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Chile opens first of 50 Small Business Development Centers with the guidance of UTSA

The UTSA SBDC International Trade Center is helping strengthen the Chilean economy. This week, Chile opened their first Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Valparaiso, Chile. The center is based on the U.S. SBDC model taught by the UTSA SBDC International Trade Center.

Those in attendance included Chilean President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, Luis Felipe Céspedes, U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, and UTSA Sr. Associate Vice President for Economic Development, Robert McKinley.

UTSA leads the consulting effort to build a network of small business centers across the hemisphere for economic development and trade, on behalf of the U.S. State Department and Organization of American States. The SBDC model has evolved over 35 years at 1,100 universities and colleges across the U.S. and become an international best practice, with documented business growth results.

“President Jimmy Carter created the first small business development center network almost four decades ago. And that network now serves nearly 1 million small businesses every year, and it creates three new businesses and eight new U.S. jobs every hour,” said U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. “One of our very best centers is operated by the University of Texas in San Antonio; it is going to be working directly with our Chilean friends in helping to ensure that your centers do exactly the same.”

Under a mandate from President Michelle Bachelet, Chile began implementing the proven SBDC model taught by UTSA. The Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios (CDN) will facilitate and manage operations with the goal of providing quality one-on-one advising services as well as group training and customized market research to small businesses and entrepreneurs by promoting growth, productivity, diversification and innovation among Chilean small businesses.

To date, over 600 Chilean professionals have participated in the SBDC Advisor and Director Certificate Training Program taught by UTSA. Over the next two years, Chile is set to open 50 centers located in all 15 regions of the country. Through 2017 the Chilean partnership will invest approximately $45 million (U.S.) in the program by a combination of public, private, and academic sectors.

“Chile is a believer in the success of the U.S. SBDC model that we have been training countries to adapt to their local market,” said UTSA SBDC International Trade Center Director Cliff Paredes. “We are confident that they will maximize the creation of economic impact for small and medium enterprises in Chile and rapidly develop their SBDC network.”

UTSA Partnering with Canadian Consulate to Provide Training on Doing Business in Canada

San Antonio, June 10, 2015 – The International Trade Center, a specialty Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Institute for Economic Development, is holding Opportunities for Doing Business in Canada, a free, half-day training seminar on June 23, 2015. The event is designed to give US businesses the information they need to expand into markets in Canada.

For this seminar UTSA is partnering with the Consulate General of Canada in Dallas, as well as the US Commercial Service. Speakers include Susan Bincoletto, Chief Trade Commissioner & Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Canada and Delon Chan Consul and Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada in Dallas.

Topics for this landmark event include:

  • Why Canada is a great place to do business.
  • How your company can benefit in Doing Business in Canada.
  • Canadian market entry strategies.
  • Selling to the Canadian Federal Government.
  • Canadian corporate registration procedures.

“Canada is the second largest export market for Texas businesses, behind Mexico,” said Cliff Paredes, Director of the International Trade Center. “In 2014 Canadian Exports represented $31.1 billion; it’s a market that cannot be ignored.”

For registration and information on the event visit http://opportunities-in-canada.eventbrite.com.

The International Trade Center at UTSA is one of the largest and most successful trade assistance organizations in Texas. It helps companies become globally competitive through technical trade consulting, customized market research and innovative training programs. The center is a specialty SBDC program in the South-West Texas Border SBDC Network. Follow them on Twitter (@TexasTrade) and like them on Facebook (Facebook.com/texastrade).

UTSA Hosts Delegation of Government Officials from Colombia on a Technical SBDC Training Visit

(sena-visitSan Antonio, May 25, 2015) – The International Trade Center, a specialty Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Institute for Economic Development (IED), hosted a delegation of officials from the Colombian workforce development agency Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) on a visit to San Antonio on May 11-12, 2014. The visitors saw first hand the operations of the IED and discussed the process of adapting and implementing the US SBDC model in Colombia.

SENA is the largest workforce training and small business assistance network in Colombia. It has 117 locations located throughout Colombia, which serve over 9 million people each year.

SBDCs, established throughout the US by the federal government in partnership with universities and colleges, assist entrepreneurs and business owners in establishing and growing their businesses through a free and confidential suite of advising services. Services include, but are not limited to, feasibility studies, business strategy, financial planning, marketing, production and professional networking. The Centers support new and existing businesses.

SENA visited UTSA as part of the process of creating a national network of 117 SBDCs in Colombia during 2015 and 2016. The goal of the visit was to learn more about the UTSA Small Business Development Center model and develop an agreement between UTSA and SENA that will provide the necessary consulting, training and guidance for the creation of a national SBDC network in Colombia.

“The visit to the UTSA Institute for Economic Development has allowed us to have an insight into the function and scope of the successful US SBDC model,” said Juan Pablo Castro Morales, Director of Promotions and Corporate Relations, SENA. “The information that was provided to us will enable us to have a better assessment of the impact that the model could have once implemented by SENA on the development of entrepreneurship in Colombia. This visit is the start of negotiations to establish a cooperation agreement with UTSA, that will enable the transfer of the model and deploy of 117 training centers across Colombia.”

This visit is part of the International Trade Center and Institute for Economic Development’s SBDCGlobal program that, with the support of the US Department of State, has been helping countries to develop US modeled SBDC networks in the Americas since 2003.

“On behalf of UTSA and the Institute for Economic Development we look forward to collaborating with SENA for the creation of a national network of centers based on the SBDC model in Colombia,” said Cliff Paredes, Director of the International Trade Center and leader of UTSAs program to develop SBDC networks in the Americas. “This project will assist SENA in continuing its great work in helping entrepreneurs and existing businesses start, grow and in becoming more competitive. The benefit for UTSA and the IED is that we will have a strong partner in Colombia with SENA and their national network of SBDCs that will open new trade and investment opportunities for Texas small businesses. This agreement will be an important milestone in the expansion for the SBDC model internationally and in increasing trade opportunities for clients of the International Trade Center via SBDCGlobal.com.”

Leading the event on behalf of UTSA was: Robert McKinley, UTSA Associate Vice President for Economic Development; Cliff Paredes, International Trade Center, Director; and Mónica Alcoz, International Trade Center Senior International Business Advisor. Representing SENA on the visit was: María Andrea Nieto Romero, Director of Employment and Labor; Andrés Bautista Cabanillas, Employment and Labor Advisor; Carlos Arturo Gamba Castillo, Business Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur Fund National Coordinator; Andrés Felipe Rey, Entrepreneur Fund National Coordinator; Omar Rolando Avila Torres, SME National Coordinator; William Daza Nieto, Technical Support Professional Leader; Juan Pablo Castro Morales, Director of Promotions and Corporate Relations.

The International Trade Center at UTSA is one of the largest and most successful trade assistance organizations in Texas. It helps companies become globally competitive through technical trade advising, customized market research and innovative training programs. The center is a specialty SBDC program in the South-West Texas Border SBDC Network. Follow them on Twitter (@TexasTrade) and like them on Facebook (Facebook.com/texastrade).

For more information on the project, visit http://www.sbdcglobal.com/index.php/us/international-sbdc.html. For photos of the delegation, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/texastrade/sets/72157652216772179.

Rita Mónica Jiménez
Director of the Centro de Desarrollo Empresarial- Prospera Agua Blanca

“Monica Alcoz and Cliff Paredes shared compelling experience and insight that has helped us to improve our problem solving skills, and to better assist our clients on a daily basis by finding new opportunities to grow their business.”

Ricardo Espinoza
Director, Golfo de Fonseca SBDC

The training and the continuous guidance that we received from UTSA allowed us to understand the SBDC methodology of SME assistance, and adapt it to the business dynamic of Honduras to create economic impact.”

Lejia Melanie Gideon
General Manager, Innovation and Enterprise Division, BELTRAIDE

“UTSA has been instrumental in helping us build the foundation of our MSME assistance program and in establishing SBDCBelize, our first SBDC center.”

Eugenio J. Reyes-Guzmán
Director, World Trade Center Nuevo Leon

“The International Trade Center team has been essential in the conception, creation, and growth of the Mexican Association of SBDCs.”

Karen Cuéllar Lasprilla
Director, Alaya Center at the University of ICESI, Colombia

“The SBDC Certificate Training was a learning space that allowed us to plan and structure how we want our Center. I hope this is the first step to consolidate and formalize a large enterprise network in Colombia, with a strong commitment from our small business stakeholders.”

Nancy Kellum
Su Concierge, LLC

“Our TIBA program advisor at the International Trade Center, Jaime Martinez, has given us great business assistance and expert advice that will help us create a successful investment project.”

Jonathan Mercado
Blue Orange Pottery

“Berenice Espinoza’s personalized advising has proven to be highly valuable. I learned a lot from the International Trade Center.”

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