24 million hours of consulting to 188,602 client businesses, resulting in 96,095 jobs created; $6.4 billion in sales growth; $5.16 billion in capital investments; and 17,174 new businesses started.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center Network is a partnership uniting private enterprise, government, higher education and local nonprofit economic development organizations.

It is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. Learn more about the TSBDC program at www.tsbdc.org.