DURHAM, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center (NH SBDC) will participate in the first national “SBDC Day” March 22, 2017. SBDC Day is a national effort to share small business success stories and the impact SBDCs have fostered in communities nationwide.

The first pilot Small Business Development Centers started in 1979, and the SBDC was founded in New Hampshire in 1984, under Governor John H. Sununu. NH SBDC has provided business advising services to more than 26,000 entrepreneurs and online and in-person educational content to over 65,000 individuals since that time.

America’s SBDC Network - the nation’s largest business assistance network - helps aspiring and emerging small business owners achieve the American dream of entrepreneurship. With nearly 1,000 locations across the country, SBDCs provide local businesses and entrepreneurs with the resources needed to succeed.

In 2016, New Hampshire’s SBDC provided 6,330 hours of business advising to 698 clients, helping them to raise a record $30 million in capital infusion and $22.4 million in increased revenue, create 173 new jobs and retain 33 jobs, and win $100,000 in cash and in-kind support through business plan competitions.

“We are thrilled to join with SBDCs around the country to celebrate our clients and showcase the work we do for America’s small businesses,” said Rich Grogan, NH SBDC state director. “On March 22, please take a few minutes to read our client’s stories on the NH SBDC website, and join us in celebrating SBDC Day and our clients’ successes.”

Small businesses, partners, and advocates are invited to help spread the word about SBDC Day using the hashtag #SBDCDay. On March 22, we encourage clients, and workshop and e-Learning participants, to share how NH SBDC created a difference in your business and community on our Facebook page.

The NH SBDC is an outreach program of the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, and a cooperative venture of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, the University System of New Hampshire, and the private sector.

America’s SBDC represents the nation's 63 Small Business Development Centers, a national network of partnerships uniting higher education, state and local nonprofit economic development organizations, private enterprise and government. It is the Small Business Administration's largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses.