The Wisconsin Small Business Development Network will help an estimated 500 small businesses start and grow in Rock County, thanks to a five-year commitment.
When the Rock County Board of Supervisors designated $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act grants to companies hurt by the pandemic, it also set aside $1.5 million for SBDC technical assistance.
“Our businesses need cash infusions to rebound and better financial management to become resilient,” says County Board Supervisor Genia Stevens.
Bon Wikenheiser, Wisconsin’s SBDC state director, says the grant money will provide vitality for small and mid-sized businesses, which he describes as the heart of Rock County’s economy.
The Wisconsin SBDC offers no-cost, confidential consulting and education to new and existing businesses across more than a dozen locations. In 2021, the SBDC served 6,985 clients, resulting in $119 million in capital investment, 292 new businesses and 24,253 jobs supported.
Kathryn Jackson has been hired as Rock County’s SBDC consultant. She has more than 1,200 hours of experience working with small businesses through her most recent role at the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. She also has her own first-hand experience starting a business, which earned her the Wisconsin SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2015.
“I am excited to work with small business owners and prospective business owners in Rock County,” Jackson says. “I’m also looking forward to supporting those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Contact Jackson: [email protected] or 608-400-6784
Business tools will also be made available in the next month. Rock County is partnering with Arrowhead Library System to provide Internet hotspots and Chromebooks loaded with business planning software.
An advisory board will shape and monitor this joint effort. Members so far include Colleen Merrill, Wisconsin SBDC associate state director; James Otterstein, economic development manager, Rock County Development Agency; Mike Mathews, operations manager, Janesville Innovation Center; and Francisca Reyna, vice president of business development & education, Blackhawk Bank.
Sign up for SBDC services: https://wisconsinsbdc.org/rock-county
Learn more about Rock County business grants: https://www.rcbizgrants.org
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