Waterbury, CT — November 4, 2024 — The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Connecticut District and CT State Community College Naugatuck Valley, is pleased to announce the Access to Capital: Meet SBA Lenders event. This in-person event, taking place on November 15, 2024, from 9:00 […]

East Hartford, CT — October 24, 2024 — The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) is pleased to announce a lineup of free webinars throughout November, designed to empower Connecticut’s small business community with essential resources and expert insights. Running from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, these virtual sessions cover critical topics that will help […]

Connecticut Small Business Development Center is proud to announce that Scott Arnold has been selected as the 2024 State Star! This prestigious award, given annually, recognizes a member of the CTSBDC staff who has demonstrated exemplary performance and a strong commitment to small business success. Scott Arnold is a results-oriented Finance and Economic/Community Development professional […]

Mayor Dorinda Borer and the city’s Economic Development Commission presented the first forum of its kind for small-business owners at West Haven High School on Tuesday, June 11. With more than 100 business owners in attendance, the forum consisted of speakers from local, state, and federal agencies sharing the resources available for businesses to thrive. As […]

Bankers and business owners by the dozens gathered at Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business on the morning of June 4 for the “Capital Matchmaker” event hosted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Connecticut Small Business Development Council (CTSBDC). Modeled after a speed dating event, representatives of banks sat at tables in one of […]

Hadley Rosen, a 15-year resident of West Hartford, has teamed up with her dad and launched the chocolate business Chocolena, which is renting kitchen space at GastroPark and has had regular pop-ups there as well. Rosen said she and her husband Todd (a wealth manager at May, Bonee, and Clark), have two children at Braeburn School, […]

Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) proudly announces the newest addition to its team, Murray Gates, who joins as the Agricultural Business Advisor. With extensive experience and a passion for agriculture, Murray Gates brings a wealth of knowledge to CTSBDC. In his role as Agricultural Business Advisor, Murray will provide personalized guidance and resources to […]

The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) proudly announces the appointment of Pilar Illanes as the leader of our upcoming CTSBDC Immigrant Entrepreneur Program. Pilar will lead our soon-to-be-launched Immigrant Entrepreneur Program, dedicated to empowering immigrant entrepreneurs and international students in Connecticut. This program aims to empower immigrant entrepreneurs and international students to launch and […]

March 20th marks National SBDC Day, a significant occasion celebrating the pivotal role of America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in fostering the success of small businesses nationwide. This collective proclamation recognizes the profound impact SBDCs have on empowering dreamers, innovators, and doers—the backbone of America’s entrepreneurial spirit. With nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the […]

For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Live webinar event: March 6, 13, 20, 27, 11 AM – 1 PM Join the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) for this FREE 4-session virtual course that will provide small businesses with the knowledge and tools to manage their businesses’ financials successfully. This program is open to businesses […]

CTSBDC is proud to support The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s NHE3 initiative and to have been selected to participate in a $2 million federal grant to bolster minority-owned tech companies. Stepping in with technical assistance and business advisors, CTSBDC will present g three accelerator programs, each spanning six sessions, focused on Federal research […]

The collaborative effort between the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) – Connecticut District Office culminated in an immensely successful event: Connecticut’s 1st Capital Matchmaker on November 1, 2023 – one of the Small Business highlights of 2023. This event served as a pivotal platform, connecting small business owners […]

Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) proudly announces the appointment of Angela Rodriguez as a Training & Learning Coordinator. Angela’s assumption of this position stands as a significant milestone, reflecting her expertise and commitment exhibited over the past several months. “We are pleased that Angela is joining our Team in the growing area of small […]

The CT Small Business Development Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)  are hosting the first Connecticut Capital Matchmaker Event, on Wednesday, November 1st at the Southern Connecticut State University School of Business, New Haven, CT. The Capital Matchmaker event is a unique opportunity for small business owners to engage directly with SBA lenders, […]

Each year, the America’s Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) recognizes excellence among the nationwide SBDC network. This year, Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) is pleased to announce that Business Advisor Michelle Augustyn has been chosen as “State Star” by her colleagues at CTSBDC. The 63 Small Business Development Centers consider their State Stars, like […]

This is a recording of the live webinar event held on 8.15.2023  and 8.29.2023 In partnership with the Tolland County Chamber, the CT Small Business Development Center brings you a two-part series to help your small business level up. Session 1:   →  August 15, 2023 The first session will cover Reducing Risk. When managing a […]

People in Bridgeport on Thursday celebrated Black Business Month with an empowering event for entrepreneurs. It was held at the Housatonic Community College. There were inspiring panels and networking opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. The panel discussions provided insight for new business owners, on how to start and grow their business. “Unfortunately, a lot of businesses […]

We are delighted to have had the opportunity to assist a significant number of small businesses and entrepreneurs in Connecticut in 2022. A total of 3,300 individuals sought our guidance and advice in their pursuit of starting, growing, or steering their businesses toward success, and we couldn’t be happier to support them on their journeys. […]

In releasing its annual report highlighting 2022, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (SBDC) said the year “may well be remembered as the year we all took a deep breath and pushed on ahead. Small businesses worked through the residual challenges of the pandemic and moved cautiously in the face of rising inflation and uncertain […]

It’s the most popular item on her menu, but finance analyst turned restaurateur Nalini Srinivasan has never tasted chicken tikka masala. Still, it was a plate of those moist chunks of chicken, marinated in a spiced sauce, that she asked chef Navin Mishra to prepare for The Day on Tuesday along with steamed basmati rice. […]

After being part of a company-wide layoff in the medical field, Carol DiCarlo took her work experience and love of horses to launch a new business in Cheshire. Now, nearly five years later, DiCarlo is part of a small business success story. In what became a dream come true, DiCarlo opened the Cheshire Equestrian Center […]

One company provides hi-tech protective coatings for the United States military’s fighting machines. The other company provides high-end protective fashion for competitive horseback riding. But the two Cheshire-based enterprises — Element 119 and Cheshire Equestrian Center — have now both gained national recognition as small businesses that stand out among their peers. To formally acknowledge […]

As shared by Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journals on August 1, 2022: The Stamford Partnership held the inaugural Room for All event at the Palms Nightclub on July 20. Set in the evening to the sounds of smooth jazz and conversation, Room for All was designed not only to provide a networking event for […]

SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE: HOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS Connecticut Small Business Development Center partnered with the Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journals to offer tips for small businesses to grow their business. The Small Business Guide offers insight for family-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses looking to win government contracts, businesses looking to access capital, and […]

Connecticut Is One of Four National Awardees for a Minority Business Development Agency Advanced Manufacturing Center Grant (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, and the UConn School of Business today announced that Connecticut has been awarded a five-year, $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s […]

CTSBDC Associate State Director, Matt Pugliese, and Pre-Venture Business Advisor, Michelle Ouimette went on air 105.9 to discuss the assistance CTSBDC provides to small businesses. Listen to the full interview on Community Access Radio Listen now

As shared by UConn Today: As the state begins to move into a post-pandemic phase, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) expects another busy year helping small businesses recover and grow in 2021 and 2022. Housed within the UConn School of Business, the CTSBDC receives funding from the federal and state governments, enabling a team of […]

As shared by UConn Today: Santander Bank, N.A., through its Santander Universities program (“Santander”), has awarded a $100,000 grant to the UConn Foundation, to support initiatives that will benefit both minority business students and minority-owned small businesses. The grant marks a new relationship between UConn and Santander, one of the country’s largest retail and commercial […]

More than 700 businesses shared their operational experiences from the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic in March 2020 through early January 2021 in a market assessment survey conducted by the Connecticut Small Business Development Center. The survey was conducted from December 2020 through January 2021. The results provide a current perspective of how small […]

Published by Westfair Communications As businesses look forward to expanded capacity, many business owners are optimistic for the future. Since March 6, 2020, CTSBDC has provided 4,960 clients with counselling and training services. Notably the team of 20 Business Advisors has helped small businesses receive more than $137 million in emergency and non-emergency funding, supported […]

East Hartford, CT; March 11, 2021 – Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) is celebrating National SBDC Day on Wednesday, March 17 after a year of supporting over 9,200 small businesses through a pandemic. SBDC Day is a collective proclamation of the impact America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have on the success of our […]

