Scheduled to open its doors in January 2014, the Florida SBDC at FIU will provide no-cost, one-on-one business consulting to local companies. It will be a sister organization to FIU’s Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center, which offers a variety of workshops, seminars and networking events for entrepreneurs and  business owners

“This is a special opportunity that takes our commitment of entrepreneurship to the next level,” said College of Business Dean David Klock. “The ability now to provide one-on-one consulting to our local companies builds on 10 years of promoting business growth through our Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center.”

FIU SBDC aligned with statewide network of centers.

 The Florida SBDC Network is designed to deliver high-quality business and economic-development assistance to existing and aspiring small businesses to promote growth, expansion, innovation, profitability, management improvement, employment and economic development. To accomplish this objective, and meet the specialized and complex needs of the increasingly diverse small business community, the Network creates a broad-based system of assistance by linking the resources of the federal, state and local government with the resources and knowledge of institutions of higher education, regional and local economic development organizations and, where appropriate, the private sector.

The Network, a State University System Florida Center headquartered at the University of West Florida, is a partnership of Florida’s top universities and colleges committed to growing the economies they serve by providing small and medium sized businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to grow and succeed.

“Florida International University is a recognized local and global leader in supporting entrepreneur and small business development,” said State Director for the Florida SBDC Network Michael Myhre, “Our new partnership with FIU, together with the resources of our other partners, will ensure the businesses in Miami-Dade County have access to the best resources possible to support their needs and success.”

The Florida SBDC at FIU will operate out of multiple offices throughout Miami-Dade County and will provide a team of experienced and certified professional business consultants with expertise in financial management, marketing,  international expansion, the technology sector and more.

The College of Business is conducting a national search for an executive director who will oversee both the SBDC and Pino centers.