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Center Advises New Business Owners oarnn OOtUU If you’re thinking of starting a business and are determined to take the plunge - don't. Not until you’ve talked to the staff at the Small Business and Technology Development Center at UNCW. Taking advantage of their expertise could easily mean the difference between success and fail ure. Eighty-five percent of small business start-ups in the United States fail within the first five years. "The people we work with almost reverse this figure," said Ted Jans, director of the center at UNCW. "Eighty percent of the people we counsel are still in business across the state." Planning is the key to success, said Jans. "We take theoretical knowl edge and try to make it practical," he said. When a client comes in with a business idea, Jans and his assistant, Leslie Langer, evaluate the cli ent’s plan. They identify potential problems of the business and outline the client’s responsibilities. ^TTie idea (for a business) is one thing, but what you do with it is another," Jans said. Jans and Langer act as counselors, helping their clients with loan pro posals, business plans, and most importantly, suggestions for success. And above all, the SBTDC staff makes sure that the purpose of the pro posed business is lawful and that their clients have the proper licenses and copyrights. The SBTDC at UNC Wilmington serves southeastern North Carolina and is one of 10 such centers in the state. Established in 1984, these centers work with constituent UNC universities and the state’s community colleges. TTieir services are free to the public. Many of their clients are referrals from area chambers of commerce. The center also works closely with the Wilmington group SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and the UNCW Office of Sf>ecial Programs. Future plans for the southeastern SBTDC include adding a staff person for international trade and one for sales of non-munitions goods to the military. Additionally, an outreach program will be implemented with an SBTDC staff person traveling to regional towns to counsel owners of small businesses. "We’d worfc through the chambers of commerce and the eco nomic development groups in each town to identify those needing our assistance," said Jans. "Hopefully, in the next two to four years we’ll be staffed to do all of this." Starting a business or improving an existing one? Do yourself a favor and visit the Small Business and Technology Development Center at UNCW. It could be the best investment you ever made. Ted Jans, director of SBTDC Economic Facts and Forecasts Available at UNCW Certain population figures, economic facts and forecasts, retail sales figures, or employ ment and unemployment statistics can be vital to the success of any business. As a new or established business owner, you may need j to know Hie Center for Business and Eco^ tIOhiics Services in the Cameron School of Business Administration provides this data and much more for free. Tlie center main- s tains a data base cover ing many aspects of eco nomic activity for a 34- ^ county area in Eastern North Carolina, the state and the nation. In addi tion to population and re tail sales figures, the center provides data on vehicle sales, build-* ing permits, airport traiBc, numbers of new business incorporations, tand tourism. Through the UNCW Office of Special Pro grams, the center spon sors public seminars on business-related topics. Additionally, a biannual publication, Caro lina Coast Business Review, provides a de tailed analysis of local and national trends in addition to articles on current business inter ests and informative "how to" stories. BUSIIIESS REVIEW The center also offers a speakers bureaui through the business school as a free commu nity service. A brochure listing the wide; variety of business topics can be obtained by ■ calling the Center for Business and Econom- • ics Services at 919-395-3419.
UNCW Today (University of North Carolina Wilmington Alumni Newsletter)
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April 1, 1990, edition 1
4
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