Fayetteville
State University’s (FSU) Veterans Business Outreach Center was honored with the
National Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence Award 2020. The Award was
made during the 2020 National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and honored resource partners for their impact on
local economic development, and support of small business creation and growth
across the nation. Additionally, all of SBA’s resource partners were recognized
for providing resources to small businesses as they worked to sustain their
operations and employees, as well as pivot and retool amid the global pandemic.
FSU and other award winners were recognized during virtual events
held on September 22-24, 2020. Each year, the SBA counsels, trains and
advises more than one million entrepreneurs and small business owners with the
help of its resource partners. Together, SBA Resource Partners provide
business consulting, access to capital, mentoring services, specialized training,
and the expertise for each stage of a business’s lifecycle. Their
outstanding efforts have supported the growth of small businesses, which in
turn drives the nation’s economy. Entrepreneurs receiving resource
partner assistance are more likely to start a business and successfully obtain
the financing necessary for business growth.
The
FSU Veterans Business Center is under the direction of Tamara Bryant. The
center provides veterans, active duty, and military
spouses with the tools needed to establish and grow their businesses, generate
profits, and become essential contributors to the economic development of North
Carolina. Last year, the VBOC at FSU counseled 734 clients, contributing to the
creation of 92 jobs. Thanks to a strong partnership with local lenders, the
center helped clients access more than $1.2 million in startup and expansion capital.
The center also conducted
43 Boots to Business and Boots to Business Reboot classes, with 672
participants across four installations. During 2019, the center also organized
60 seminars and training sessions for 1,558 participants.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business
Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the
only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of
the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business
owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their
businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through
an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private
organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
About Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution
of The University of North Carolina System and the second-oldest institution of
higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU is a
historically black university offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s,
and doctoral levels. With more than 6,700 students, Fayetteville State
University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. To learn more
about Fayetteville State University, visit www.uncfsu.edu.