CTSBDC is proud to recognize Valeria Bisceglia, chosen as a 40 Under 40 Winner for 2021 by the Fairfield County Business Journal. Valeria has worked tirelessly to make the complicated federal legislation and guidelines of the CARES Act meaningful for so many. She has kept the CTSBDC staff of business advisors, Connecticut’s small businesses and […]

Published in the Hartford Business Journal January 11, 2021 More businesses are looking to pivot as they try to keep their employees and respond to the changing market. For the live event ticket reseller, TicketNetwork, COVID-19 has had a major impact on their business, forcing them to re-evaluate and shift to supplying PPE. “Everything comes […]

Published by the CTExaminer.com January 29, 2021 Looking to address the disproportionate number of minority-owned businesses who received the first round of funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, the Small Business Administration has put in place a number of guidelines and opportunities for minority-owned, woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses to take advantage of this round. Joseph […]

As featured in Fairfield County Business Journal Written by Kevin Zimmerman These are understandably busy times for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center – so much so, it’s changing how it works to better meet small business’ needs. “In the past we’ve covered the state according to geographic areas,” CTSBDC State Director Joe Ercolano told […]

East Hartford, CT; November 23, 2020 — For the past 40 years, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) has helped the state’s small businesses start, manage and grow, with business advising offered at no-cost to the business. This year, not surprisingly, the number of businesses looking for assistance has doubled and the CTSBDC has […]

Small Business Saturday® has been a big shout out to recognize the importance of small businesses since launched in 2010 by American Express. And this year is no exception.  This season visit and support the local businesses that contribute in so many ways to our communities. Join us on a virtual sampling of what is happening […]

We would like to congratulate our host university, University of Connecticut, on the recent recognition as a Top 30 school for entrepreneurship. The Princeton Review recently announced their Top Schools for Entrepreneurship, including UConn at No. 46 for undergraduate entrepreneurship and, for the first time, the UConn School of Business ranked at No. 28 for […]

Published in the Hartford Business Journal November 2, 2020 Connecticut Small Business Development Center recently spoke with The Hartford Business Journal regarding entrepreneurship during the pandemic. It was reported by the Connecticut Data Collaborative that more than 23,000 businesses were established in the state from March through June. Nationwide and in Connecticut, new business starts […]

Published in The Wesleyan Argus September 18, 2020 Connecticut Small Business Development Center Business Advisor recently spoke with The Wesleyan Argus about his experience with how businesses have adapted to COVID-19. Many businesses are excited that students have returned to help support the local community and are reporting that for the most part they are […]

East Hartford, CT; October 2, 2020 – Since the start of the pandemic in mid-March Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) staff have logged over 4,400 hours advising clients and helping them keep their business operational by assisting with emergency loan and grant applications, and by offering management guidance from cash flow to financial projections. […]

East Hartford, CT; September 17, 2020 — What started as a passionate hobby for Alton Beaudoin in 1957, has grown into a multi-generational family-owned business known as Mystic Knotwork, LLC. In 2008 when Alton’s grandson, Matthew Beaudoin, rebranded the company his mission was to keep his grandfather’s name alive while working to transform a craft-show […]

Published in The Middletown Press on June 29, 2020; written by Dan Haar CTSBDC state director, Joe Ercolano, was recently interviewed by Hearst Media in regards to the impact the Paycheck Protection Program has had on Connecticut’s small businesses. Columnist Dan Haar reported, “Connecticut came in No. 8 in PPP loan amounts per capita, at $1.86 billion […]

Published on hartfordbusinessjournal.com on June 15, written by Kevin Zimmerman This just released Small Business Focus, published by The Hartford Business Journal, highlighted several CTSBDC clients and featured a Q & A about the current advising needs of small businesses with State Director Joe Ercolano. Read the full article here: via hartfordbusinessjournal.com

Published on westfaironline.com on June 1, written by Kevin Zimmerman How bad can it get? Apparently pretty bad indeed, as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc with the world’s fiscal as well as its physical health. Some 2.4 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, bringing that total to 38.6 million since […]

May 5, 2020: For the past 57 years, this week in May has focused on the strength and vibrancy of the millions of small businesses across the U.S. Although the official celebration of the event has been postponed, the effects our small businesses have on our economy continues to deserve our attention. To help our […]

