NORTHWEST TEXAS SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER STRATEGIC PLAN MISSION STATEMENT VISION STATEMENT

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1 NORTHWEST TEXAS SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER STRATEGIC PLAN MISSION STATEMENT The NWTSBDC Network serves as a valuable provider of quality business counseling, training, information, and special programs for existing and potential organizations. In providing this assistance, the NWTSBDC Network utilizes its core capabilities to assist customers in creating jobs, wealth, and improving the economic prosperity of the region. VISION STATEMENT The Northwest SBDC Network will be recognized throughout the region as an excellent source of assistance for resolving business and economic development problems. The NWTSBDC Network strives to have each program within the network consistently rank in the top 5 programs of their respective type within the nation. THE NWTSBDC Network will: provide high quality business assistance to the small business community of the region resulting in the creation of new businesses, expansion of existing businesses and the creation of new jobs; ensure that all citizens of the 95 county region have unlimited access to all of the NWTSBDC Network s programs; grow and expand the number and scope of the small business assistance programs provided throughout the region; be a focal point of the University s economic development outreach efforts; continue to have the NWTSBDC program ranked in the top 5 programs in the nation; continue to have the NWTITC ranked in the top 3 programs in the nation; and collaborate with other TTU entities to promote and provide economic development and community outreach.

2 GOALS, CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS, and Objectives (including Strategies and Assessments) Goal 1. Client Access and Diversity: Ensure all citizens of the region have equal access to all services of the NWTSBDC Network. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): More diverse client base for all of the NWTSBDC Network s programs. Increase the number of new business openings for minority owned businesses by 10%. Increase the number of high quality new jobs created throughout the entire citizen base of the region by 5%. Educate existing businesses to the rapidly expanding diversity of the region and the impact on their businesses from both sales and employment. Ensure a staffing structure at the NWTSBDC Network that allows for a supportive environment for all clients. Objectives: Objective 1.1: Develop a more diverse staff throughout the region that can relate to and overcome issues of diverse cultures. Add new counselors at each of the subcenters who are bilingual and preferably Hispanic as funding allows. Broaden candidate base for any mid and senior level staff positions when being filled. Evaluate regional population base for diversity as benchmark. Assessment: Staff diversity. Objective 1.2: Provide a seminar series for region businesses that shows the changing cultural makeup of the region using Census data as well as other sources. Review Census data to prepare presentation detailing the changing racial makeup of Northwest Texas. Make presentations to area businesses concerning the rapidly expanding Hispanic population base of the region and the growth potential of their businesses in serving this market segment.

3 Seminar evaluations. Area businesses survey. Objective 1.3: Assess the success at the NWTSBDC in counseling minority clients; creating minority new business starts and expand to the entire region. Use Census data to determine population numbers for the racial makeup of the region. Review SBDC counseling results center by center for racial makeup of client base. Ensure that ratio of client base matches closely the ratios of the population base of the region. Review the business start up rate of minority clients as related to the same for Anglo clients. Objective 1.4: Number of minority clients counseled. Number of minority new business starts. Continue to hire a diverse cross section of the TTU student body for all student job opportunities within the NWTSBDC Network. Select student interns in the various NWTSBDC programs that represent a balance of cultural and ethnic diversity. Select foreign student interns for the International Trade Center that have multiple language skills and international trade experience. Minority student employees as percentage of total student employee base. Foreign student employees as percentage of total student employee base.

4 Goal 2. Academic Excellence/Real World Experience: Provide an environment for Students to work in real world situations to complement and enhance their classroom experience. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Allow students to work in real world jobs within the NWTSBDC Network. Create opportunities for students to employ their classroom training in real world situations with businesses throughout the region. Develop student dependant research projects that blend classroom training with solutions to real world business problems. Objectives: Objective 2.1: Continue existing and add new intern opportunities within the NWTSBDC Network for TTU students. Expand the BIDC program to allow for the addition of 5-7 students per semester to train with real world demographic research studies. Redevelop the pipeline of student interns with the College of Business. Evaluate new grant and funding opportunities for the new student intern positions. Objective 2.2: Number of new programs added. Number of intern opportunities. Continue to act as a liaison between TTU and the small business community of the region for placement of student interns. Work with regional economic development entities to promote availability of student interns from TTU. Present seminars to areas business groups on student intern opportunities. Work closely with the Assistant V.P. for Economic Development to coordinate the identification and employment of student interns throughout the entire University campus. Business needs survey. Student intern totals.

5 Goal 3. Engagement: Maintain existing and add new programs to the NWTSBDC Network to ensure the creation of new businesses, the expansion of existing businesses resulting in new jobs created and economic growth of the region. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Assist in the creation of 1,500 new businesses over the next five years in the region. Assist in the creation of over 7,000 new jobs throughout the region over the next five years. Help expand over 700 existing businesses over the next five years. Provide training to over 20,000 seminar attendees over the next five years. Reaffirm, through action, the NWTSBDC s position as the number one economic development program throughout the region. Objectives: Objective 3.1: Add additional programs to the NWTSBDC Network that provide meaningful assistance to the small businesses of the 95 county service area. Continue efforts to expand the BIDC to create a regional statistical and demographic database for Northwest Texas. Continue the expansion of the International Trade Center. Develop and implement the re-expansion plan for the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center. Continue development of the Technology Center to accommodate small business needs as well as University needs. Expand the existing Procurement Assistance Center coverage area by securing territory expansion agreements with Amarillo and Abilene. Client needs survey. Review of NWTSBDC specialty programs. Objective 3.2: Assist with the creation of new jobs, new businesses and business expansions. Counsel with at least 3,000 new clients throughout the region. Continue to develop relationships with area banks for client referrals.

6 Continue to develop relationships with area economic development entities for client referrals. Work with counselors to ensure proper training and delivery of assistance to clients. Annual meetings with banks and regional economic development entities for evaluation of SBDC assistance to clients. Initial and annual client survey. Quarterly subcenter survey of new business starts and new jobs created. Region verification survey of new business starts and new jobs created. Number of new business starts to clients counseled. Objective 3.3: Provide business assistance training to small businesses of the region. Provide business assistance seminars throughout the region through the subcenter network. Develop and present seminars that solve current business needs of area businesses. Develop and present seminars that provide area businesses with information on stateof-the-art business practices. Present seminars that inform the area businesses of existing and upcoming governmental regulations that effect their businesses. Client evaluations. Client surveys of training needs. Surveys of economic development entities for seminar topic suggestions. Objective 3.4: Provide region businesses with access to International markets for their products. Provide training seminars for region manufacturers to inform them of International sales opportunities Provide training seminars that teach region manufacturers about the differences in selling internationally. Provide client counseling to ensure clients understand all phases of the international trade transaction process. Assist clients with a turnkey assistance on first few trade transactions.

7 Continue to work with Foreign Universities and Governments to enhance business opportunities for the regions small businesses. Quarterly survey of client base for International Trade successes. Annual survey of client trade successes and new needs. Client counseling assessments. Objective 3.5: Provide region businesses with access to Manufacturing Assistance to improve efficiency and profitability. Provide training seminars for region manufacturers to inform them of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) assistance capabilities. Provide training seminars that teach region manufacturers about the new techniques in manufacturing efficiencies and profitability models. Conduct client on-site manufacturing assessments. Provide client consulting to solve identified problems within the manufacturer s operations. Objective 3.6: Number of client assistances. Nature of client assistance. Annual quality survey of clients for assessment of TMAC assistance. Provide region businesses with access to sales opportunities with the Federal, State and local governments. Provide training seminars for region manufacturers to inform them of the Procurement Assistance Center (PAC). Provide training seminars that teach region manufacturers about the techniques in selling to Federal and State agencies as well as local governments. Conduct client on-site manufacturing assessments. Provide in-depth client assistance as clients are walked through the confusing steps in selling to the government.

8 Quarterly review of client assistances and nature of assistance. Annual quality survey of clients for assessment of PAC assistance. Objective 3.7: Continue the growth of the subcenter network to ensure complete coverage of area demographics and geographies. Develop new partnerships with any economic development or community entity that currently does not exist. Expand the circuit rider program to provide enhanced services usually only found at the subcenters. Assist subcenters in acquiring additional funding to add counseling capabilities and expand frequency of visits to outlying communities. Continue work on the Rural Incubator Network and Broadband access to allow for online delivery of SBDC assistance services. Quarterly subcenter director meetings to assess needs of area businesses and communities. Annual needs survey of communities and economic development groups.

9 Goal 4. Technology: Continue to expand the NWTSBDC Network s computer system as well as train area small businesses in all areas of Computer Technology. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Maintain the state-of-the-art computer network within the NWTSBDC region. Expand existing computer training to the small businesses of the region to cover all relevant topics. Update all computer and Internet hardware/software to comply with SBA contractual obligations. Expand the NWTSBDC Network technology assistance to the rural areas by the use of distance learning. Support the implementation of the High Plains Rural Business Assistance Network (HPRBAN) incubator strategy and remote Internet based business training. Objective: Objective 4.1: Continue to improve the NWTSBDC region s computer network. Implement the 2-5 th generation of the DB2 MIS system throughout the region as newer versions are completed and tested. Expand the Technology Center with the addition of the Computer Training Lab/Market Research Center. Install final links in the NWTSBDC Network s Internet Intranet at all subcenters and specialty center locations. Enhance the capabilities of the BIDC with the integration of new databases, hardware and GIS software as funding allows. Help design and install computer network for the EDA University Center. Quarterly Assessment of software development and implementation. Evaluations of grant opportunities for funding of new projects. Annual review of technology needs.

10 Objective 4.2: Provide technology training and assistance to the small businesses of the region. Add additional Internet and E-business counselors, one per year for the next three years. Continue to expand Internet and e-business training events to 1 per month per subcenter. Expand the circuit rider system to include access to the virtual incubator, distance learning training, and mobile computer training workshops as required. Provide open house opportunities to the University and regional small businesses to observe the implementation and operation of the NWTSBDC s state-of-the-art computer network. Establish regional subcommittees for technology, resource sharing, and communication from the subcenter staffs. Develop and implement a series of conferences for rural communities on e-commerce and Internet initiatives as well as broadband access. Client seminar evaluations. Quarterly performance evaluation of technology program. Needs survey of region small businesses.

11 Goal 5. Partnerships: Grow and enhance our relationships with all internal and external partners, both funding and none funding sources. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Expand the extensive network of partners that the NWTSBDC has established over the past 14 years throughout the region. Become more of a recognized partner for generic public sector economic development projects as well as the typical individual private sector small business projects. Make annual presentations to economic development groups, chambers of commerce, city councils, COG s, and any other potential and existing partners throughout the region. Provide a constant flow of client success stories to all elected officials within the region as per their requests. Objectives: Objective 5.1: Develop a more comprehensive knowledge of the NWTSBDC and it s programs throughout the region. Make at least 200 public appearances per year to economic development groups, chambers of commerce, business organizations, charitable organizations, funding partners or any other entity that supports and or funds economic development. Present over 200 seminars each throughout the region insuring high visibility for the NWTSBDC. Become more proactive with all media sources by providing a more consistent flow of information as well as taking advantage of PSA opportunities. Continue preparation and dissemination of the NWTSBDC s quarterly/annual newsletters and other publication throughout the region. Revise and update all publications of the NWTSBDC and its programs as required. Provide NWTSBDC publications to all region Chambers of Commerce, economic development entities and banks. Complete the revitalization of the Northwest Texas SBDC Region Advisory Board. Assessment: Quarterly and annual review of partner requests for information and co-sponsored events.

12 Objective 5.2: Work to maintain and expand relationships with all funding partners. Make annual presentations to funding partners on the performance results of the program and their return on investment into NWTSBDC programs. Work with the ASBDC to ensure a continuation of the Federal funding component of the SBDC program. Continue informational meetings with and fill information request for members of Congress as requested. Work with the various State Representatives and State Senators that request information on the NWTSBDC Network. Continue meetings with the various Federal Agencies that provide grant programs for small business assistance. Aggressively seek out all Federal and State grants available for small business assistance. Evaluate and secure, grants and endowments from all Foundation and private sector sources that are available for small business assistance. Assist all subcenters in the development of line item funding proposals through their host institutions. Objective 5.3: Evaluation of Federal, State and private sector grant opportunities. Review of NWTSBDC programs for funding increases opportunities. Review of Foundation grants opportunities. Amount of funding awarded. Number of funding opportunities awarded. Enhance and expand the NWTSBDC s relationships with regional partners. Develop alliances and partnerships with other educational institutions, organizations, economic development agencies, chambers, and communities. Develop a Best Practices Forum for small businesses for recognition at an awards function. Seek out opportunities to participate on boards and committees that relate to small business needs. Develop private Sector business alliances that provide shared resources and possibly loaned executive programs.

13 Co-sponsor at least 150 seminars and public events per year with partners as described above. Review number of annual partnership events. Subcenter review of partnering success.

14 Goal 6. Human Resources: Ensure a staffing structure at the NWTSBDC Network that allows for a diverse and varied employee base to ensure a supportive environment for all clients. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): A diverse cultural and experience base throughout the NWTSBDC staff. A multi lingual capability in all NWTSBDC programs. Extensive private sector experience for NWTSBDC Directors and Counselors. Objectives: Objective 6.1: Review appropriate staffing and performance of the NWTSBDC region programs. Continue to develop a more diverse staff throughout the region that can relate to and overcome issues of diverse cultures. Assess the success at the TTU SBDC in counseling minority clients; creating minority new business starts and expand to the entire region. Continue to hire a diverse cross section of the TTU student body for all student job opportunities within the NWTSBDC Network. Require all NWTSBDC employees to have a minimum set of qualifications with special qualifications related to job function. Periodically review the NWTSBDC region office staffing compensation to address current and future needs of the program. Provide a work environment that creates a warm and friendly atmosphere where consistent and qualitative work levels are achieved. Objective 6.2: Accurate job descriptions for all positions. New employee benefits. Level of salary comparable to peer organizations. Subcenter host institutions in compliance with human resource requirements. Review subcenter host institutions for compliance with correct job descriptions for every SBDC staff position. Review subcenter staff for compliance with Federal mandated compensation requirements.

15 Review host institutions for compliance with Federal hiring and termination practices. Expand the current plan for the SBDC s utilization of graduate, undergraduate and high school students throughout the subcenter network. Accurate job descriptions for all positions. New employee benefits. Level of salary comparable to peer organizations.

16 Goal 7. Program Image and Stature: Establish a regional, national and international image of quality and professionalism for the NWTSBDC Network. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Create an image of quality and professionalism. Distribute detailed information about client success stories. Make 200 public appearances every year about the various NWTSBDC programs and their performance results. Every program within the NWTSBDC Network maintains the highest quality. Program results are communicated on a regular basis. Objectives: Objective 7.1: Expand the professional development programs of the NWTSBDC. Review and update the professional development plan of the NWTSBDC. Continue to send appropriate staff to the annual ASBDC fall training conference. Continue to send appropriate staff to the annual Texas SBDC training conference. Send individual staff to training events identified as needed to improve skill set required of position. Staff skill set assessments. Training assessment. Objective 7.2: Enhance NWTSBDC image through dissemination of publications and performance reports. Continue to send to all interested parties our quarterly and annual newsletters with performance results and client success stories highlighted. Prepare new format for the NWTSBDC annual report that places emphasis on performance, success stories and personal interest items. Continue to build upon the excellent relationships the NWTSBDC has established with local and area newspapers as well as electronic media. Continue to inform all partners regularly on the results of the NWTSBDC programs within their areas of interest. Finish the implementation of the update program.

17 Create a series of radio and TV client testimonials for use in a region wide advertising campaign. Provide, to all elected officials, performance results on businesses opened, expansions, new jobs created and client success stories as per requested. Partner evaluations of the NWTSBDC programs. Number of awards received by the NWTSBDC and its programs.

18 Goal 8. Program Evaluation and Accountability: Continually evaluate and update the performance and activity criteria that the NWTSBDC Network s success is measured against. Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years): Performance results exceed Federal funding partners performance criteria by 25% annually. Performance results exceed State funding partners performance criteria by 15% annually. Performance results exceed Local funding partners performance criteria by 20% annually. NWTSBDC network understands, supports and implements performance criteria. Proactive development and implementation of new performance criteria. Objectives: Objective 8.1: Evaluate and update true performance measures for the NWTSBDC and its programs. Primary performance focus of funding partners and the Region staff is on businesses opened, business expansions, new jobs created, longevity of new business starts, and successful training efforts with region business clients. Review and update minimum performance standards for jobs created, businesses opened, business expansions and local funds raised for NWTSBDC region and individual subcenters. Review International Trade Center performance goals. Review Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center performance goals. Review the Procurement Assistance Center for performance goals. Evaluate all centers against performance goals. Monitor all funding sources for changes in the emphasis placed on all criteria used in their funding decisions for the NWTSBDC. Add any performance standards identified by the accreditation teams. Number of jobs created and businesses opened. Amount of local funds raised. Number of International trade transactions and dollars awarded. Number of manufacturing contracts received.

19 Amount of procurement contracts and dollars received. Objective 8.2: Review activity measures such as clients counseled, counseling hours, seminar attendees and individual staff activity results are an integral part of the overall evaluation program of the region. Update activity standards for clients counseled, client counseling hours, training events presented for the NWTSBDC region, each individual subcenter and the individual staff members. Review performance of each subcenter against activity standards. Review individual staff members against their personal activity standards. Add any activity standards identified by the accreditation teams. Objective 8.3: Region activity review. Subcenter activity review. Staff activity review. Evaluate and update the MIS system on an annual basis to reflect any changes required. Modify the MIS system to reflect any changes implemented as a result of the review of standards. Modify the MIS system to include the performance items identified by the Certification team. Continue the development of the NWTSBDC Internet based Intranet for reporting of performance results. MIS review. MIS system review. Objective 8.4: Enhance current program to ensure thorough documentation of all success stories and strategic dissemination of results. Review format for reporting success stories from the subcenters to the region. Report success stories in appropriate format to the region on the scheduled basis. Disseminate the success stories to all funding partners and other regional partners.

20 Assessment: Success stories reported on quarterly and annual basis. Objective 8.5: Review the Subcenter Audit program annually to determine any changes needed in the frequency, team members, or criteria used. Review results of annual subcenter audits. Review subcenter audit criteria with subcenter directors and federal partners. Modify audit criteria as required. Audit procedure and structure reviews. Financial and programmatic reviews. Objective 8.6: Reevaluate the Subcenter Funding Formula annually to ensure the formula is fair and equitable. Review formula elements with region staff and subcenter directors for any changes required. Implementation of changes occurs two years from creation date. Assessment: Funding formula review.