San Antonio, November 25, 2014 – The International Trade Center, an SBDC at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Institute of Economic Development, announced today that it will complete its three-module Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisor and Director Certificate Training in Santiago Chile December 2-3. 2014. The program will help establish SBDCs throughout the country to support Chilean business owners and entrepreneurs.
SBDCs, established throughout the US by the federal government in partnership with state governments and 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 not limited to, feasibility studies, business strategy, financial planning, marketing, production and professional networking. The Centers support new and existing businesses.
The goal of the SBDC Counselor and Director Certificate Training is to transfer the SBDC model methodology and train professionals on how to manage and operate an economic impact-producing SBDC. This training is part of the International Trade Center and Institute for Economic Development’s International SBDC Expansion Initiative 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.
For Chile, module three is the culmination of the Certificate Training. At the conclusion of the event, participants will have worked through many of the aspects of the SBDC model, critical issues of SBDC leadership and day-to-day resources for running a successful SBDC. At the end of the training each participant will have developed a strategic plan for his or her future SBDC. In addition to the live training, this series has been live-streamed to business development professionals throughout Chile.
Among those in attendance at the live training will be Luis Céspedes, Minister of Economy, Chile; Bernardo Troncoso General Manager, SERCOTEC, Chile; Michael A. Hammer, US Ambassador for Chile; as well as representatives from PROCHILE, the Chilean Federal Export Agency.
UTSA Associate Vice President for Economic Development Robert McKinley, UTSA International Trade Center Director Cliff Paredes, and Senior International Business Advisor Monica Alcoz will conduct UTSA’s Advisor and Director Certificate Training.
“Chile has a lot of momentum to develop a fully functional SBDC network in the country,” said Cliff Paredes, Director of the International Trade Center. “Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has mandated an SBDC Initiative in the country, and has tasked the Ministry of the Economy and SERCOTEC [the Chilean Technical Cooperation Service] with the launching 33 centers in 2015 with a total of 50 by 2017 as a proactive step in building the local economy.”
At the conclusion of these final trainings event more than 150 attendees, most of whom will go on to be SBDC Directors or Advisors in Chile, will be awarded certificates by UTSA representatives.
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).For more information on the project, visit http://www.sbdcglobal.com/index.php/us/international-sbdc.html
