National Small Business Week 2018

This year’s National Small Business Week was held from April 30-May 5 to recognize and celebrate the impact that outstanding small business owners from across the nation have on their communities. The Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) participated in and hosted a range of small businesses activities. The Pace SBDC enjoyed hosting a table as part of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) New York District Office’s International B2B and Small Business Resource Forum, which provided an opportunity for hundreds of small businesses to connect with 40 government agencies and other small business service providers. As part of the event Pace SBDC Director Andrew Flamm had an opportunity to both present to attendees regarding business plan best practices, as well as co-lead an “elevator pitch” demonstration for SBA Emerging Leaders and other participating small business owners. In support of Small Business Week, the Pace SBDC also partnered with the City Bar Justice Center’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) to host a commercial lease negotiation workshop, providing an in-depth understanding of key terms and factors to consider when entering into a commercial lease.

Leading up to Small Business Week, center director Andrew Flamm presented at a ‘Meet the lender’ forum hosted by the SBA New York District office, where he spoke about the range of services that the NYSBDC network offers. Held at the SBA’s office in Lower Manhattan, the event was highlighted by an engaging panel of bankers and alternative lenders moderated by SBA New York District Director Beth Goldberg, as well as a presentation detailing SBA’s key small business loan programs. The SBDC’s from Pace University and NYC College of Technology (Brooklyn) also partnered to host a table where they met with entrepreneurs seeking to grow or launch their business.