The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) will host national SBDC Day 2020 at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.  The event celebrates Connecticut’s support for small businesses and entrepreneurs and features Connecticut Small Business Development Center clients showcasing their products and services.  Joining the CTSBDC team […]

A new partnership has developed between The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) and the Town of West Hartford that will deliver confidential business advising to entrepreneurs in every stage of business and all industry sectors in West Hartford. The new CTSBDC office hours will be held at the West Hartford Town Hall, located at […]

CTSBDC partnered with Fox 61 for Small Business Week to celebrate the contributions of small business and to highlight CTSBDC clients. Take a look at the week’s interviews: Looking to start a business? The Connecticut Small Business Development Center provides no-cost business advising      Relationships are in the recipe to Luna Pizza’s two decades of […]

April 29 – May 5, 2018 is National Small Business Week. Every year since 1963 the Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from across the nation through National Small Business Week. CTSBDC will be celebrating the week around the state. Monday, April 30, 2018 […]

The Women of Innovation award ceremony by Connecticut Technology Council is an annual event that “recognizes women innovators, role models, and leaders in science and technology professions, including outstanding young women at the high school and collegiate level pursuing technology studies.” This year’s award ceremony was hosted at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on […]

The completely redesigned website offers visitors richer insight into the CTSBDC’s value proposition and new options to register for business advising. [East Hartford, Connecticut, February 14, 2018] – Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) has launched its revamped website. The redesigned website has a fresh, uncluttered design with enhanced content focused on demonstrating CTSBDC’s mission […]

Seven CTSBDC clients have been accepted into reSET’s 2018 Impact Accelerator Cohort. This year’s cohort has 22 startups that beat out over 110 submissions from around the world. The accelerator is designed for early-stage, impact-driven organizations. It runs from January to May and includes 4 weekend summits. Congratulations to all the businesses accepted into the award-winning […]

The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) FY 17 annual report covers the period October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017. In the report, 6 CTSBDC clients were highlighted. The businesses are spread across the state and represent a variety of business industries: Borinquen Bakery a family owned and operated bakery specializing in Puerto Rican baked goods and […]

Published by WTNH-8 January 13, 2021 The second round of the Paycheck Protection Program is scheduled to provide provide priority access to minority, woman and veteran owned businesses. Many of these businesses are among those hit hardest by COVID-19. CTSBDC Capital Access Team Lead, Joseph Williams, spoke to CTSBDC’s goal to help these organizations: “So […]

NeuroEM Therapeutics Inc. has developed a device to help prevent and treat Alzheimer’s Disease using electromagnetic waves. Patty Meagher, CTSBDC Technology Business Advisor, helped Gary Arendish (founder, NeuroEM) and  Eric Knight (founder, Remarkable Technologies) secure the seed funding for the safety trials that are currently underway.  As is often the case, Patty acted as a neutral […]

January 27, 2016: Danbury Business Counselor Provides Helping Hand To Small Businesses January 28, 2016: CT Small Business Development Center to open satellite office in Fairfield February 6, 2016: Business News in Brief, Week of Feb. 7, 2016 February 26, 2016: CT SBDC BUSINESS ADVISING IS NOW AVAILABLE AT MERIDEN CITY HALL February 26, 2016: […]

Published on HartfordBusiness.com on March 26, 2016 written by Matthew Broderick When Jason Bittner, founder and CEO of Triple Helix Corp., first opened his East Hartford software and information management company in 2004, he was not only fully invested in his business dream but equally invested in getting solid business advice as a small-business entrepreneur. “I was paying […]

February 8, 2015: Sen. McCain, Speaker Sharkey upcoming guests of chamber June 7, 2015: State gives businesses a leg up September 30, 2015: CT Small Business Center Open at Mulvey October 18, 2015: Business counseling offered to new and existing Milford businesses October 27, 2015: 3D Printer Provides Opportunity to Make an Impression at New London Library November 30, 2015: Bridgeport […]

Business Advisor Matt Nemeth is recognized for his successful use of incorporating GrowthWheel in his work with clients. He is now featured in the GrowthWheel Marketing campaign. Take a look!

May 7, 2014: Advisers ready to help businesses grow August 15, 2014: Emily Carter, Start Director of CTSBDC on Comcast Newsmakers September 28, 2014: Business Women’s Forum 32nd Annual Conference