News and Events

July 25, 2023

CT Businesses Received Boost from CTSBDC in 2022

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 […]

Steven Semaya, CTSBDC associate state director and Nalini Srinivasan, Owner of Curry Queen, LLC
July 20, 2023

The ‘Curry Queen’ of Lyme Brings New Flavor to Old Saybrook

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. […]

May 31, 2023

Cheshire Business Honored with Microenterprise of the Year Award

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 […]

May 9, 2023

Senator Blumenthal Recognizes Two Cheshire Businesses

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 […]

CTSBDC Export Services
March 27, 2023

Working with Companies to Export Services [Webinar Recording]

This is a recording of the live webinar event held on 3/22/2023 When most business owners think about exports, they think about sending physical products abroad. But in 2019, in the U.S., the services sector accounted for 69% of GDP and 82% of private sector employment, and there is a great opportunity to expand a […]

SBA 8(a) Program
March 1, 2023

SBA 8(a) Business Development Program [Webinar Recording]

This is a recording of the live webinar event held on 02/23/2023 Join the Connecticut SBA District Office and CTSBDC to learn about certifying your business under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program. The 8(a) program can be a valuable tool for experienced socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners who have already been in […]

October 31, 2022

Marketing: Understanding Your Customers [Webinar Recording]

This is a recording of the live webinar event held on 9.29.2022 You’ve built a small customer base, and now you need more customers to grow your business. You know you should be marketing and using social media. But, your budget is tight, and you don’t want to waste your time and money on things […]

August 15, 2022

Keeping Your Business Cyber Secure [Webinar Recording]

Cybercriminals target businesses of all sizes. Knowing some cybersecurity basics and putting them into practice will help you protect your business and reduce the risk of a cyber attack. At the CT Small Business Development Center, we can support you in developing your NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Cybersecurity Framework, which in our […]

August 12, 2022

CT Small Business Boost Fund [Webinar Recording]

On Monday, July 25, 2022, Governor Lamont announced the launch of a new, low-interest loan program supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, the CT Small Business Boost Fund. The program gives small business owners access to flexible funding for capital expenditures and working capital and connects them with support services like […]

August 3, 2022

CT Small Business Development Center Participates in Stamford Partnership

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 […]