The West Virginia Small Business Development Center

The Wyoming County Economic Development Authority prides itself on being a resource for small business owners. We do this through our own services, such as site selection assistance and our loan program, but also by directing entrepreneurs to other valuable state agencies and organizations that will aid and support them in a professional capacity. Why? Because we love West Virginia, and we want to showcase its benefits to business owners!  

Data shows that 98.8% of all of the businesses in West Virginia are considered small businesses (meaning, that they employ less than 500 people) and 48.6% of employed individuals work for a small business. 

One of the best resources for small business owners is the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, a division of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. The WV SBDC has business coaches that provide confidential, no-cost technical assistance for those looking to start or grow their business in the state. In fact, the WV SBDC’s clientele is made up of 45% existing businesses, 30% are startups and 25% are pre-venture businesses.

Here are a few more statistics from the WV SBDC’s 2022 Annual Impact Report:

• $29.8 million was secured in capital funding 
• 4,872 jobs were supported 
• 79 new businesses were started
• 1,373 clients were served (including 43% of which were women, 12% minorities and 9% veterans)

The WV SBDC’s business coaching services cover all essential topics including: marketing, funding, business management, business planning, technology commercialization, human resources, succession planning, cybersecurity, financial analysis, international trade, government contracting and disaster recovery. You can read more about each of these here. The WV SBDC reported that a total of 4,754 coaching hours were delivered last year alone! 

One of the WV SBDC’s specialty services, the In-Tech Program, focuses on inventors and technology-based entrepreneurs and also manages the WV Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund (more on that can be found here). 

Additionally, the WV SBDC hosts training events both online and in person (almost two dozen were scheduled throughout 2022) and oversees West Virginia BusinessLink, an online platform (of which, we, the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, are a resource partner) for entrepreneurs and business owners that offers support in the areas of startup, growth and funding. 

To contact the WV SBDC or find the nearest Small Business Development Center, click here. There are offices all across the state, including those that are less than a two hour drive from us in Bluefield, Charleston, Maxwelton and Summersville. 

As always, the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority is here to help you and your business. Feel free to contact us with questions. You can also follow us on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates.