SERVING THE COMMUNITY NMC-SBDC offers help to small businesses

The NMC Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located at Northern Marianas College is open and able to serve the interests of the small business community in the CNMI. The purpose of the SBDC is to strengthen the small business community by assisting the formation of new businesses and helping existing businesses to grow.

Bottom line, the Center exists to help create more jobs and to increase business revenue. Many of the services offered by the SBDC are free or assess minimal cost. Below are just a few of ways the NMC Small Business Development Center works with business owners, and some of the programs that we offer now, and will offer in the near future.

Counseling: High-quality, in-depth, one-on-one counseling is available to prospective and existing business owners. SBDC consultants assist
small business owners in solving problems concerning operations, personnel management, marketing, sales, merchandising, financial management, bookkeeping, accounting, and business strategy development. Each consultant has advanced degrees and has had experience operating their own successful small businesses.

Business Health Check-Up: This 50-question survey identifies your business strengths and weaknesses in five key areas of your business. This is a new service developed exclusively by the NMC SBDC, and it is offered to every new client to access how the Center can best serve each individual client.

Workshops/Seminars: Numerous workshops and seminars are made available to the public at a low cost, or sometimes free. These workshops have included topics such as basic finance and accounting, computer buying, sales and marketing, and personnel management. The Center plans to hold at least two workshops each month. In addition, last year a successful Women in Business Seminar was well attended, and another one is schedule in the future. To find out more about our workshop schedule, call 235-1551.

Business Plan for Success Program: This program offers an overview of the elements that contribute to a successful business. Various topics are addressed by the SBDC consultants and local business professionals. If you are a business start-up or you plan to get a loan in the near future, this program will be especially valuable.
The final product of this program will be the completion of a business plan. Some of the topics discussed are strategic business planning, organizational strategy, marketing strategy, and financial strategy.

Strategic Business Alliance Program: This is an early morning gathering of business owners who discuss concerns covering the five strategic dimensions for business improvement. At this monthly meeting, the participants receive a half-hour training session on one of the strategic dimensions, and then the rest of the time will be devoted to group discussion and brainstorming where everyone benefits from the experiences of each other. Each group session is limited to 10 – 12 non-competing businesses so that it encourages group discussion. Call our offices early if you are interested in participating so we can save you a seat.

Business CPR (Crisis Prevention & Revitalization): There are many small business owners in the C.N.M.I. who have significant gaps in their business knowledge that, over time, combine to create cash crises, process inefficiencies, and unproductive marketing. Business CPR outlines business turnaround survival strategies that solve these problems and can restore the financial well-being of a distressed business. The four weekly workshops focus on a proven step-by-step process for accomplishing profit enhancement and skill development.

Business Expo: This year’s event will mark the third year the SBDC has been involved with the Business Expo. The expo is held on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and it is a joint effort between the Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Commerce, and other government agencies involved with developing an improved business climate.
This year’s event will have more workshops that will provide valuable information to get started, and succeed in a business of your own.

As mentioned earlier, the services that the SBDC offers are free, and other activities are offered at a low cost. The consultations are confidential, and all of the consultants have both the educational background and business experience to offer you sound advice. If you have any questions on the above programs or would like to
know how the Center could be of greater assistance, please call Eric Plinske, Dirk Sharer, or Rik Villegas at 235-1551.